Morgan confident series will go ahead despite monsoon washing out first ODI
England were frustrated by the weather as the opening one-day international here was rained off after just 15 overs of play, summing up the futility of touring Sri Lanka in the rainy season.
The south-westerly monsoon could make this series a lottery, with shortened matches decided by the Duckworth-lewis-stern method. The tight schedule only allows reserve days for the second match, on Saturday, and the last, in Colombo on Oct 23.
Rain cleared in the morning and play began on time, but a storm arrived in mid-afternoon and despite the best efforts of the ground staff, who had covered the entire playing area with tarpaulins, the game was called off with England 92 for two, having been put in to bat.
“It is extremely frustrating,” Eoin Morgan, the England captain, said. “We were keen to get going having only played one warm-up game. We wanted to explode on the pitch and get into the series but it was quite muddy and dangerous.
“I’m not fearing for the series at all. We have two reserve days so we will get some form of game and let’s hope the weather gets better.”
The international cricket schedule is so crowded that boards are forced to gamble with the weather. England flew to Sri Lanka just days after the end of the domestic season. The rain is expected to linger for the next few days, although the long-range forecast is better after the middle of next week.
In what play was possible, England’s opening pair, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, set a record by taking their runs scored together this year to 1,009. It is the first time an England pairing has scored more than 1,000 runs in a calendar year.
Olly Stone was handed his England ODI cap by Darren Gough before the start of play but the weather meant his work was confined to warm-ups and playing football.
England have added Chris Jordan to their squad for the one-off Twenty20 against Sri Lanka that follows the ODI series.