Kandy (Sri Lanka) - Nicky Boje's experience of sub-continental conditions earned him two wickets yesterday when the South Africa A tour of Sri Lanka finally kicked into motion.
After days of frustrating delays, rain-wrecked net sessions and little to no middle-net practice, the five week tour began a week late and it showed as Sri Lanka A took advantage of some loose bowling to reach 136 for two at the close of a rain-shortened first day of this opening of three unofficial tests.
Boje, the tourists vice-captain, was the fifth bowler to be tried by Dale Benkenstein in a bid to break a threatening first wicket partnership between Upeka Fernando and his namesake and captain Sajith Fernando.
The Sri Lanka A duo had added 110 runs after Avishka Gunawardena was forced to retire hurt after scoring three when the third ball of Henry Williams' opening over hit the left-handed Gunawardena on the big toe of the right foot.
Boje was brought into the attack with the score at 109 and runs flowing fast. He enticed Upeka Fernando to dance down the pitch and the batsman was beaten by the turn with Nic Pothas doing a smart piece of stumping.
As Upeka Fernando had made handsome use of some easy bowling to reach 72 off only 90 balls with nine fours and three sixes, it was a good wicket for the hard-pressed tourists. Earlier he was missed at point by Herschelle Gibbs off Alan Dawson when 34 and the score 72 in the 21st over. It was a brilliant effort by Gibbs who made two attempts to take the catch.
Eight balls later he bowled Sajith Fernando with one that turned through the gate after a battle of 158 minutes saw him managed a tidy, if non-too convincing 44.
When the day's play finally started, with Henry Williams delivering only three balls, there was a major mix up among the scorers. They initially indicated that Upeka Fernando had faced but this was corrected at lunch when Gunawardena, also a left-hander, paid them a visit.
Hit on the big toe of his right foot by Williams, Gunawardena returned at the fall of the second wicket at 129 and did not look comfortable against Boje.
Neither Williams nor Herman Bakkes managed to get their length right and suffered the penalty, as did Derek Crookes, who was inclined to deliver too short to be effective on a slow, pudding of a pitch.
Yet incredibly, with so much time lost by mid-afternoon on the rescheduled first day, the tea ritual was duly observed with Sri Lanka A managing to reach 51 without loss after 16 overs.
Apart from the three balls bowled in the heavily curtailed first session, much of what remained of the second was taken up with the local custom of removing surface water from the covers before they could be moved off the table.
It was hard to understand the complicated synergy behind this particular exercise as it wasted valuable time, in this case more than two hours as the rain clouds lifted. But no one seemed to be in a hurry at what is a test venue and allow what brief sun there was a chance to dry the offending approaches at the town end of the ground.
At one stage the umpires were not at all optimistic about further play, and when it finally started, sullen clouds hovered, but miraculously the rain it held off.
Day 2: South Africa 'A' team costly tour fiasco
Kandy (Sri Lanka) - No one is prepared to admit it just yet but the South Africa A team tour of Sri Lanka is in danger of becoming an administrative fiasco as well as a costly financial exercise.
With the first unofficial Test of the three-match series against Sri Lanka A all but abandoned at the Asgiriya Stadium yesterday, the third match of the tour, due to start in Moratuwa on Tuesday may suffer a similar watery grave.
Yesterday was the seventh blank playing day of the tour. It has been raining steadily in the greater Colombo area for the last three weeks and neither the South African A tourists nor the Board Invitation XI players have had any match practice to select a side.
Although all members of the South African A side remain in good spirits, the lack of sunshine and an inability to get on to the field could take its toll.
The cost factors of running such an expensive and time consuming exercise is also a financial drain on both the South African and Sri Lanka boards.
There were large muddy patches on parts of Asgiriya Stadium outfield yesterday, and one area looked as though a rugby practice held been held with a special emphasis on scrumming techniques.
Apart from helping the players learn about the mental toughness of tour in the sub-continent staying in a hotel continually wrapped in mists, and without a gym also has its problems. So does the thought of eating yet another bowl of sour tomato soup.
At least watching a video, Ace Ventura, raised a few laughs, while the two daily futile trips to the waterlogged ground provides another diversion.
But this is supposed to be a cricket tour and apart from 37 overs on Thursday during one and a half sessions of play, there has been precious little activity. Yet the side should have played a possible 24 sessions at this stage of a tour which has been badly organised in terms of the weather.
It seems the unpredictable north-east monsoon, which normally lasts from August to December has started a month earlier and is the reason for so much rain. The low pressure in the Bay of Bengal has caused widespread unseasonal flooding with further heavy rains expected over the next 48 hours.
Day 4: First Unofficial Test rained off
Kandy (Sri Lanka) - As the South Africa A side yesterday headed for flood-ravaged Colombo and uncertainty about the next game, the Sri Lanka A management was left a little embarrassed over a plan which backfired.
With the five-week tour of Sri Lanka in danger of becoming a costly damp squib Sri Lanka A wanted to utilise what batting time was available yesterday had there been agreement to continue first unofficial test at the Asgiriya Stadium.
But Dale Benkenstein, the SA A captain made his views very clear to Sajith Fernando, the Sri Lanka A captain, that the South Africans were not interested in an extended middle-net in waterlogged conditions.
As it was the umpires insisted on a final ``inspection'' of the problem areas 30 minutes after the schedule start before agreeing that even if there was a steady wind, it would need 24 to 36 hours for the clay-based surrounds to dry out.
Although it stopped raining mid-afternoon on Saturday and there were patches of blue sky with some sun on occasions yesterday, underfoot conditions were as unfit for play yesterday as they had been throughout the previous four days.
``There was no way we're were going to play in such conditions,'' said Graham Ford, the SA A team coach. ``The underfoot conditions are worse than they were yesterday.''
When the game was eventually abandoned, 40 minutes after the schedule start, the captains took the decision themselves in the best interests of both sides.
But there is uncertainty whether there will be any play in the second warm up game in Colombo starting tomorrow. It has been raining steadily in the capital and another blank first day is distinctly possible.
What makes it even worse, however, is that the players are becoming frustrated at the lack of match practice. It does little for those members of the team who are also included in the Commonwealth Games squad. Facilities in up country areas are non-existent for practice.
An interesting statistic is that of nine possible days play in the two games there has not been a full day spent on the field.
The side for the third game is likely to be led by Nicky Boje and should also include those who were not included in the team for the first unofficial test. Which means Loots Bosman, Claude Henderson, Gary Gilder and Ashwell Prince are likely to be brought back into the side.
On a light note: Ford and HD Ackerman won the billiards compensation at the hotel where they stayed here.
This report is supported by Lanka Internet Services Ltd