Pura Cup: Victoria v Queensland at Melbourne, 24-27 Oct 2001 CricInfo Live Report

Pura Cup: Victoria v Queensland at Melbourne, 24-27 Oct 2001
John Polack

Victoria 1st innings: Rain Delay - Day 3, Stumps - Day 3,
Live Reports from previous days

PLAY ABANDONED ON THIRD DAY

Not so much as a ball was bowled at Punt Road in Melbourne today, persistent rain ending all hopes of play on the scheduled third day of the Pura Cup match between Victoria and Queensland.

Sadly, heavy rain began falling just a few minutes before the scheduled starting time of 11am and barely relented for the remainder of the day. Thoughts of a start at 1:40pm were briefly entertained but further drizzle and the build-up of water around the edges of extensive covering of the wicket square soon put paid to such aspirations.

The official abandonment occurred after the umpires and captains inspected the pitch at 4:00pm.

Weather permitting, play will begin at the revised time of 10:30am tomorrow. But, with Victoria set to re-commence at 3/160 in response to Queensland's first innings score of 417, it seems that both enterprising captaincy and equally imaginative batting might be required for any kind of result to be achieved.

RAIN PREVENTS START ON THIRD DAY

It's a bleak scene at Punt Road as players, officials and spectators wait for a break in weather that has so far curtailed any chances of play on the scheduled third day of this Pura Cup match between Victoria and Queensland.

Sadly, heavy rain began falling just a few minutes before the scheduled starting time of 11am and has barely relented since. Accordingly, the wicket square has been extensively covered and doesn't look like being exposed for some time yet.

At this stage, it looks likely that there will be no play before at least lunch.

When play does eventually resume, Victoria will re-commence batting at a score of 3/160 in its first innings in response to Queensland's first innings tally of 417. Brad Hodge (39*) and Michael Klinger (20*) are the two unbeaten batsmen.