Northamptonshire and Lancashire’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaigns got off to the dampest of starts on Tuesday when their Group B match at Sedbergh School was abandoned without a ball bowled.
The school’s groundstaff, led by head groundsman Martin South, had made herculean efforts to cope with the impact of Storm Floris on Monday and when umpires Mark Newell and Naeem Ashraf announced that an inspection would take place at 11.45, hopes were raised that some cricket might be possible.
However, further prolonged heavy showers in the late morning soaked the outfield once more and after another inspection at 2.35, followed by another downpour, the match was abandoned at 2.45.
The news came as a great disappointment to the many spectators who had defied the weather forecast and turned up to watch cricket at one of the most spectacular venues in the country.
Northamptonshire’s next match in the competition is against Yorkshire at Wantage Road on Friday.