LONDON : Persistent rain over London limited play to just 9.4 overs on the third day of the first test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s on Saturday, leaving the visitors struggling at 55-5 in their second innings as they chased a victory target of 254.
Steady afternoon rain prevented any meaningful action and, after several inspections, the umpires called play off at 5:30 p.m. local time during the 150th test staged at the home of cricket.
In the brief spell possible, Rachin Ravindra finally opened his account after a difficult match, striking a crisp off-drive for four. However, he added only four more runs before Ollie Robinson produced another testing delivery that beat his bat and clipped the off stump.
Daryl Mitchell followed eight balls later, trapped lbw for a duck by Robinson after playing around a straight delivery. Mitchell reviewed the decision, but replays showed the ball would have struck leg stump.
Robinson, 32, recalled to England’s test side after a two-year absence amid concerns over his fitness and conditioning, had already made a decisive impact on the match by taking three wickets in four balls in his opening over on Thursday, helping England seize control of the first test of the three-match series.
The weather forecast for Sunday is significantly brighter, with sunshine expected and temperatures set to reach 19 degrees Celsius (66.2 degrees Fahrenheit).
