Rain ruins Hamilton warm-up game

In the last one-day series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, monsoon rains forced the teams to Dambulla in a bid to ensure that matches were played, but Sri Lanka's only hope in New Zealand is that there is a change in the weather over the next few days.

Rain, which forced the abandonment of the tour opener against Central Districts on Tuesday five overs into Sri Lanka's innings at New Plymouth, didn't even allow the teams to get on the field in Hamilton on Thursday. The captains did toss, with Marvan Atapattu calling correctly, but that proved the only contest on the day as rain came back before play started in what was to have been a 30-over contest.

Hamilton's Westpac Park was too damp, and the prospect of more rain meant that the Sri Lankans left the ground knowing that they would be lacking vital batting practice in local conditions when the one-day series begins at Eden Park in Auckland on Boxing Day.

The series is shaping as a thriller, and while the absence of significant warm-up play is a frustration, it is more of a reflection of modern-day cricket with its packed schedules. Sri Lanka will be expected to adapt to the demands of touring and accept their pre-series fate as just one of those things. The long-term forecast is hopeful, although anything would have to be an improvement on the start to the notion of summer throughout the country.

Sri Lanka have to make do without Muttiah Muralitharan for the one-day series, at least, while Nuwan Zoysa, the left-arm pace bowler, is expected to miss the first two matches as a result of the finger he dislocated while attempting a caught-and-bowled against Central Districts.

New Zealand will welcome back Daryl Tuffey, who has been working hard on his action after disappointments suffered due to injury in England earlier in the year. After the good showing during the Chappell-Hadlee series with Australia, expectations are high that New Zealand can finish the year in style by maintaining their improved form in ODIs. Ticket sales around the venues for the five one-day matches are high, and the hope is that the series can be played in something approaching summer conditions.