Cricket and some other sports are often held up while mechanical Super Soppers or other devices are used to remove surface water and make the playing surface safe.

The Turf Dry-O-Muttic business consists of several hundred kelpies and cattle dogs (or any other breed with a mania for chasing balls), a container of tennis balls and a series of soft rotating paddle units that continually bat the balls around the playing surface. The dogs are trained to dive and roll when retreiving a ball, then proceed to 'shaking stations' sited over the field's drainage points.

Shouldn't take long until the field is fit for play. Of course, there will be the problem of jobbies left across the field, but this just makes it all the more beneficial to win the toss. <sniff sniff> "We'll have a bat, thanks."