Yorkshire left with England to watch on as rain prevents any cricket action

Yesterday’s washout means Yorkshire have lost 959 of a possible 2,880 overs in the tournament this summer.

It is a sorry statistic and one set to worsen in North Wales, where today’s forecast is poor and where the facilities are only of club ground standard.

As such, and with much of the field already saturated, Saturday’s play could also be in doubt – even if the heavens relent.

In the 34 overs possible on day one, Glamorgan reached 117-3 after winning the toss.

Stewart Walters top-scored with an unbeaten 37, while there were two wickets for Mitchell Starc and one for Azeem Rafiq.

Play was called off yesterday at 1.15pm, despite a largely dry and blustery morning.

However, umpires Mark Benson and Paul Baldwin decided the ground was too wet, while further rain was only just around the corner.

With attention soon turning to the Twenty20 Cup, Yorkshire have announced they will play a warm-up match at Cleckheaton on Wednesday.

The game at Moorend starts at 6pm and has come about due to Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale’s involvement with the club.

Yorkshire plan to field a strong side as they look to hit the ground running ahead of their first Twenty20 Cup match against Durham at Headingley Carnegie a week today.

That is the first of 10 group games in this year’s competition.

Admission to the Cleckheaton match is £5 (Under-17s free) and tickets can be bought by visiting the club or logging on to www.cleckheatoncricketclub.org.uk.

John Wildman, from Thompson, Davis and Co Ltd, is the main sponsor of the match and he will be making a donation to the Yorkshire Academy.

“Without John Wildman’s generous support this event could not have taken place, and everyone involved at Cleckheaton CC wishes to express our sincere thanks,” commented club spokesman Kevin Mitchell.

Persistent rain was still falling at Edgbaston when umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Tony Hill made the inevitable call just before tea that no play would be possible between England and West Indies.

The full covers remained in place throughout, as rain fell continuously for five hours.

It is the first full Test match day to be washed out in England since the 2009 Ashes, at the same venue.

Two years previously, against West Indies at Chester-le-Street, was the last occasion no play was possible on day one of any home Test in this country.

More rain is forecast today. Should there be a second successive washout at the start of this match, it will be the first time in England since 1964 – against Australia, at Lord’s.

Darren Sammy’s hopes of avoiding a whitewash at Edgbaston could be hampered with the loss of their most reliable batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

The limpet left-hander has kept England at bay longer than most this summer, but yesterday went to hospital for a scan on his sore side.

The Windies remain optimistic Chanderpaul may yet be fit to take part, though, a team spokesman saying: “A day off gives him a chance to see how well he goes.”

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