The tenth Test Match between Afghanistan and New Zealand has the records of being without any balls being bowled. It recorded the eighth occurrence where a Test has been abandoned in this way throughout the history of this game. Prior to this there were 7 instances when yet another match was abandoned without a ball being bowled. This goes back as to as early as 1890 practices of players who had professional outlook and games was negated. To some extent the last time it occurred was some 26 years ago in 1998. But let’s probably see the sequence of events that followed.
England vs Australia, Old Trafford, Manchester, 1890
It was the third and final test in the 1907 – 08 test series with England winning the first two tests . The english side was captained by WG Grace who was an English Cricketer. While the Australian team was steered by Billy Murdock. The weather gods were not in a good mood and it rained for three days and hence the match got abandoned without the toss even taking place.
England vs Australia, Old Trafford, Manchester, 1938
Third in the five match Ashes series again played at Manchester where the abandonment took place Mt Eden England. Leading the English team was Wally Hammond and captaincy of Australian team was held by Don Bradman. Series was brought to us! 1 1 draw but this test completion has been interrupted because of rains and the dampness of the field. Because that did not happen.
Australia vs England, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 1970
It was the third Test of a seven-match series, which England won 2-0. The match was abandoned in the third day. England’s Ray Illingworth has won the toss and decided to bowl. But as the players were walking into the field, the rain started which continued for 3 days in Melbourne. Bill Lawry was the captain of Australian team. The day 5 which was the scheduled 5th day of the test was abandoned and a 60 over’s a side match was played which Australia won by 5 wickets. This match gained the status of the first ever One Day International.
New Zealand vs Pakistan, Dunedin, 1989
The first of Dunedin’s two called off matches. It was the first of a three-match series which was drawn 0-0 in the end no winner or loser emerge. John Wright was the captain for the New Zealand cricket team while Imran Khan was captain of the Pakistani cricket team. The first two days was rained out and on day three, without a ball having been bowled, the match was declared abandoned. Subsequently, a one-day international took place on the fourth day that New Zealand won by eight wickets.
West Indies vs England, Bourda, Guyana, 1990
It was the second match in the four Test Series and at the end, the West Indies were victorious winning the series 2-1. The captain of the West Indies was IN Richards and the captain of England was Graham Good. It poured continuously for the first 3 days and hence the match was cancelled. Round 1-26 of ODI was played on the scheduled fifth day, which was won by the West Indies with a margin of 7 wickets.
Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, Faisalabad, 1998
In spite of being the last match of a three-Test series being held there against Zimbabwe. Pakistan’s cricket team foolishly lost all of them 0 – 1, even typicating the first Test on Peshawar with a 7 wicket trophy-winning. Second test in the city of ‘Lahore’ was draw. The match was meant to take place from 17 December to 21 December and at that time heavy fog was more or less covering Faisalabad. In the earlier abandoned Tests, rain had been the weather deterring play. This time it was not rain but heavy fog which had so reduced visibility that the match could not be carried on on the fourth day. The series had Aamer Sohail as Pakistan’s captain and Alistair Campbell was captain for Zimbabwe.
India in New Zealand, Dunedin, 1998
The test started the first of the three-match Test Series that New Zealand won in the end by 1 0 margin. India was under the captaincy of Mohammad Azharuddin and New Zealand was being captained by Stephen Fleming. The rain did not stop until the third day which had forced the match officials to abandon the Test on the third day itself not caring about any attempts of revocation that would make it carry on. There was an unofficial one dayer on the scheduled 4th day of the test match. Interestingly also, this test match was also in the sixth and seventh of the abandoned Tests further which were noticed on the same day ot December twenty, 1998.
