Rain continued throughout the rest of Saturday and into early Sunday morning.
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The much-anticipated first Test between South Africa and New Zealand now heads towards an inevitable draw going in to the final day’s play on Tuesday (August 23). Although the sun was shining at the scheduled resumption of play, there were extensive wet, muddy areas on a field which was re-seeded in June and was flooded by a freak storm in July.
Despite a gusty wind overnight, wet patches remained and any possibility of play ended after a 2 p.m. inspection, raising questions about a decision to relay the outfield. There had apparently been a suggestion to borrow covers from a local club, but that was not done.
Following the second inspection, Illingworth and Gould decided that it was unsafe for players to get the game started. This means that the likelihood of a result has diminished greatly, with just one day left in the contest.
The tourists were replying to South Africa´s first innings total of 263 all out on a hard batting surface in what was the first winter test to be played in Durban.
“Following our first experience during August previous year and the feedback received from both teams, we have re-laid the outfield to make it more suitable for test match cricket”, CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.
“However, the unseasonal rain at this time of year impacted our preparations of the newly laid outfield”.
“It is most unfortunate and certainly beyond our control that the heavy unseasonal rains in Durban impacted our plans”, said Lorgat.
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Centurion has also re-laid its outfield ahead of Saturday’s second and final test, but the process was more successful and the match is not expected to be affected by the new surface or inclement weather.
