Rain washes out 2nd day of Windies tour match

RAIN washed out a second successive day of a four-day tour match between the West Indies and Sri Lanka Cricket Board XI at the Singhalese Cricket Ground, Colombo on Monday.

This scheduled four-day game is the lone warm-up match for the WI ahead of their two-Test series against hosts Sri Lanka.

The Tests will take place at Galle from November 21-25, and November 29-December 3.

In an interview on Cricket West Indies’ Facebook page, coach Phil Simmons said, “All we can do is go in the indoor nets. (On Monday) we were lucky to have half-an-hour out on one of the (outdoor) pitches but we can’t do (much) about it. We’ve got to use the indoor facilities and the guys have been using it really well.”

Asked if the washout of the first two days can prove to be a major disruption to the team’s preparations, Simmons replied, “I wouldn’t say major because it’s not like we’re not practising and the other team (are) practising.

“The guys come with a certain amount of confidence from the two (Best vs Best) games that they played at home. We’re riding on that right now and we’re getting the little ‘top ups’ that they need.”

Concerning the players’ lack of match practise in Sri Lanka, Simmons said, “I would hope they would be disappointed because (they) would want to go out in the middle and bat for a long period of time.”

The WI coach is not leaving any stone unturned as the players get ready for the first Test on Sunday.

“When you come to a new place, you have to fine-tune everything” he said. “You’ll have to get the pace you want to bowl on at the wicket. The way you’ll want to bat on these wickets is a little bit different from the Caribbean.