Two more practice games at Edgbaston:

Lankan cricketers praying for playable weather

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting

The Sri Lankan cricketers who are eager to get accustomed to the cold conditions in England and get their act of aiming for the ICC Champions Trophy right had their first practice game against Pakistan washed out in Edgbaston on Thursday.

The Sri Lankans, the majority of whom have been playing in the heat during the Indian Premier League in India, were badly in need of practice and were keen to play a match as a team.

But their hopes were dashed when the fickle English weather reared its head again in Edgbaston and with the ground soggy and not wanting to leave players open to injury, the umpires decided to abandon the game.

The umpires made many inspections in an endeavor to even get the teams to play a Twenty20 game. But while the wicket was playable, the soggy outfield was not and the players of both teams had to while away their time in the pavilion.

The Sri Lankan cricketers will be keeping their fingers crossed and praying for the weather to stay fine and allow cricket to be played in the next two practice games against India today and West Indies on Tuesday.

Both games are in Edgbaston. Captain Angelo Mathews, Mahela Jayewardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan are sadly completely out of form and were keen to get bat on ball and rediscover their form. Also those wanting to impress the selectors and force their way into the playing eleven in the first game of the ICC Trophy against New Zealand in Cardiff were also looking for a game.

Bu it was all disappointment.