29th January 1998 saw an abrupt and unprecedented conclusion to a Test between West Indies and England at Kingston: the newly laid pitch was uneven, the bounce unpredictable, and after just 10.1 overs the match was abandoned as conditions were judged too dangerous for play.
Jan 29, 2026 01:02Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, difficult to face even on a fair pitch, became a nightmare. England slumped to 17/3, with their physio, Wayne Morton, spending more time in the middle than most of the batsmen; only Alec Stewart stood firm, reaching 9*.
When the first ball of the 11th over hit Graham Thorpe on the hand, Morton was called on for the sixth time. WI captain Brian Lara called his counterpart Mike Atherton back onto the field to discuss with the umpires and referee, and the decision was taken to abandon the match.
There has only been one similar occurrence since: at North Sound 11 years later, when a match between the same two teams was abandoned after just 1.4 overs because the sandy outfield made it impossible for the bowlers to grip the ground in their run-ups.
