November 18 Monday 2002
Practice nets to be used as security screens for WI one-dayer

VADODARA, India: Organizers of Monday's limited-overs cricket international between India and the West Indies will use netting from practice wickets to block any objects being thrown from spectator galleries onto the field.

"We're ringing the ground with these nets to block any objects that fans might try to hurl into the playing field," Baroda Cricket Association's secretary Kiran More told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Rowdy spectators hurled stones and water bottles at fielders during the first three matches of the seven-game series, which is tied 2-2 going into the fifth match in Vadodara. Police intervened to quell disturbances before matches in Jamshedpur and Nagpur could resume. A third one-dayer in Rajkot was abandoned after a water bottle 
hit West Indies fielder Vasbert Drakes' leg, prompting a walk out by the West Indian team.

Rajkot's events prompted the Indian cricket board to take urgent action to bolster security. The fourth match in Ahmadabad passed without any unsavory incidents last Friday, boosting the confidence of Vadodara's officials to tackle crowd trouble.

"Hanging the nets across stands instead of packing them into the store during the big game is a cricketing initiative," said More, a former Indian Test player. "It'll be the second line of defense beyond an intense security planned for the match," he said. "The nets will act as a screen between the spectator galleries and the ground."

The practice nets are similar to fishing nets, and More believes they won't hinder the fans' view of the match. Sanjay Singh, in charge of the stadium's security, says all the available nets are being utilized between the top of stands and the wire mesh around the playing arena. Bottles and stones can't penetrate the nets, said Singh. 
"We've tested this by throwing objects at the nets."

Vadodara's Police Commissioner D.D. Tuteja said an elaborate security plan involving more than 1,000 policemen would ensure Monday's match to proceed without disruption. In the 22,000-capacity stadium, fans will come under the focus of closed-circuit cameras installed at strategic points. These will help the police identify mischief makers.

Spectators will not be allowed to carry water bottles, food packets, cigarettes, matches or lighters into the stadium. They have also been told to leave all electronic gadgets -- including cell phones, pagers and transistors -- at home.