Covers come on as rain delays the start of play in the third WI v ENG T20I in St Lucia

Rain has delayed the start of the third T20I between West Indies and England in St Lucia. Here are the latest weather updates for the game.

Rain was lurking around St Lucia during the afternoon in the lead up to the game and, just 10 minutes before the toss was due to take place, it started to drizzle. The toss was initially delayed for 15 minutes in the hope that the shower would pass - officially due to wet spots on the outfield caused by overnight rain - but the toss was then officially pushed back with no further time mentioned when the full covers were brought on.

With the ground seemingly saturated by the rain over the past couple of days on the island, it's a significant job for the ground staff to get the playing surface ready. The umpires were seen looking at some concerning patches in the outfield during the delay.

The match is pivotal for the series, with England currently holding a 2-0 lead. If England were to win the game, they would seal their first overseas win in a bilateral T20I series since October 2022. West Indies must win the match in order to stay in the five-match series.

WI v ENG third T20I: What's the weather forecast in St Lucia?

BBC Weather: Although the start of the match was delayed, BBC Weather gives an optimistic view on the prospects of getting a game in. Although the chances of rain at the beginning of the match - by the halfway stage they quickly fall to zero, with temperatures staying in the late 20 degrees celsius into the early evening.

AccuWeather: There is also an optimistic view from AccuWeather, who also predict that the rain will clear up after an hour or so, with broken cloud cover until the end of the game.

Weather.com: The view from Weather.com has the chances of rain at two per cent for the duration of the match, with heavy cloud and temperatures dropping lower than other predictions.

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.