The first day of the final Test between England and Sri Lanka at The Oval is set to be heavily disrupted by rain. Here's the latest weather updates for the opening day's play.
England have already wrapped up the series result against Sri Lanka, with a victory in both of the first two Tests. They beat the visitors by 190 runs at Lord's last week, have won by five wickets in the first Test at Old Trafford. Given the heavy rain forecast in South London for much of the third Test, Sri Lanka may struggle in more ways than one to get on the board with a win.
What is the weather forecast for day one at The Oval?
The UK Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Friday, September 6, due to rain across Southern England and Wales. The warning says: "Heavy rain may lead to some travel disruptions and flooding in places across Southern England and southern Wales during Friday. Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services. Spray flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures."
McCullum: Buttler has been miserable at times, it's my job to get the best out of him
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 5, 2024
READ ⬇️https://t.co/4rKWMXFAMV
BBC Weather puts the chances of disruption in the morning session of day one as high as 67 percent, with showers punctuated by dry spells.
Accuweather puts the chances of rain during the day at 49 percent and the probability of thunderstorms at 12 percent. It also predicts 97 percent cloud cover, meaning it could be a day for seam bowlers if play is possible.
What is the weather forecast for the rest of the match?
The forecast for day two is slightly better, with rain only forecast for part of the afternoon on day two. On Sunday, the weather is predicted to deteriorate with a high of a 68 per cent chance of rain, with only small amounts of rain predicted for day five. For the rest of the match, the rain threat is lesser, but the weather might result in short interruptions.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.