England will return Thursday to chase down a 240-run victory target and stay alive in the seven-match series against Sri Lanka after rain forced play to be suspended in the fifth one-day international in Pallekele on Wednesday.
In-form Kumar Sangakkara hit a cultured 91, but England paceman Chris Woakes (six for 47) tore through the Sri Lankan lower order to bowl out the hosts for 239 in 49 overs.
A torrential downpour then kept the players off the pitch and prompted the match officials to finally abandon the day’s play.
England, who are 3-1 down in the series, will return to chase down their target in 50 overs.
For inspiration, the tourists can look back on the 2004 Champions Trophy match at Southampton against the same opponents. That spilled into the reserve day, before England captain Michael Vaughan and his men won it under the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Current captain Alastair Cook returned to the side after serving a one-match suspension for a second slow over-rate offence in the third ODI and won the toss, putting the hosts in to bat.
He had reason to feel vindicated as the scoreless Kusal Perera edged the third delivery of the match from Steven Finn to second slip.
The other opener, Tillakaratne Dilshan (35), hit six boundaries in his breezy, 31-ball knock before dragging a Chris Jordan delivery onto the stumps.
Sri Lanka slumped to 59 for three when Jordan, involved in the first four dismissals, caught Mahela Jayawardene at the lone slip off Woakes.
Sangakkara played with characteristic cool as he and captain Angelo Mathews (40) added 85 runs to steady the innings, even though they found boundaries hard to come by. Jordan dismissed Mathews in the 34th over but Sri Lanka, at 172 for four, looked well-placed for a late assault in the final 10 overs.
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Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
Getting there and where to stay
Etihad Airways operates seasonal flights from Abu Dhabi to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport. Services depart the UAE on Wednesdays and Sundays with outbound flights stopping briefly in Rome, return flights are non-stop. Fares start from Dh3,315, flights operate until September 18, 2022.
The Radisson Blu Hotel Nice offers a western location right on Promenade des Anglais with rooms overlooking the Bay of Angels. Stays are priced from €101 ($114), including taxes.
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Director: Nag Ashwin
Starring: Prabhas, Saswata Chatterjee, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Shobhana
Rating: ★★★★
