England 'A' request for change

By SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

Wednesday 28, January 1998


England 'A' have requested the Sri Lanka Cricket Board to keep them away from playing matches in Colombo and Kandy for the rest of their tour of Sri Lanka.

This request follows Sunday's bomb blast at the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.

``England 'A' have been in touch with the British High Commission in Colombo and have requested us to reschedule the rest of their matches to down South,'' said a spokesman for the Sri Lanka Cricket Board yesterday.

He said the first 4-day unofficial Test starting on Friday at Kurunegala, would go ahead as scheduled, but the Cricket Board would reschedule the rest of the tour itinerary.

With Independence Day celebrations due to take place on a grand scale at Kandy and also in Colombo on February 4.

The second 4-day unofficial Test due to start at Kandy from February 6, and the third and final one-day international scheduled for March 3 at the SSC are the two matches likely to be affected by the change of venues.

The spokesman said some of the matches maybe played at the De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa which is about 17 kilometres from Colombo and at Galle and Matara.

England 'A's itinerary from February 13 onwards is down South with a 4-day game at Moratuwa, the third 4-day unofficial Test and a one-day practice game at Matara, and two unofficial one-day internationals at Galle and Moratuwa.

A revised itinerary will be released shortly with the new venues.


Source: The Daily News

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Date-stamped : 25 Feb1998 - 18:37