The second day of the prestigious Vijay Merchant Trophy Under-16 cricket encounter between Uttar Pradesh and Bengal was entirely abandoned on Wednesday. Persistent dense fog and severely poor light conditions at the SRMS cricket ground in Bareilly division rendered play impossible throughout the day.
Match Brought to a Complete Standstill
Not a single delivery could be bowled on the second day as visibility remained critically low from start to finish. This followed a truncated opening day on Tuesday, where only 17 overs were possible in the final session. In that brief period of play, Bengal, having been asked to bat first by Uttar Pradesh, managed to post a score of 89 for the loss of 3 wickets.
Teams Confined to Dressing Rooms
Vinay Kumar, the manager of the Uttar Pradesh team, provided insights into the frustrating day. He confirmed that both squads arrived at the venue punctually but were compelled to remain inside their respective dressing rooms for almost the entire duration. The match officials, including the umpires and the match referee, conducted multiple inspections of the ground and surrounding conditions.
They employed a light meter to objectively assess the situation, but the readings consistently indicated unsafe playing conditions. After holding out hope for an improvement, the officials finally made the decision to call off the day's play at approximately 4:20 pm.
Gloomy Forecast for Remaining Days
With two days already significantly impacted, only two full days of the match now remain. The outlook for a swift resumption of cricket appears bleak. Speaking to sources, Vinay Kumar expressed concern over the weather forecast, which predicts a high likelihood of dense fog and poor light continuing into Thursday, the scheduled third day of the match.
This persistent weather disruption poses a major challenge for both teams' strategies and raises the possibility of the match ending in a draw if sufficient play is not possible to force a result. All eyes will now be on the skies over Bareilly, hoping for clearer conditions to allow these young cricketers to showcase their talent.
