The opening Big Bash League (BBL) season 13th home game of the season for the Melbourne Renegades against the Perth Scorchers at GMHBA Stadium was called off due to a dangerous pitch.
Worries about the playing surface were raised before the match following substantial overnight rain in Geelong, which seeped through the covers onto the field.
Despite these concerns, Nic Maddinson of the Renegades won the toss and had no hesitation in choosing to send the reigning champions into bat.
"The wicket's absolutely drenched so we just want to have a look what's going to happen," Maddinson said at the toss.
The Scorchers suffered the loss of two quick wickets as their batters grappled with the inconsistent bounce. Australian player Aaron Hardie faced several close calls but couldn't connect with the ball.
However, the decisive blow occurred in the seventh over when Josh Inglis was struck in the groin by a delivery from Will Sutherland that behaved unpredictably, then narrowly avoided being caught out by Quinton de Kock after an inside edge of a similar ball.
On the subsequent delivery, Inglis attempted a drive at a fuller ball, only to see it loft over his bat and straight into the hands of de Kock.
Inglis was dismayed by the sequence of deliveries and voiced his disapproval towards umpires Ben Treloar and Simon Lightbody.
The officials then convened to discuss the condition of the pitch, subsequently leading to the players being escorted off the field with the Scorchers at 2-30 after 6.5 overs.
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch informed Fox Cricket that the ball had "created substantial disruptions on the pitch… held onto the seam and exhibited absurd bounce."
The match was called off 45 minutes into the game at 8 pm, with both teams earning one point each from the encounter unless Cricket Australia opts for a reschedule, as stated in their announcement.
"We wanted to give it every chance, that's why we started play," standing umpire Treloar told Fox Cricket after the match was called off.
"It looked alright on top and the first few overs we were really quite hopeful with what we saw.
"But just at the end, that last one, that was enough for us to consider that (pitch) dangerous.
"It was that last delivery, that was the one that got us to that dangerous position and the safety of the players is paramount."
Cricket Australia also confirmed that the 6601 fans who attended GMHBA Stadium on Sunday night would receive a refund for the cost of their tickets.
"CA will conduct a thorough review into the extremely frustrating circumstances that have resulted in the game being abandoned and a huge disappointment for fans and players," the governing body said.
Renegades general manager James Rosengarten added: "Our first thoughts are with our fans – the loyal supporters we have across Geelong and Victoria.