Rain fails to dampen Afro-Asia clash match to start on schedule

Bangalore, June 6 (UNI) Despite heavy overnight rain, the day-night one-day match between Africa XI and Asia XI for Afro Asia cup will start on schedule.

Curator Narayan Raju said the outfield was waterlogged due to heavy rains but super soppers were pressed into service and the field was readied for play. The match is scheduled for 1430 hrs.

''The pitch is well covered,'' he added.

Heavy rains lashed the city just after the Twenty20 match between Asia and Africa yesterday.

However, the match still faces the threat of rain with weatherman saying that light rains were expected. A weather office report said cloudy weather would prevail with rains in the afternoon and evening.

The second and the third matches in the three-match series will be held in Chennai on June nine and ten.

The newly laid pitch offers good bounce to speedsters and a challenge to batsmen. India's Sreeshanth and Bangladesh's Mushrafe Mortaza made the ball to jump putting the inexperienced Africans in to difficulty yesterday.

However, the two teams have enough entertainers with the bat like Jayasuriya, Saurav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Dhoni for Asia and Justine Kemp, leading Africa in the absence of Graeme Smith, Bosman and Boucher for Africa to enliven the evening.

UNI