Updates from the opening day of play at Lord’sVic Marks:
England hope for instant Archer impactAny thoughts? Email Geoff here or tweet him here 4.47pm BST
Who does a washout benefit? Obviously there’s more chance of a draw, with a day lost to rain. Is that to Australia’s advantage, with one fewer match for England to make up the series deficit? Is it to England’s, to nullify a ground where
Australian teams have played well for over a century? The wilds of the north will be different. Of course, we’ll have extended hours over the next four days and might well still get a result. But if any more rain comes – and there are bits and pieces forecast – we’ll lose serious time with each delay.
Let’s come back tomorrow to see what happens next. Thanks to Rob Smyth for being my comrade in damp, and everyone else for playing along on THE RAIN SHOW! Until next time. 4.43pm BST
“550 tests out of 2355, but how many days commentating?” asks Mark Lewis. “Something statisticians might (struggle to) get their teeth into. How many of the 550 tests were washouts, 3 day drubbings, etc? Where would one begin!?”