NO NEED for ‘the sprinkler’ thanks, it’s wet enough.

Five months ago England did their famed celebration dance in front of their adoring fans in Melbourne after retaining the Ashes with victory in the fourth Test.

A watering device wasn’t required in Cardiff yesterday as Andrew Strauss & Co donned their whites for the first time since their heroics Down Under.

In the end 48 overs were bowled but that came after a frustrating morning and early afternoon. There were showers then sun, threatening dark clouds then blues skies.

England and Sri Lanka huddled in the pavilion while the square was covered.

They ventured out to warm-up while the toss took place at 2.15pm... it promptly bucketed it down.

There was a tinge relief at the Swalec Stadium when news filtered through that Glamorgan’s bid for a victory against Surrey was being hindered.

It was raining at The Oval - good, that put the kibosh on any suggestion that they would have had the full 90 overs had they not ventured across the Severn Bridge.

Of course it was always going to be a challenge to host the first Test of the summer; those at Chester-le-Street will attest to that.

In 2009 the West Indies headed to the Riverside for a second Test that suffered from poor crowds, bad weather and England being far too good for the tourists.

Later that summer the Swalec Stadium hosted the first Ashes Test and it was a roaring success but this week it’s Glamorgan’s turn to encounter the hard sell.

The number of tickets sold for yesterday was 9,226, though only 6,500 turned up, while 9,500 are expected today and 10,000 tomorrow.

There were plenty of empty seats on day one and an unsightly section that was cordoned off.

It Glamorgan cost an estimated £2.5million to secure this Test match so the pressure is on Matthew Mott’s side to enjoy a successful, and more importantly profitable, Twenty20 campaign this summer.

“To sell Australia tickets all you have to do is answer the telephone,” said chairman Paul Russell. “I think we have done a good job for this match.

“We have faced two difficulties. Firstly, with due respect, Sri Lanka are not perceived to be an attractive side.

“Then there is the conceptional difficulty of selling Cardiff as a Test match ground.

“But the England v India (one-day) game later this summer is all but sold out, so we are getting there.”

Glamorgan’s bid to develop Cardiff’s reputation as an international cricket venue needed play and to that end they would have been glad that the small crowd at least saw some action in the afternoon sun.

But it wasn’t exactly rip-roaring stuff on a slow track with England not really troubling the Sri Lankan openers.

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana eased to 93 before the former fell in the 33rd over, the captain cutting a frustrated figure after a poor shot saw him bowled by Graeme Swann for 50.

Kumar Sangakkara followed him for 11 in a controversial dismissal - the smallest of white marks on hot spot accounting for the livid left-hander after a review by England - before the tourists ended on 133-2.