YORKSHIRE chief executive Chris Hassell today strongly defended the Headingley pitch in the wake of newspaper and media criticism following England's astonishing Test victory over the West Indies inside two days, writes David Warner.
And he revealed that the loss of weekend cricket in the Test would cost Yorkshire around £70,000 but the brunt of financial damage was being borne by the England and Wales Cricket Board and Headingley's landlords, Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic.
The reimbursing of money from tickets sold for Saturday and Sunday will cost the Board £450,000 while the loss to Leeds CFA from catering and bar profits is expected to be around £200,000.
But Hassell said: "Criticisms of the pitch are totally unfounded because it played pretty well and the West Indies lost their wickets to a combination of top quality seam bowling and conditions which made the ball swing a lot.
"At the awards presentation immediately after the Test when groundsman Andy Fogarty received a medal, commentator Dermot Reeve emphasised how excellent the bowling had been and that the pitch had little to do with the West Indies downfall.
"Headingley is, of course, a sporting wicket and with conditions being as they were it was just one of those things."
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