Dangerous WACA pitch forces umpires to abandon match

Umpires called an urgent halt to the inter-state match at the WACA in Perth today, deciding the pitch was too dangerous to proceed.

With the second Test scheduled to take place in Perth in 16 days' time, there are worried faces in Western Australia following the umpires' decision to call of the match between hosts Western Australia and Queensland after only five overs.

Umpires Keith Rinaldi and Randolph Woolridge inspected the badly cracked surface and decided play must end to prevent the likelihood of serious injury after one ball had shot along the ground and another had hit Queensland opener Jimmy Maher in the chest.