Five minutes, 28 covers, 300 tyres: How Galle's 130-member groundstaff beat the rain
The rain may have tested Galle, but its groundstaff never blinked. Meet the 130-member groundstaff, who raced against the weather, mastered the art of covering the ground and ensured precious playing time was not lost during the first Test between India vs Sri Test played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
It was game over for the cricket match, and the teams had departed. The broadcasters were packing up for the next fixture. However, for Manjula and his 130 groundstaff at Galle International Cricket Stadium, their tasks were just beginning. Rain had started immediately after the handshake ceremony, but they had no rush to cover the area.
As India and Sri Lanka arrived for the series opener, the coastal city experienced frequent rainfalls that kept everyone on their toes. Manjula oversees the operations, while only 16 of his team are permanent staff. The rest of the 124 staff members were brought in from Hambantota for the international match. These daily workers are paid between 2,500 LKR and 4,000 LKR per day.
The groundstaff, with remarkable efficiency, managed to cover the entire ground in less than five minutes, even during heavy downpours. They watched for cloud movements near the Galle Fort and waited for the official signal before starting to cover the pitch, square, run-up, and the entire ground. Each 100x100 piece of cover weighs over 650 kg, and there are about 28 covers needed to protect the outfield.
These covers are heavy enough to remain grounded on their own but can be blown away by strong crosswinds. To prevent this, the groundstaff places over 300 tyres to secure the covers. The entire process, from covering to removing the covers, is done within a few minutes to prevent any exposure to the rain. Once the rain stops, four Super Soppers help in preparing the outfield for resumption.
Despite their hard work, most of the groundstaff will not have work from Thursday onwards, but their efforts ensured that the match was not interrupted.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
