ABANDONED
Tour Match, Colombo (PSS), November 23, 2014, England tour of Sri Lanka

Match abandoned without a ball bowled

Report

England left short of preparation

England's preparations for the one-day series against Sri Lanka were cut short as their second warm-up match was abandoned without a ball bowled due to a wet outfield at the P Sara Oval

Sri Lanka A v England XI - Match abandoned
England's preparations for the one-day series against Sri Lanka were cut short as their second warm-up match was abandoned without a ball bowled due to a wet outfield at the P Sara Oval.
Morning showers left the field saturated and even though the weather cleared during the day, and a decision was delayed until the last minute, there was not enough time for the under-foot conditions to become suitable although shortly after the match was called off England underwent an inter-squad game in the middle.
The abandonment means there are four players in the squad - Alex Hales, James Taylor, Ravi Bopara and Harry Gurney - who will not have had official match time ahead of the one-day series. Hales was the most notable omission from the first practice match when Moeen Ali was preferred as Alastair Cook's opening partner and Moeen proceeded to strike a 21-ball fifty alongside taking three wickets.
Taylor, meanwhile, remains desperate for the chance of a run in the one-day side after his prolific domestic season while Bopara is aiming to regain the spot he controversially lost for the series against India earlier this year. Gurney is probably in competition with Chris Jordan for the final pace-bowling spot in Wednesday's opening ODI.
The impact of the weather on the early days of the tour does not bode well for the start of the one-day series although five of the matches have reserve days available.