The heavy rain experienced here for over a week had taken its toll to leave the ground virtually saturated with water and slush, thus preventing play in any of the three second leg matches scheduled at this venue.
The result meant that India and New Zealand took one point each from the abandoned match. Thus, at the completion of the second leg of matches, the points table sees India on top with five points, followed by Sri Lanka with four and New Zealand, three. All three teams have played four matches each.
The stadium distinguished itself when it produced a Test victory for Sri Lanka (over New Zealand) on its debut as international cricket's 79th Test venue. But three weeks later, it has become notorious for being unable to provide a start to any of the three Singer-Akai Nidahas trophy matches.
The venue escaped attention during the Test, because despite the rains on the first three days, it still managed to produce a winning result. However, on this occasion it has left room for much criticism because of its lack of facilities to drain the rain water which flooded the grounds in gallons.
Manpower resources were insufficient to get the ground fit for play in any of the three games, and much forethought need to be gone into before another international match is scheduled there.
The three teams returned to Colombo to commence the third and final leg of the triangular at the SSC, after which the top two countries in the league will play in the final at the R. Premadasa Stadium on July 7.
No loss of revenue
Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) sources said yesterday that there was no loss of revenue despite losing Rs. 1.2 million on gate collections for the three matches scheduled at Galle.
BCCSL sources said the 10 matches in the triangular was insured at a cost of Rs. 33 million and whatever losses incurred would be recovered. ``The loss at Galle was not a financial one, but a technical loss,'' a BCCSL spokesman said yesterday.
All other expenses for the ten matches were covered by sponsorship, he said.