Player hospitalised due to dangerous pitch: West Indies Championship match abandoned

A West Indies Championship match between Trinidad & Tobago and Leeward Islands was abandoned and declared a draw after serious concerns over an unsafe pitch, following an on-field incident that left a player hospitalised. The four-day fixture at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was called off on Tuesday morning after umpires ruled the surface too dangerous to continue, prioritising player safety amid increasingly unpredictable behaviour from the pitch.

The decision came after a worrying moment during Leeward Islands’ second innings when Jeremiah Louis was struck on the helmet by a sharply rising delivery from Trinidad & Tobago pacer Jayden Seales. The ball lifted unexpectedly from a length, especially after the previous delivery had stayed low.

Louis collapsed immediately after being hit, dropping his bat before reacting in frustration. He was attended to by medical staff on the field and later stretchered off to a hospital for further evaluation. Cricket West Indies (CWI) later confirmed that he was in a stable condition. At the time of the incident, Leeward Islands were 140/7, holding a narrow lead.

Match Called Off Over Safety Concerns

Play was halted for a prolonged period before match officials decided to abandon the game.

In an official statement, CWI said: “Following discussions with the curator, it was determined that the pitch could not be safely repaired without creating an unfair advantage and was therefore deemed unfit to resume, resulting in the match being abandoned as a draw.”

The governing body added, “Both teams will be awarded points earned up until the abandonment of the contest in accordance with the championship’s playing conditions.”

CWI further elaborated on the sequence of events leading to the abandonment, stating, “Play was halted in the first session of the third day after the pitch began to exhibit unpredictable and uneven behaviour, raising serious concerns for player safety. During this period, Leeward Islands player Jeremiah Louis was struck while batting. He was immediately attended to by medical personnel and subsequently transported to hospital to be evaluated for a possible concussion and is reported to be in stable condition.”

Coaches Raise Concerns Over Pitch

Leeward Islands coach Wilden Cornwall expressed concern over the incident and the pitch conditions, saying, “He’s in the hospital at the moment. I just hope that everything goes well for him and (there is) no really serious damage. It was really devastating to see exactly what took place this morning.”