World Cup: GABBA’s convict drain beat Marcia’s rain
Even in the midst of cyclone Marcia, the World Cup tie between Australia and Bangladesh was nearly played at the GABBA, Queensland, last Saturday, thanks to an old convict drain.
The Courier Mail of Australia claimed that in spite of the belting the ground had the previous night and the morning of the match from the cyclone, the ground was almost ready for play and even the match officials had set the time for the start of the match at 1.30 p.m. It was the second round of rain a little prior to the scheduled start that ruined away any chances of play.
The Australian newspaper claimed that the match was close to being able to proceed thanks to the hard work of long-departed convicts.
A heritage-listed drain built by convicts underneath the GABBA was the secret weapon of curator Kevin Mitchell and his ground staff.
Built in the 1890s when the original Woolloongabba swamp was drained, the brick drain only a few feet under the GABBA surface took the brunt of the flooding and was ready for play once there is a break from the drain.
Curator Mitchell said “The drain built by convicts provides our ground drainage direct access into the storm-water drains and help to get rid of all excess water”.The convict drain is about 1.8 metres in the middle of the ground and it runs from about where the old Queensland Cricketers Club was.
Historically the GABBA has always been one of the best drying surfaces in the world and there have been stories of teams giving up play after a good drench only to find themselves at play soon after.