The ground
| Photo Credit: PRINCE FREDERICK
As the shadows ballon out across the Gopalapuram playground on Conron Smith Road, the floodlights blink into wakefulness. With the sun leaving its post, these floodlights have to stand in for the orb. The cricket-playing groups however rush through their matches, fighting shy of placing their bets on the artificial lighting. The grounds would be open until 8 p.m., but they note that the optimal playing conditions would begin to take a nosedive after 6 p.m. Batting and fielding take on the character of blind man’s buff, as the 11 posts with their lamps do not hold their own against the encircling darkness.
“Sighting the ball gets tricky after six,” says one, the statement greeted with a chorus of agreement. Habitues of the ground seek high-mast lamps and are mystified this ground has been denied that advantage despite its central location and huge patronage. The Trustpuram playground has two high-mast lamps, each placed in a manner that brings much of the ground under sufficient illumination. The Gopalapuram ground attracts a good number of people who have the time to free their arms and swing a cricket bat only after 6 p.m., and poor illumination makes their post-vesper cricket experience less engaging.
When The Hindu Downtown visited the playground on January 30, 2025, there was Eshwar, on his step-through motor bike, a huge vessel on the landing board, his legs clamping it in place. A resident of Mylapore, he had delivered snacks to a customer nearby, and stopped by for a game of cricket. Poor illumination does not help the cause of the Eshwars who have only the evening to snatch some free time for cricket.
Published – February 02, 2025 09:51 pm IST