Rain delayed the start of the second and penultimate Test match between New Zealand and Bangladesh at the Basin Reserve in Wellington for the second consecutive day Saturday.
The downpour which had persisted for a day and a half stopped long enough on day two for the covers to be lifted and for the players to start warming up.
But as the umpires conducted a pitch inspection, about an hour before an expected start, the drizzle returned, reducing the match to three days at best.
A result in three days is not unheard of in New Zealand.
New Zealand and @BCBtigers coaches agreed that whoever wins the toss in the second and penultimate Test match is likely to benefit from a seam-friendly pitch that is only going to assist the bowlers further after torrential rain washed out the 1st dayhttps://t.co/Or6I47VP8A#BCB
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) March 8, 2019
In 2001, also at the Basin Reserve, New Zealand only needed 17 overs on the third day complete a victory over Bangladesh by an innings and 74 runs.
However, if the rain does not clear, matches have been abandoned in New Zealand twice before without a ball being bowled - against Pakistan in 1989 and India in 1998, both in the southern city of Dunedin.
New Zealand lead the series after taking the first Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton by an innings and 52 runs.
The third and final Test starts in Christchurch Saturday.
