Pitch set ablaze to fight dampness, Namibia vs Scotland still abandoned
The Maple Leaf North-West Ground at King City in Canada witnessed literal fire brought to the ground. The ground staff's desperate measure to fight gloomy conditions after rain included the turf being set on fire. However, despite going to extreme lengths to ensure a game, the Namibia vs Scotland fixture was eventually abandoned. Playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two 2025-27 tournament, Namibia would be significantly pushed back in the contest after the match ended in no result.
The Namibia vs Scotland match, the 80th fixture in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tournament, started adversely. The toss was delayed after rain hit the King City venue in Canada. What followed were several bouts of inspection as the management tried to kick the game off. However, the outfield and the pitch conditions did not allow the fixture to take place despite the downpour subsiding at Maple Leaf.
Pitch burned to dry outfield, yet Scotland vs Namibia called off! 👀
— OneTurf News (@oneturf_news) August 31, 2025
📸: X#oneturfnews #namvscot #cwc2025 #scotland #cricket pic.twitter.com/RNGrLciAAX
A specific part of the pitch that looked especially affected was set on fire by the ground staff. The visuals were displayed on social media as Cricket Scotland posted about the incident. However, the heat did not help matters as the surface remained unsuitable for play. Combined with the wet outfield, the pitch condition led to the Namibia vs Scotland contest being abandoned, as multiple attempts at salvaging the fixture failed. The opponents shared the points of the match.
Scotland currently sit in third place on the points table, while Namibia occupy the sixth spot. Namibia have managed eight wins and suffered 13 defeats in the CWC League 2. Scotland, on the other hand, hold a stronger record with 11 victories against seven losses. The recent washout marked their third abandoned fixture, though they still boast a healthy net run rate of +0.886.
At the top of the standings in the Cricket World Cup League 2, the USA lead the way, having completed 20 matches with an impressive 70% win rate. Meanwhile, Nepal and the UAE remain at the lower end of the table in seventh and eighth position, and are the only sides besides the USA to have featured in fewer games, with 16 each.
