England-Scotland ODI cancelled due to flooding

The one-day international between Scotland and England scheduled for The Grange in Edinburgh on August 12 has been cancelled due to the ground having recently been flooded and concerns about a continuing poor forecast for the area.

Although the match remains three weeks away Cricket Scotland could not be sure that the ground would be playable for an international fixture and that the required infrastructure, such as temporary seating, would not cause long-term damage.

Cricket Scotland and the ECB held discussions about moving the fixture but no suitable alternative could be found at short notice which means Scotland will lose the lucrative match which is part of the ECB's deal to play Ireland and Scotland in alternate years to help promote the game.

Roddy Smith, the Cricket Scotland chief executive, said: "This is a hugely frustrating decision that Cricket Scotland have had to make, but we could not justifiably take the risk of building on a ground so saturated from a major flood and six weeks of consistent rain.

"The build is only two weeks away and with an unsettled forecast for the remainder of July we have had to make a decision based on the facts presented to us and the professional advice we have taken. We have been faced with an unprecedented and sustained period of rain that has, unfortunately, taken the season's biggest game from us.

"The weather has been horrific. Water on the ground was up to five feet deep in some please. We just rent the ground, and we are grateful for it, and we don't want to risk a situation where cranes are hauling out lorries hauling out toilets.

"The rain has has decimated Scottish club cricket. In more than 20 years as a player and administrator, this has been the worse sustained spell of bad weather I have ever known."

The cancellation of the fixture does remove a potential headache for the England selectors and Andy Flower, the director of cricket, as the match was sandwiched between the second and third Tests against South Africa while there is also a series between England Lions and Australia A taking place either side of when the ODI was due to be played.

It had been expected that England would field almost a third XI for the match to give key players a rest. Cricket Scotland were prepared to accept that in the belief that it would still help to promote the game. With the 2013 summer equally crammed with the visit of New Zealand, England's hosting of the Champions Trophy and an Ashes series, Smith accepts that there is no possibility of an England visit until 2014 at the earlest.

Smith said: "All ticket holders will be refunded in full by our ticketing partner, Ticket Soup, and we will be contacting everyone who has purchased a ticket with free offers to attend matches next season. I am very grateful for the support and understanding of all our key partners. Everyone is very disappointed but understands the exceptional circumstances we are faced with."