Matthew Renshaw stranded after 'biblical' Canberra storm forces fourth-day washout
The "biblical" thunderstorm that ripped through Canberra on Friday night has washed out the final day of the Pakistan's only warm up match against the Prime Minister's XI.
Trees were brought down by wind gusts well in excess of 50km/h, which cut power to some 18,000 homes when the storm hit the nation's capital just before 8pm.
At Manuka Oval, the winds blew the covers off the square and the pitch and outfield were left soaked, despite only 4mm of rain falling.
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Ground staff attend to blowers attempting to dry the wicket during a delay to the start of play due to an overnight storm during day four of the Tour match between PMs XI and Pakistan at Manuka Oval on December 09, 2023 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) Getty
Matthew Renshaw was set to resume on 136 as he auditions for a Test recall, with the PM's XI trailing by only 24 runs on what was a docile at best pitch.
Ground staff used leaf blowers and heaters in an attempt to dry the pitch, but a pitch inspection just before midday left the umpires little choice.
Umpire Donovan Koch said the decision was made to abandon the day's play to avoid risking injury to the Pakistan team.
A Big Bash League game between the Thunder and the Head is also scheduled to be played at Manuka on Tuesday night.
"The pitch ... is wet, the surrounding is wet and our main concern is actually the BBL pitch, it's two strips down from the playing pitch where there's a game on Tuesday night," Koch told Fox Sports earlier in the morning.
"We're going to take a cautious approach, we've got a Test team that we don't want to cause any injuries to, and we've got a few BBL players in the (PM's XI) team as well."
Matthew Renshaw was left stranded on 136no when the match was abandoned. Getty
Co-umpire Phil Gillespie explained the concern around the playing surface for this match was the ball leaving indentations in the wicket, which could then provide unpredictable bounce later in the day as the surface dried out.
Pakistan skipper Shan Masoon was awarded player of the match for his double-ton in Pakistan's first innings.
The tourists will now fly to Perth to begin preparations for the first Test against Australia, which begins at Optus Stadium next Thursday afternoon.
