Mohali dew to be mopped during breaks

Mohali -- Groundsmen at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here were working out an arrangement to mop up dew from the ground during the four day-night matches of the ICC Champions Trophy to be played here between Oct 25 and Nov 1.

"The curator and groundsmen are talking to umpires and ICC officials to work out something for dew mopping during every break," PCA president I.S. Bindra said here.

Tipped as one of the best cricket grounds in the world with world-class facilities, PCA authorities will be using two super-soppers, mats and water pipes to get the dew on the lush-green outfield out.

Curator Daljit Singh had earlier warned of heavy dew in the four games, including a semi-final, saying that dew had increased in since last weekend with the drop in temperatures across north India.

"The dew comes around 7 p.m. and is particularly heavy on certain days," Daljit Singh said.

Pakistan captain Younis Khan and his New Zealand counterpart Stephen Fleming admitted that dew could be a crucial factor in their match here Wednesday.

"The toss will be important," Younis said here.

During the opening match of the tournament played here Oct 7 between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, steps were taken to remove the dew during breaks. However, the dew now - in the early winter chill of north India - is much more than what was seen during that match.

The dew makes the cricket ball wet and bowlers, especially spinners, cannot grip it properly. This enables batsmen to play more freely.