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Day 1: No play as kit fails to arrive

Mike Beddow

First day of four: Worcestershire v Sri Lanka A Play abandoned

To the list of reasons for 'no play today', cricket can add a malfunctioning aircraft, misdirected baggage and motorway congestion.

When all three factors worked against the Sri Lanka A team, the first day of their four-day match against Worcestershire at New Road had to be abandoned after a five-hour wait by spectators.

The saga began in air space over northern Europe on Monday, when Sri Lanka were flying to London after a short playing visit to Denmark. Their British Airways plane returned to Copenhagen because of a technical defect, and when the party joined another flight, their luggage did not.

After waiting for several hours in the hope that it would appear at Heathrow, they finally reached their hotel in Malvern at 1am.

The missing cricket equipment reached London yesterday morning and was cleared for delivery to Worcester, but to complete the unhappy tale, the courier vehicle came to a standstill on the M40.

The decision to abandon play for the day was taken at 4pm. Michael Vockins, the Worcestershire secretary, apologised to spectators and told them: ``We greatly regret the inconvenience.''

A BA spokeswoman said last night: ``We're really we dropped the ball on this occasion. We got the bags on the first flight possible.''

The match must now be completed in three days, starting today at 11.45 after the eclipse.

Day 2: Batson's best keeps visitors stretched

Mike Beddow at Worcester

Second day of four: Worcs 237-7 v Sri Lanka A

The Sri Lankans are on the limit. Four players have returned to Colombo for one-day internationals against Australia, another is on the sick list and three replacements have yet to arrive.

The last tour match is next week against MCC at Shenley and yesterday the last 11 available players took the field, reunited with their missing kit which finally completed its journey from Copenhagen an hour after the first-day abandonment.

With time short, the tempo adjusted. Sri Lanka, perhaps mindful of their lack of depth in seam bowling, pressed for wickets with the new ball and Worcestershire counter-attacked.

The scoring rate held at almost four an over until a break for rain. Vikram Solanki struck 50 in 58 balls and Nathan Batson gained momentum for a career-best 72 in his eighth first-class match since an overnight transition from the Essex League last year.

Day 3: Solanki runs out of time

Mike Beddow at Worcester

Third day of four: Worcs (237-7 dec & 48-2) lead Sri Lanka A (243-9 dec) by 42 runs

To Sustain spectator interest, as opposed to the fundamental purpose of grooming young cricketers, A team touring fixtures need to hum along.

But even the more promising moments quickly evaporated here yesterday. Vikram Solanki was denied a hat-trick opportunity by a declaration and then bad light intervened when he was 18 short of 1,000 runs in a season for the first time.

Sri Lanka lost their way after Tuwan Dilshan's 41 from 62 balls in an opening stand of 73. He played one delightful pick-up for six, and when he ballooned a catch to short leg the innings drifted down-market.

Russel Arnold's accumulation was pleasing until he drove to short mid-wicket and Naweed Nawaz hinted at something more substantial before hitting across a full-length ball.

Two wickets rewarded Chris Liptrot in a break from England Under-19 duty and Solanki gained enough turn to suggest his off-spin is worth more frequent inspection.

Day 4: Solanki in first 1,000-run season

Mike Beddow at Worcester

Sri Lanka A (243-9 dec & 84-0) drew with Worcestershire (237-7 dec & 222-8 dec).

IT is too convenient to blame baggage control at Copenhagen airport for some of the futility in this match. The loss of a day's play when Sri Lanka's kit went missing presented an obvious problem, but it should not have been insurmountable.

Both teams dawdled to first-innings declarations and the time Worcestershire spent in making the game safe yesterday left no room for manoeuvre. Neither did Sri Lanka show any readiness to come up with an alternative.

Even when Gavin Haynes was entrenched in an unbeaten 60 from 215 balls, the tourists persisted with defensive field placings as three spinners shuffled through 55 overs between them for 88 runs.

The most meaningful moment arrived early, when Vikram Solanki completed 1,000 runs in a season for the first time. Last year he closed with 999; this time he cleared his milestone with four championship matches still to come. Solanki was one of three Worcestershire batsmen to be run out.

Worcestershire's caution in setting 217 in 24 overs was probably justified when Tuwan Dilshan and Russel Arnold rattled up 83 in 15 before an early close at 5.30pm.

MINOR COUNTIES CH'SHIP (1st day of 2).-Werrington: Cornwall v Berks. Bovey Tracey: Devon v Hereford. Jesmond: Northumberland v Cambs. Shifnal: Shropshire v Dorset. Mildenhall: Suffolk v Herts. Swansea: Wales v Wilts.