First day abandoned

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 8

First day abandoned

NZPA Galle, Sri Lanka No play was possible on the first day of New Zealand’s 3-day match against a Sri Lankan colts XI at the Galle stadium yesterday. Thunderstorms overnight had dampened the match wicket and as cloying humidity persisted during the morning the wicket could not dry. Officials made a decision early yesterday morning to delay the start until the scheduled lunch adjournment when an inspection of the match wicket had been made. They said that insufficient covers had led to the dampening of the match pitch and this had brought about the delayed

Further rain was threatening when lunch was taken at 12.30 p.m., however, and it was expected that further delays would be forced during the afternoon. The New Zealanders, including the match captain, John Wright, expressed frustration at losing the first day of their eight-match tour, as they had hoped to use this match as a period of acclimatisation before the one-day international, which will be played at Colombo this week-end. Wright said he hoped the weather would clear over the next two days of this match to allow the New Zealanders to experience local conditions before tm beginning of the# internaponal series. y