Crawley caught out by a shower

WASHOUT GROUNDS FOR CONCERN

- Dean Wilson

ENGLAND'S international summer met a watery grave in Bristol as a single rain shower proved too much for the ground to handle their fourth no result in a row.

In what was surely the fastest abandonment in living England's batters memory, were halted in their tracks in a way that Ireland could only have dreamed of after coughing up 280 runs in just 31 overs.

Ben Duckett had already raised his bat for a maiden ODI hundred from just 72 balls and looked ready to add plenty more against an Ireland attack begging for mercy.

But with the ground already damp from overnight rain, and with the groundstaff sluggish at best in getting the pitch and square covered, the umpires made a swift call.