No Diving

Sydney’s record dry sparks injury warning for players.

Clarissa Bye.

Sydney Daily Telegraph.

Monday, 9 October 2017.

PTG 2270-11489.

Sydney’s long dry spell has not only set records for the driest spring since records began in 1858, it’s turned the city’s sporting fields to “concrete” — with some cricketers being warned not to dive for catches because of the risk of injury.  It’s now been 65 straight days with no rain for the city above 2 mm — beating the 1989 record of 64 days.  Water usage across the city has jumped 25 per cent on normal, with the Observatory Hill weather station recording the driest ever September in 159 years.

Sydney Water hydraulic operations manager Robert Lus said the average total daily consumption was more than 340 million litres per day above the long-term September average of 1.380 billion litres a day.  “The September 2017 average day water demand is the highest since 2003”, he said.  “This dramatic increase can be attributed to both a drier lead in winter and the difference in rainfall levels in September between last year and this year”.

Across Sydney councils have introduced extra watering — including watering some parks twice a day — to keep sporting fields and gardens alive.  Berowra Cricket Club’s Greg Fieldler said the grounds in his area 40 kn north of Sydney were certainly very dry with “some people are saying it’s like playing on concrete”.  In the Glenorie District 45 km north-west of the city two players were injured in round one of the competition — both fracturing ribs diving for balls at two separate ovals.  “We have told each captain to remind the players of the increased chance of injury due to the hardness of the grounds”, the senior team’s manager Glenn Gittins said.