The Blackcaps Twenty20 International against the Netherlands at McLean Park has been washed out without a ball bowled, after rain refused to relent over Napier.
Originally scheduled to meet the touring Netherlands side in an official match for the first time since 2014, the Blackcaps will now have to wait until the first one-dayer between the two sides, scheduled for Mt Maunganui's Bay Oval on Tuesday.
Persistent rain and a damp outfield conspired to ruin what should have been the Blackcaps' first white-ball match of the home summer, after the Twenty20 series against Australia was cancelled, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The washout is also a blow to the likes of Michael Bracewell and Dane Cleaver, who were both due to make their international debuts for New Zealand.
But Friday's no-result leaves the pair with limited opportunities to impress selectors before this year's Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, with only three further T20s against Ireland scheduled in July.
With the Blackcaps missing 12 frontline players due to their Indian Premier League commitments, Bracewell and Cleaver might struggle for another opportunity to show their wares on the international stage.
Join us on Tuesday for live updates of the first Blackcaps v Netherlands one-dayer
