Cricket: Match postponed due to pitch

The first One Day match between New Zealand A and India A has been postponed due to pitch conditions at Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

Six overs into the match the umpires decided to postpone the game until tomorrow. A new match will commence on a different pitch at Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

The rescheduled match will be played on the same pitch as the one that was used for a practice game between New Zealand A and the Auckland Aces on Sunday, which was a high scoring encounter.

NZC Head of Cricket Operations Lindsay Crocker said: "Other pitches which have been played on this season, including practice ones, have played well and historically been of a high standard.

"We'll be looking into the issue and will be closely analysing the structure and surface to see what went wrong on this particular pitch and how to avoid a repeat."

With play suspended the decision has been made to begin the match again tomorrow to ensure a full 50 over game. All scheduled One Day matches will still be completed, albeit pushed back by one day.

In an unrelated decision, it has also been agreed between both camps that the Three-Day match that was to be played September 27th- 29th will now be a Four-Day match beginning September 26th. The final four-day match will still be played October 3rd - 6th as originally scheduled.