Relentless rain spoiled the party at Trent Bridge on Thursday (September 21) as England and Windies endured a frustrating afternoon with the second One-Day International getting abandoned. Despite the forecast for rain, a sizeable crowd made their presence felt at the venue and much to their delight, the game did begin on time with openers Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales racing to 21 off just 14 balls before the heavens opened up.
While Hales struck two boundaries, Bairstow, the centurion from the previous game, flicked just the second ball of the game for his only boundary. The signs of the surface was clear in the short period with fans hoping for a run feast, something similar to the one they witnessed at the same venue, the last time an ODI was played.
Play was still scheduled to resume at 13:15 local time when the rain had stopped for a brief period but just minutes before the restart, the covers were brought back on, only to be not removed again. With the rains only getting heavier, even the slightest hopes of witnessing a 20-over contest vanished soon.
Having already lost an opportunity to qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup after losing the opening ODI, Windies made two changes to their playing XI earlier in the afternoon. Birthday boy Chris Gayle had to sit out after injuring his hamstring in the first game and was hence replaced by Kyle Hope. Legspinner Devendra Bishoo then made way for Miguel Cummins whereas the hosts remained unchanged. The teams will now travel to Bristol for the third game on Sunday.
Brief scores: England 21/0 in 2.2 overs (Alex Hales 10*, Jonny Bairstow 9*) vs Windies – No Result
