India 'A' team's first match in New Zealand abandoned

The first unofficial ODI between India 'A' and New Zealand 'A' was abandoned due to unfit pitch at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval here today.

Umpires Phil Jones and Wayne Knights were left with no option but to abandon the game just six overs into the New Zealand innings, as deliveries rose alarmingly off the pitch. Some of them even stayed low as the hosts lost their openers with just eight runs on the board.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has decided to hold the match tomorrow at the same venue but on a different strip.

Hamish Rutherford and George Worker were the batsmen to get out, falling prey to balls that lifted sharply.

Daniel Flynn was unbeaten on seven when the match was postponed.
Expressing surprise over the unplayable surface, NZC Head of Cricket Operations Lindsay Crocker said: "Other pitches which have been played on this season, including practice ones, have played well and historically been of a high standard.

"We'll be looking into the issue and will be closely analysing the structure and surface to see what went wrong on this particular pitch and how to avoid a repeat," he told the NZC website.

The two subsequent one-dayers have both been pushed behind for a day due to the rescheduling of this game.

The second match will now be played on Thursday and the final on Sunday.
Besides, the two teams will also compete in two unofficial four-days Tests, the first of which is starting on September 26.

The second unofficial Test will be held from October 3-6.