Day 1 in Durban called off

Durban - The first day of the domestic four-day clash between the Dolphins and Titans was abandoned due to wet patches in the outfield at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

Heavy rain over the past month meant the water table was far higher than usual in the city, with the standing puddles around the field, particular around the square and on the boundaries, not drying sufficiently.

Umpires Ian Howell and Gerrie Pienaar delayed the scheduled 09:00 start until an inspection at 11:30. An early lunch was also taken before deciding conditions had not improved sufficiently, under the grey cloud cover, for play to begin.

The same venue hosted the second one-day international between South Africa and India on Sunday and also had a delayed start. More rain had since worsened conditions.

The match, originally scheduled to start on Thursday, was brought forward a day to ensure it was concluded by Saturday as a mark of respect for former president Nelson Mandela, whose funeral will take place on Sunday.