Lucknow, March 6: Holi revellers across the state are split between the runs and 'rang' on Friday as the festival of colours clashes with the exciting India-West-Indies cricket match in the ICC World Cup 2015.

With the youngsters not ready to miss the tie in Australia, most "Holi toli's" have decided to begin early and wind up before noon.

This would give them time to wash the colours off and get glued to the television sets as the cricket match gets underway at around 12 noon.

With the men-in-blue already having clocked three victories in the championship so far, cricket enthusiasts say they are looking forward to the cricket match, as Chris Gayle of the West Indies, too, is in terrific form.

"Holi to ab shuru ho gayi hai aur jald hi khatam kar denge; phir cricket ka rang jamega" said Mainpuri resident Zuber Adil, who told IANS that he has been playing Holi since the morning with his friends and was going to conclude the colour dash soon and join the family for the match on TV.

Archana Mishra, a 76-year-old women from Hariharnagar says she has wound up the kitchen chores early to watch the match.

"I have just helped my daughter-in-law in making poori, sabzi and kheer. Food is ready and now I am set to go and watch the cricket match with my grand children" she chuckled while playing Holi with two ageing women in her neighbourhood.

Arun Pandey, resident of Jankipuram, too, said he is already "half through the Holi dhamaal and is headed back home for the India-Windies cricket match".

As the famous Poorvanchal (eastern UP) folk song "jogira sara sara" rents the air, groups of youngsters, painted and drenched in hues of a myriad colours, ride on bikes and zip through the state capital roads, engaged in sloganeering to cheer the Indian team.

Many people have also set up giant TV screens in their farm house as they have planned a joint Holi and a cricketing session.

And no one seems to be complaining as it's going to be "rang barse" followed by "run barse"!!

IANS