Wrestling One-Tonne Covers: Saluting the Unsung Heroes of Galle
The glitz and glamour of international cricket usually belong to the players wielding the willow or sending down thunderbolts. But during the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Galle International Cricket Stadium (GICS), the real MVPs weren’t wearing national colours; they were sprinting onto the outfield carrying heavy tarpaulins.
With four frustrating rain stoppages disrupting the first three days of play, this Test match could easily have been washed out. Instead, it was saved by the relentless hustle and grit of the GICS groundstaff.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) stands apart in the global game for its visionary approach to weather management – covering the entire field of play. This revolutionary concept actually originated here in Galle before being adapted by other venues around the world. Thanks to this foresight, a wet outfield is rarely an excuse for abandonment in Sri Lanka. It is the primary reason why Galle – despite its notoriously unpredictable weather rolling in from the nearby Indian Ocean – has witnessed only a single drawn Test match since 2014.
However, the world-class facility is only as effective as the men operating it. Every time the skies threaten to open up, a meticulously choreographed operation begins. A 130-strong workforce swings into action, a mix of dedicated professionals and passionate locals. The crew comprises just 16 permanent staff and 10 specialists brought in from Hambantota, with the remainder made up of local daily-wage workers who rise to the occasion whenever international cricket comes to town.
To say their job is physically demanding is a massive understatement. The full-ground coverage requires 26 massive sheets, each measuring 100 by 100 feet and made of dense 900 GSM material. Bone dry, a single cover weighs an astonishing 900 kilograms. Once soaked by tropical rain, it tips the scales at a full tonne or more. It takes 18 synchronised men, straining against the elements, to haul just one of these monstrous canvases across the grass.
To prevent the biting coastal winds from turning the covers into sails, the team wrestles 300 old truck tyres onto the edges. As soon as the rain relents, two super soppers, piloted by dedicated drivers, immediately mop up the excess water, ensuring a rapid resumption of play.
Their work requires brains as much as brawn. Long before the first drop falls, the head groundstaff and curators are studying the horizon. Using generations of local knowledge, they read the dark clouds forming over the Indian Ocean, distinguishing harmless sea mist from genuine rain threats with the accuracy of seasoned meteorologists.
This level of dedication is a proud hallmark of Sri Lankan cricket. It is a legacy of hard work that even prompted Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj to publicly praise and financially reward the groundstaff during the 2023 Asia Cup final in Pallekele.
While viewers tuning in from home might just see a sea of plastic covering the field, they are witnessing a masterclass in event management. Beneath those covers is the backbreaking labour of 130 unsung heroes. They sprint, they heave and they pull, all to ensure that not a single over is needlessly lost.
For keeping the spirit of the game alive, the groundstaff at Galle and Sri Lanka Cricket deserve the loudest standing ovation.
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