Delays upset cricketers

Press, 7 March 1984, Page 48

Delays upset cricketers

NZPA Radella, Sri Lanka i The New Zealand build-up , to the first test of the Sri Lankan tour took a further | knock last evening (N.Z. i time) when overnight rain ! prevented play before lunch | on the second day of the match against a President’s XI. A thunderstorm and associated showers caused a saturation of the outfield and washed out the morning session for the second successive day. A cricket board official said play might be possible later in the day.

Rain restricted play to 90 minutes on Monday during which Sri Lanka lost three wickets for 38 runs. Concern is growing within the New Zealand touring party about the effect the disruption of this match is having on its preparation for the first test at Kandy, beginning on Friday. The New Zealand captain, Geoff Howarth, suggested yesterday that if further disruption of this match seemed likely New Zealand should move immediately to Kandy to continue the test build-up. n ,^? e , Was assured, however, that further play would be

possible and the team remained to continue the match. The heavy rain, which has shortened this match, has fallen in Kandy also and the threat of an interruption to the test has been raised. The New Zealand manager, Basil Mcßurney, raised the possibility yesterday that if further rain was likely and the test appeared threatened the match might be moved to Colombo. However, local officials were confident that in spite of the heaviest February rainfall on record the test would- go ahead as scheduled.