monsoon rain because of a delayed start.

However, yesterday's important match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium between Mohammedan and City Club was postponed mainly because of the delay in drying up the outfield by the groundsmen.

Heavy early-morning rain spoilt yesterday's all the three Grameen-Phone Premier Division Cricket League matches at different city venues.

Weather permitting, the matches will be played today.

Holders Mohammedan Sporting Club, who lost their last game against Victoria on Monday, will take on City Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium while Biman confront Surjo Tarun at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium. The other match pitting two Youngs -Pegasus and Cricketers -- is to be held at the BKSP ground in Savar.

It was for the fifth time that the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) had been forced to suspend matches due to rain since the most colourful cricketing event commenced 13 days back.

Many fear that the League this year is destined to fall victim of

Although the match was scheduled to start at 9 am but the groundsmen started to get the field ready almost an hour later.

"We were late today (Wednesday) in working on the wet outfield. When we made the ground all right for play, it was already 1:15 pm. That is why we had no other alternative but to reschedule the match," said CCDM co-ordinator Abid Hossain.

Mohammedan, who are now jointly sharing the top spot along with arch-rivals Abahani with each having won four out of their five matches, should have reasons to rejoice with the postponement of yesterday's match as Pakistani hard-hitting batsman Zahoor Elahi is scheduled to join them on Thursday morning.

But a Mohammedan official, Tariqul Islam, disagreed by saying Elahi might not play against City Club.

"It all depends on how he feels on his arrival in the morning tomorrow (Thursday)," he said. If Elahi does not play, Sri Lanka Test cap Hashan Tillekeratne would fill up their foreign player's quota, he informed.

Each of the twelve Premier Division clubs are entitled to field only one foreign player in a match, and Mohammedan already bolstered their batting with imported ones. Elahi is their third foreign recruit.

Kenyan star Steve Tikolo played the first four matches before flying back home for national duty last week while Tillekeratne played the last match against Victoria Sporting Club.

But his slow scoring rate failed to impress the Mohammedan officials who then opted for Elahi.