Cricket: Sri Lanka's build up game washed out

Sri Lanka will only have the match against Northern Districts on Thursday to adjust to New Zealand cricket conditions after yesterday's one-day international against Central Districts was washed out at Yarrow Stadium.

Play was abandoned at 9pm, with the visitors at 20-2 chasing Central's 220 runs for 7 wickets after persistent showers made the bowling run-ups dangerous.

While both coaches would have appreciated the abbreviated hit-out, both teams lost key players with injuries.

Sri Lankan opening bowler Nuwan Zoysa dislocated a finger and required stitches after he attempted to take a high speed caught and bowled off Ewen Thompson.

Zoysa was the tourists' most impressive bowler ahead of the New Zealand one-day series, beginning on Sunday in Auckland.

He had most of Central's top-order playing the wrong lines during a lively opening spell that reduced the home side to 3-43.

Jamie How's chances a call-up to the national side were tested on a pitch that offered plenty of variation in the first hour of play.

How and fellow opener Craig Spearman were both out for two each, while Mathew Sinclair fared little better, struggling through to five before he spooned a catch to Zoysa off the bowling of Farveez Maharoof.

It was then left to the promising Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram to set a base for a defendable total, something the pair achieved before Taylor was forced to retire hurt after tearing a hamstring.

The injury, which came when the burly right-hander was on 36, may see him out of the State Shield for up to four weeks.

His departure in the 27th over brought Central captain Glen Sulzberger to the crease.

The two left-handers then proceeded to increase the pedestrian run rate, with Oram punishing the Sri Lankan bowlers with three sixes.

The wheels then started to fall off as Oram (74) and Sulzberger (39) both departed, leaving Thompson to push the total past 200 with a hard-hit unbeaten 30.

Sri Lanka coach John Dyson would have been pleased with the lines and variations of most of his bowlers, although the side's fielding dropped away further into the Central innings.

The run chase always looked like it was going to be interrupted by weather and little could be read into the five overs the visitors faced.

They did, however, lose two wickets easily, both to left-arm paceman Lance Hamilton.

- NZPA