Tamati, the groundsman at the University Oval, is trying to combat some big obstacles that Mother Nature has thrown at him to make the University Oval playable for Sunday's domestic twenty/20 final between Canterbury and Otago.
Between last Friday and Monday night, the ground experienced 124mm of rainfall, double the usual amount for the whole of February.
The ground was drenched and the pitch needed plenty of work, so Tamati and Otago Cricket, in association with the Dunedin City Council and Hirepool, erected a tent to give the pitch some relief from the rain and get industrial driers in place to dry out it out.
"We are just doing as much as we can. We have had a lot of rain but the driers are working already. Hopefully if the pitch keeps drying out like it should then we should be able to get a roller on it tonight," Tamati said yesterday.
"As long as we can get it hard and it has reasonably consistent bounce then the wicket should play all right."
He said the wicket to be used on Sunday was the pitch used for the game between Auckland and Otago on February 13.
There was water lying on the side of the pitch and outfield was damp yesterday but Tamati said as long as wind got up, which it did yesterday, the ground would dry out. He admitted there was plenty of long hours ahead.
New Zealand Cricket turf manager Jared Carter visited yesterday and was happy with progress.
He told Otago Cricket chief executive Ross Dykes the tent had already put work a day and a-half ahead of where they would have been without it.
Nearly half of the 3000 tickets had sold for the game and Otago Cricket was encouraging students to dress up like the crowd at the Wellington Sevens. The best costumed group will win a $300 grocery voucher.
A super dunker will be in operation which will drench a willing spectator after every six is hit. Meal vouchers from Speight's Ale House will be given to spectators who cleanly catch sixes.
MetService forecaster Matthew Ford said the weather should be mostly fine today and part of tomorrow but Friday would bring patchy rain.
Saturday was cloudy with drizzle patches and Sunday would bring a few showers.
If the match is washed out, Otago, the top qualifying team, will win the title.
