Ireland and England Metro Bank ODI has been abandoned due to poor weather conditions at Headingley.
The umpires were unhappy with saturated areas on the outfield, which were seen as a potential safety concern, while there were also worries about the bowlers’ run-ups.
The match was officially abandoned at 4.50pm – more than four hours and several inspections after the scheduled start time – with rain having wrecked bowlers’ approach at the Kirkstall Lane End.
Bad news!
Todays game has unfortunately been abandoned, despite some Trojan work by the ground staff, some of whom have been up since 3am!
We go again, hopefully on Saturday.#BackingGreen ☘️🏏 pic.twitter.com/82aTjZxfaW— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) September 20, 2023
When the decision was finally made by umpires Mike Burns and Adrian Holdstock, the skies had been dry for the best part of three hours, usually enough time to complete the mopping up work.
However, while the main covers successfully protected the pitch itself, groundstaff were unable to protect an area of the square that is seen as a non-negotiable in terms of player safety.
Questions over how and why such an important area of the pitch was left unfit for play will surely be raised, with the quality of covers and drainage among the issues ripe for exploration.
Around 10,000 paying fans were left disappointed by their day, with a further 4,000 tickets estimated to have been distributed via local clubs and schools.
