It has become a bit of a cliché in sports commentary. "The surface out there is like a carpet," is a regular assessment of many commentators studying the venue.
And it tends to be accurate. From the fairways and greens at Augusta for The Masters, to the pitch at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and the courts of the Wimbledon Championships.
Sportsmen and women are given the opportunity to perform on some of the best stages there have ever been. But a new method was used to prepare the field at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday to ensure the Pakistan Super League game between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi went ahead.
After heavy rainfall, organizers arranged for a helicopter to land on the middle of the field in order to clear the wet patches. It landed and then rose again, circling around the arena and hovering over the most affected areas, using the airforce of the propellors to clear the water.
Take a look here:
It was a success and Zalmi qualified for the second eliminator after a one-run win over the Gladiators. They will now face the Karachi Kings on Wednesday (March 28) for a place in the final of the Super League.
Having been such a success in Pakistan, sports venues around the world just might have a helicopter on standby from now on—just in case the heavens open.
Uncommon Knowledge
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