GREATER NOIDA: A test match between New Zealand and Afghanistan at Greater Noida, India has joined some select company in the history of cricket — just not necessarily for the best reason.
After continuing rain, officials called off the test match on the fifth and final scheduled day on Friday without a ball being bowled.
It marked only the eighth time that a test match had been abandoned without any play because of rain. The first was in 1890 and the most-recent nearly 26 years ago also involved New Zealand.
On Dec. 18, 1998, New Zealand’s home test against India was abandoned on day three because of persistent rain at Carisbrook Oval in Dunedin.
The Greater Noida region received more than a week of drenching rain, leaving the ground staff at Greater Noida Sports Complex struggling to get the ground fit for play.
It was Afghanistan’s third cricket test in 2024, following one-off matches against Ireland and a 10-wicket loss to Sri Lanka.
New Zealand was scheduled to kick off a three-month subcontinental tour that will involve series against Sri Lanka and India.
Unwanted history as Afghanistan-New Zealand test match is rained out after 5 days of trying
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Unwanted history as Afghanistan-New Zealand test match is rained out after 5 days of trying
- After continuing steady rain, officials called off the test match on the fifth and final scheduled day on Friday
Messi bags 899th goal as Miami down DC United
- The Argentine superstar’s 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone
WASHINGTON, United States: Lionel Messi moved to the brink of another goalscoring milestone as Inter Miami bagged their second win of the Major League Soccer season with a 2-1 victory over DC United on Saturday.
Messi, who scored twice in Miami’s Florida derby win over Orlando last week, bagged his third goal of the season with a deft chipped finish in the 27th minute at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
The Argentine superstar’s 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone.
The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner, who turns 39 in June, scored 672 goals for Barcelona earlier in his career and 32 at Paris Saint-Germain, with a further 115 international goals for Argentina.
Saturday’s win moved the reigning MLS champions up the Eastern Conference standings into third place with six points from three games.
Miami, who on Thursday were guests of President Donald Trump at a White House reception, took the lead in the 17th minute with a superb curling shot from the edge of the area by Messi’s Argentina team-mate Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi then doubled Miami’s lead 10 minutes later, latching on to a sublime through ball from Mateo Silvetti and dinking a first-time finish over the advancing DC United goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
United rallied after half-time, and were given hope when Israeli forward Tai Baribo pulled a goal back in the 75th minute.
Miami though were able to hold off United in the closing stages to seal victory.
