Warwicks receive floodlights boost

By Paul Bolton, County News Correspondent

Warwickshire will be able to switch on the floodlights at Edgbaston during County Championship matches this year after securing permission from Birmingham City Council planners to use them during daylight hours.

The county were initially restricted to using the lights for 15 day-night matches per season which meant that they could not be used to avoid stoppages for bad light during daylight hours.

But Warwickshire have now been given permission to turn on the lights when the umpires decide that the natural light has deteriorated to dangerous levels.

The variation to the terms of use of the eye-catching floodlights, which were first used two years ago, was agreed by council planners despite opposition from local residents who scuppered Warwickshire’s initial plans for permanent lights in the late 1990s.

Labour councillor Keith Linnecor told the council’s planning committee that Warwickshire should maintain contact with the residents’ groups to monitor any impact from the changes.

Meanwhile Ireland captain and batsman William Porterfield has signed a two-year contract extension with Warwickshire that will keep him at Edgbaston to the end of the 2015 season.

Porterfield. who has just completed two years with the county champions having joined them from Gloucestershire, was due to be out of contract at the end of the forthcoming season.

“I’ve had two fantastic seasons already with Warwickshire and with such a strong squad and a great chance to win more silverware, it was an easy decision to extend my stay here at Edgbaston,” he said.

“The majority of the squad has been playing together for a few seasons and we’re all really looking forward to competing for more honours in the new season.”


Date: 12/02/2013 14:50:00 by Paul Bolton
In: Warwickshire | Today |