Rescue operation all in vain

UMPIRES and ground staff were spared any blame yesterday after the cancellation of the opening tri-series match between Sri Lanka and Ireland.

After morning drizzle, the game was abandoned after a 2.30pm inspection that took place in warm sunshine, which Ireland captain William Porterfield said had come "a fraction too late" to save the glamour tie.

Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith said the Citylets Grange ground staff had done all they could to mop up the damage of an incessant weekend of rain.

"Friday was the heaviest rain I have ever seen in Edinburgh - there were flash floods on the south side of the city," said Smith.

"Lee (Spendlove] and his guys have done a fantastic job but there were just a couple of patches on the far side of the wicket weren't good enough.

"It was just the pure quantity of water. It's disappointing, and the biggest disappointment is not seeing the Sri Lankans play Ireland, which is what we set up the whole thing to do.

"We sold 500 or 600 tickets, a bit less for (today to see Scotland v Ireland] and there are about 2,000 coming on Wednesday (to see Scotland v Sri Lanka], with a few hundred corporates."