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Second day s play washed out at Pallekele
Tuesday, 10 July 2012 - 11:38 AM SL Time
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When it was initially suggested in 2001 to move international cricket from Asgiriya to Pallekele, the argument that was put across for the shift was that Pallekele has one of the lowest rain falls in Sri Lanka.
Over the years, it has been proved otherwise and very little did anyone in 2001 realize that Pallekele was the constituency of the then Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella.
Not a single ball was bowled during Monday s second day s play in the third and final Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, as heavy showers forced the ground staff to keep the covers on before Australian umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis called off play at 3:10 pm.
There will be an early start today, the third day, with the game starting 15 minutes early and 98 overs are scheduled to be bowled.
There have been two Test matches played at Pallekele before this, where both games were badly affected by rain.
The inaugural Test played here in December 2010 between Sri Lanka and West Indies was drawn, with not even one innings complete as only 103 overs were possible, and two day s were lost to rain.
Then when Australia toured last year in September, the Test was again severely affected by rain and ended in a draw.
The purpose of building the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in the dry zone, was to stage cricket matches during the rainy seasons, but since 2010, no cricket has been played at that venue, built at a colossal sum, amounting to over Rs. 500 million.
The third Test is evenly poised, after Sri Lanka won the toss and put Pakistan in and bowled the tourists out for 226 runs on day one. Pakistan then hit back, reducing Sri Lanka to 44 for three, in a bid to square the series, which they trail 1-0.
Sri Lanka won the first Test in Galle by 209 runs, while the second Test at the SSC ended in a dull draw.
Sri Lanka has not won a Test series since beating New Zealand, in 2009.
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