WHILE watching the West Indies versus Sri Lanka Test match recently I saw a fielder chasing the ball and ending up falling over the advertising signs placed near the boundary.

He knew they were there but his main objective was to stop the ball going for four, and he was very lucky he didn’t injure himself.

Those of you who watch the Test matches in this country will see the boundary rope (often hidden by the triangular plastic covering) at least a couple of metres in from the hard boundary, which can take the form of advertising boards, walls, fences and the like.

When inspecting the ground before play an umpire has to make sure the ground immediately beyond the boundary is safe as it is an area fielders may have to enter in trying to complete a catch.

At present it applies mainly to wet weather regulations but it could be looked at in terms of obstacles being present at the boundary edge.

At local grounds this can cause a problem.

For years clubs have played with concrete edging – fences and walls – as their boundary and they cannot see any reason to change.

One reason is because the way a player fields the ball has changed.

There is now more sliding to retrieve the ball, and that can lead to crashing into walls and fences to prevent a boundary being scored.

It is the same with attempting a catch.

I have seen players fall over the advertising hoarding or tripping over concrete edging trying to catch the ball, injuring themselves in the process.

Consideration is currently being given to who is responsible for an unsafe boundary. Is it the umpires, clubs or the league?

What happens if a league requests something but a club hasn’t done it? Could it affect that club's insurance etc.

It is all a bit of a grey area at present but it is certainly being looked at for grassroots cricket by the Association of Cricket Officials and their legal staff.

Umpires now have to err on the side of caution and when they walk the boundary they need to make players aware of any potential hazards immediately beyond it, hence many leagues now insist on a boundary rope at least a couple of feet from a hard boundary.

It may make the ground a little smaller but it will be safer.