PERSISTENT showers followed by light drizzles ruled out any play on the first day of the second round of this year’s West Indies Cricket Board Under-19 fixture between points leaders Guyana and Jamaica at the Georgetown Cricket Club yesterday.
Both teams were undergoing their pre-match preparation drills on the ground, Guyana under Hubern Evans and Jamaica under former West Indies batsman Robert Samuels when the heavens opened around 08:55hrs, forcing the players off the field.
Even though the rain abated 15 minutes later, some parts of the outfield were already under water and while the ground staff were executing their mopping and sponging up process, more rain came at 09:45hrs and during the lunch break.
With a visible waterlogged boundary area, match referee Grantley Culbard, who had strangely assigned the home team’s dressing room to the Jamaicans and handed Guyana the visitors’ dressing room, creating a historical feat at the 155-year-old venue, called off play for the day at 13:10hrs.
At the Demerara Cricket Club ground Barbados, who along with Guyana and Jamaica are leading the points table with 12 points each, were not able to take the field of play for their encounter against the Leeward Islands, as rain prevented same from occurring.
Weather permitting, play in both matches will start at 09:30hrs on the scheduled second day today.