Post by Number 6 on Feb 27, 2010 14:08:22 GMT
As for the court scenario, I would be dismayed if I were found to be negligent on the basis that 'level 2 should be ignored'. Honestly, I think I have more trouble with the concept of level 2 than anything else! Because...if I were asked 'how can you have an almost good enough to play on surface? Surely it's either completely suitable or it's not?' I would say no it wasn't suitable, but the laws say you can play on in unsuitable conditions (level 2) if both parties want to. My hands are tied. Either I ignore the laws on conditions or I go by the laws - which makes me a better umpire?
But the laws state also that the umpires are the final arbiters of the fitness of the conditions. So it's only if the umpires agree that conditions are playable that it can then be offered to the captains. If a player then goes on to slip and badly injure himself then the argument could be that conditions weren't suitable after all and the umpire(s) was (were) wrong and therefore negligent.
I hope we get a game together and it starts to drizzle!! Haha! Me in my ECB waterproof jacket saying it's okay and you running off with the bails. Just kidding.
I'll happily stand there with you with a cut-out bin liner over me! ;D
Seriously, I think the extreme situation I described would only happen rarely if at all. If it does drizzle then so long as I can see using glasses and I have decent footing then it's probably OK. But if I do think it really is dangerous then I'm off regardless.