Rain Forces Practice Game Postponement

West Indies' three-day practice match at the SSC has been postponed by one day due to bad weather in Colombo. The match against Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's XI, led by Lahiru Thirimanne, had been scheduled to begin on Thursday, but will now begin on Friday.

The postponement means West Indies are left only two clear days between the end of the practice match and the start of the first Test which is scheduled to begin from October 14.

West Indies had arrived in Sri Lanka on October 1, and had largely been forced to practice indoors, thanks to almost daily showers in Colombo. The northeast monsoon brings island-wide rain in October and November, but scheduling difficulties often force Sri Lanka to host international sides during these months.

SLC announced on Tuesday that the two-match Test series will be named the Sobers-Tissera trophy, after West Indies great Garry Sobers and Sri Lanka batsman Michael Tissera, who was among the island's pre-eminent cricketers in the pre-Test era.

"It's a huge honour to have a trophy named after Sir Garry," West Indies captain Jason Holder said. "It will surely go a long way into the team dressing room. We got some pretty young faces in our squad and a lot of them look up to the past greats who played the game."

(espncricinfo)