There was no need for the umpires and players to call over at the ground. With rain still falling, they decided to call it off from their hotels.
The Sri Lankan players and The Management were all sporting worried minds and looks. Rightly so, because with the Test beginning on Friday, they have had no cricket in the centre or at the nets here after their limb-loosener in Taupo.
Selection quandary
The Lankan selection committee especially must be in a quandary as to how to base their selections. They would have liked to give teenage paceman Nuwan Soysa a go and see how he performs. A game here would certainly have given Soysa the needed experience and encouragement to fire at the New Zealand batsmen in the Test.
However indications are that Nuwan Soysa will win his first Test cap in Carisbrook, Dunedin on Friday.
A little post mortem on the calling off of this game which was originally to be a three-day first class game, and was turned into a one-dayer when play was not possible on the fist two days, would not be a futile exercise.
Not conducive
To begin a general note, the ground conditions after Saturday's rain was certainly not conducive for play. There was always the danger that had there been any play, players would have exposed themselves to serious injury.
Now this is something no touring team would want to expose themselves to. Unlike the home team, the visitors come with a certain squad and an injury to anyone of them would mean that planning and strategy are hit for six.
The umpires Chris King and Tony Hill decided nightly after having a look at the wicket and its surroundings. 'Our first priority is to see that conditions are right and there would be no injury risk to the players. The conditions were dangerous and we had no alternative but to say there cannot be any play' said King who will be standing in the First Test.
However John Heikell, the President of the Poverty Bay Cricket Club was adamant that there could have been play on the second day. Being the hosts and after a lot of hard work to conduct this game, that thinking was understandable.
NZCA lapse
But the fact remains that the New Zealand Cricket Association should have made it their business and checked with the hosts whether they had the necessary equipment to conduct the game, if the weather takes a turn for the worse. But in this instance the NZCA cannot say they did this.
True the Poverty Bay CA is celebrating their centenary. But that is no reason to give them a game if the facilities they possess are inadequate.
Heikell confided that they had tried to coax the Bay of Plenty CA who were having better covers to loan them, but to no avail. 'They refused thinking that we would damage them', said Heikell.
With this game being called off, those aiming to impress selector Rick Pickard and get into reckoning to sport New Zealand colours also went up in smoke.