{"id":291404,"date":"2023-09-20T19:34:10","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T19:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/?p=291404"},"modified":"2023-09-20T19:34:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T19:34:10","slug":"headingley-farce-as-englands-first-odi-against-ireland-is-abandoned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/%d1%81ricket\/headingley-farce-as-englands-first-odi-against-ireland-is-abandoned\/","title":{"rendered":"Headingley farce as England's first ODI against Ireland is abandoned"},"content":{"rendered":"
Cricket left itself open to ridicule and embarrassment on Wednesday when England\u2019s first one-day international against Ireland was called off amid farcical scenes at Headingley.<\/p>\n
The game was abandoned just before 5pm without a ball being bowled even though rain had stopped in Leeds just after 2pm, 90 minutes after the scheduled start time.<\/p>\n
Boos greeted the decision by umpires Mike Burns and Adrian Holdstock from the smattering of spectators left on the ground who had waited patiently for a shortened game that should have been possible by 5pm at the latest.<\/p>\n
Instead a \u2018saturated outfield\u2019 was blamed for the abandonment, in particular a wet patch which had somehow got under the covers on the bowler\u2019s run up at the Kirkstall Lane End the officials deemed would have been dangerous.<\/p>\n
Now the teams will move on to Trent Bridge for the second match on Saturday without Joe Root, who was thwarted in his attempt to gain 50-over rhythm ahead of the World Cup and will now rest before England leave for India on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
England\u2019s first ODI against Ireland was called off amid farcical scenes at Headingley<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The game was abandoned just before 5pm without a ball being bowled on Wednesday<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Boos greeted the decision by umpires Mike Burns and Adrian Holdstock<\/p>\n
The frustration was made worse because of the number of inspections the umpires made seemingly only delaying the inevitable because they clearly did not feel the ground was fit.<\/p>\n
Attempts by ground-staff to dry the outfield were minimal and the 30-yard fielding restriction circle was never even put in place. Instead token inspections were made.<\/p>\n
\u2018I was pretty hopeful we\u2019d get a game to be honest,\u2019 said Zak Crawley, who was due to make his first appearance as England captain. \u2018But rain started later than forecast. I was very disappointed we didn\u2019t play.<\/p>\n
\u2018It was just the run up at this end, really. It wasn\u2019t fit to play and that was probably the right call in the end. It was very wet and would have churned up if we\u2019d played.<\/p>\n
\u2018It wouldn\u2019t have been fit for the bowlers. You have guys tearing in and you don\u2019t want players not being able to perform at their best.<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m not sure what happened because the bit of the ground that was wet was covered up. We were unlucky with the weather leading up to the game and this morning as well. But I\u2019m not sure there was anything more the groundsman could have done.\u2019<\/p>\n
That may be so but yet again with cricket there was a complete lack of flexibility. If one end wasn\u2019t fit then there should be nothing in the rules to stop the umpires deciding all the bowling should come from the same end.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Former cricket umpire and Yorkshire icon Dickie Bird was among the fans who waited patiently<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
No play was possible at Headingley despite attempts by ground-staff to dry the outfield\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is the last thing troubled Yorkshire needed, coming so soon after the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal that engulfed the county and the financial crisis that resulted from it.<\/p>\n
At least insurance will cover refunds to spectators who had paid up to \u00a3110 for tickets to see what became a second-string England squad against low key opponents in Ireland.<\/p>\n
But it is not the first time there has been rain-related controversies at Headingley. In 2009 Yorkshire were forced to defend their new drainage system when a one-day international against West Indies was abandoned despite sun shining all day.<\/p>\n
Most famously, in 1991, blocked drains forced play in England\u2019s Test against West Indies to be called off, with umpire Dickie Bird feeling the full force of the crowd\u2019s anger.<\/p>\n