The ECB and Durham CCC have been in a series of crisis meetings over the brutality of the heat facing fans during the 1st ODI between England and South Africa.
Those in charge have been working overtime to try and manage the impact of temperatures that have hit 37 degrees at Chester-le-Street with players resorting to iced towels around the neck.
In the case of Matthew Potts though it wasn’t enough as he left the ground following his four over spell due to him feeling the effects of heat exhaustion. Potts was able to sit in the changing room and rehydrate as best he could with a fan on his face as medics assessed him.
Spectators were not so lucky on a ground with precious little shade in view of the pitch meaning that hundreds have had to take relief and respite behind the stands and in rooms normally used for academy lessons. Several fans were spotted slumped against buildings behind the stands in their attempt to find shade.
Queues for water have been matching and even outstripping the queues for the bars, while Durham staff moved around the ground with five litre bottles of water, helping to distribute it as best as they could. Several fans simply left the ground to head home due to the heat, with some hoping to return at a later stage of the day when temperatures may have dropped.
There appeared to be very little sign of the mercury dipping at a ground where visiting teams often have to wrap up warm and blow on their fingers to get them warm. The in ground messaging was regular and consistent for fans to drink plenty of water and try to find shade where possible and on the field, drinks breaks were accompanied by parasols for the players to drink under.
The England medics consistently patrolled the boundary providing further drinks and ice packs to cool the players down and also fielding the ball when it was hit over the ropes to ease the workload on the fielders.
On the field the umpire’s had control over the game and whether the conditions were suitable for play, and although it was extreme for this country, the players will have experienced worst in places like Perth and Adelaide in Australia or Colombo in Sri Lanka.
During the Perth Test in 2013 ambulances lined up outside the WACA ferrying fans to and from the hospital with alarming regularity as temperatures hit 44 degrees.
