da betsul： Heavy overnight and morning rain in Leeds has seen to it that the final day of the match between Yorkshire and Lancashire has been abandoned without a ball being bowled
Staff and agencies31-Jul-2000Heavy overnight and morning rain in Leeds has seen to it that the final day of the match between Yorkshire and Lancashire has been abandoned without a ball being bowled.Even though a draw had appeared the most likely result in any case – withLancashire at 127/2 in its second innings and in possession of an overalllead of eighteen runs – it was a disappointing way to end a match that hadoffered absorbing cricket throughout.The frustration will likely be felt most acutely by Yorkshire’s players andadministrators. Their reaction to the disruptions to their squad beingperpetuated by the new England contract system appeared to be developinginto one of much angst even before this latest stroke of ill-fortune.Captain David Byas also bemoaned the intervention of rain on the secondday, identifying it as the crucial factor in preventing the locals frompressing home an advantage which they had held for most of the openingthree days.”I was pleased with the way we dictated matters for long periods of thegame, and the points we have gained leave us in a competitive position forthe run-in to the season,” said Byas after news of the abandonment becameofficial.”It was a disappointment to lose the final day when a victory was stillpossible for us, but even more important was the loss of the final sessionon Saturday when Darren Lehmann was threatening to take their attack apart.”Yorkshire now head to Taunton to play Somerset without the four players intheir squad who are required by England for this week’s Old Trafford Test.Lancashire, meanwhile, take on Surrey at The Oval in a match that is likelyto significantly shape the race for the title.