If there is any country on earth where the production of a green and grassy pitch should be as easy making a cup of tea, it is Guyana, the supremely appropriate Amerindian name meaning “Land of Many Waters”. The fear of embarrassment means, however, that the first match of any importance on a brand new ground that is the source of great local pride will be played tomorrow between Sri Lanka and South Africa on a pitch that has been shorn of virtually all grass.

The consultant groundsman, the ubiquitous and experienced Andy Atkinson, has played safe. The three pitches next to it on the square, despite being surrounded by an outfield as green and flawless as a snooker table, look exactly the same. Any idea of pace, bounce and boundaries being the determining factors in the six Super Eight matches due to be staged here in the next two weeks appears to be wide of the mark.

Unless appearances are deceptive, that is a pity. So is the fact that the West Indian reputation for getting things right only at the last minute has been taken to extremes here. At first glance the Providence Stadium, built in partnership with the India Government in a suburb on the East bank of the Demerara River half an hour’s drive from the capital, Georgetown, is a splendid facility.

So is the handsome looking “Buddy’s International” hotel that has sprung up next to it. Those staying there, however, do not, as intended, include the teams, rather guests who speak of damp cement on the walls and pneumatic drills working through the night. Across the road, the press box has poor visibility and all the signs of a desperate race to be ready on time.

Neither of the last two problems are unique to Providence, however, and the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. Chris Dehring, the managing director of the World Cup, thinks that it is something of a miracle that in a country so poor a new stadium with a 15,000 capacity has been built in two years on the site of a cane field. When power failures threatened television coverage last week, serious consideration was given to switching the matches to Port of Spain in Trinidad and the ICC’s senior lawyer, Derek Jones, sent an email to the local organisers informing them that an outside firm, GL Events, was being brought in over the heads of the local committee to rectify “deficiencies and breaches” in their staging agreement.

For all these tensions, when it comes to communications and the very important matter of quick drainage, the new venue promises to be a big improvement on Bourda, a ground of great traditions but the only international venue in the world situated below sea level and, therefore, prone to interruptions from weather that invariably threatens to ruin cricket matches here at this time of the year. It would be too cruel for words if all the hard work that has gone into preparing for this event were to be made pointless by rain and the chances are that the reserve days for each match will be needed, but yesterday it was dry enough for the first time since the weekend for both teams to practise.

Sri Lanka might just settle for a point if the clouds close in again but South Africa, having lost in their qualifying group to Australia, can hardly afford to lose again, not least because it would deprive them of top place, and $500,000 (about £254,000), when the ODI ratings reach their cut-off date of April 1. Both these sides are potential semi-finalists, but Sri Lanka, with two points already in hand, start with an advantage and on a slow pitch and a ground with relatively long — 70 yard — boundaries they must be favourites.

Whereas South Africa, apart from Graeme Smith’s occasional off breaks, have only one spinner in Robin Peterson, who might be preferred to Charl Langeveldt, Sri Lanka would bowl 25 overs if needed, ten of them by the incomparable Muttiah Muralitharan. They look a settled and happy side at present. Not only that, but a flexible one.

Super Eights

Fixtures: Today: South Africa v Sri Lanka (Guyana). Tomorrow: West Indies v New Zealand (Antigua). Friday: Ireland v England (Guyana). Saturday: Australia v Bangladesh (Antigua). Sunday: West Indies v Sri Lanka (Guyana). Apr 2: Bangladesh v New Zealand (Antigua). Apr 3: Ireland v South Africa (Guyana). Apr 4: England v Sri Lanka (Antigua). Apr 7: Bangladesh v South Africa (Guyana). Apr 8: Australia v England (Antigua). Apr 9: Ireland v New Zealand (Guyana). Apr 10: West Indies v South Africa (Grenada). Apr 11: England v Bangladesh (Barbados). Apr 12: Sri Lanka v New Zealand (Grenada). Apr 13: Australia v Ireland (Barbados). Apr 14: South Africa v New Zealand (Grenada). Apr 15: Bangladesh v Ireland (Barbados). Apr 16: Australia v Sri Lanka (Grenada). Apr 17: South Africa v England (Barbados). Apr 18: Ireland v Sri Lanka (Grenada). Apr 19: West Indies v Bangladesh (Barbados). Apr 20: Australia v New Zealand (Grenada). Apr 21: West Indies v England (Barbados). Semi-finals: Apr 24: Second place v Third place (Jamaica). Apr 25: First place v Fourth place (St Lucia). Final: Apr 28 (Barbados).

Explore Cricket

• Counties