The Hindu
Mangalore, Sep 13: The only proper cricket pitch in the city at the Nehru Maidan has been ruined by miscreants. The officials of the ground say that it will take over Rs.1 lakh to restore the pitch to its original condition. Although the incident occurred on Wednesday, the culprits are yet to be identified. The damage to the pitch has resulted in the postponement of the Hangyo inter-school league matches scheduled for September 16. Balakrishan Pai, who has been associated with the Dakshina Kannada Cricket for nearly 50 years, said: “This is what happens when a sports field is let out for functions and exhibitions.” He said that the association had recently spent over Rs. 70,000 on preparing the pitch. “It has all come to nought. We have to start from scratch,” he said.
President of the district’s cricket association Srikantha Pai said: “We just want our ground restored to its original shape by the corporation,” and added that a complaint had been filed with the Panambur Police Station. Superintendent of Police N. Sateesh Kumar said that the investigations were on and the culprits would soon be identified.