WI-W 43/3 (12.3 ov, Shemaine Campbelle 18*, Qiana Joseph 21*, Charlie Dean 0/2) – Match delayed by rain – England Women vs West Indies Women 3rd ODI Match Live Score, Summary
4pm: We’re going to have a 21-overs-a-side game. Here’s the breakdown:
Bowlers 1×5 overs, 4×4 overs
Powerplay 4 overs
1st innings 5-5.24
10 min interval
5.34 restart for 2nd innings
3.50pm: Play will restart at 5pm (if no further rain). That might be a big “if”, looking at the radar down below. But for now, promising news. Sounds like that is right on the edge of getting a 20-over game in – so West Indies would get a brief bat, then England would be chasing an adjusted score
3.40pm: “Umpires walking out, very, very slowly,” says Valkerie. “Only one cover is off and the pitch remains under wraps.” It has stopped raining… though, having said that, there appear to be one or two droplets still falling on the covers. After a discussion with the groundstaff, the umpires are now heading off for a chat, presumably, with the captains
3.15pm: Okay, don’t get too excited, but the umpires have been out. “They milled around on the outfield for a bit… covers all still on,” Valkerie reports. On the plus side, it has stopped raining sorry, scratch that, Valkerie has already updated to say it is raining again. “The sopper is going over (and over and over) them but they’re still very wet.” Sounds like another inspection at 3.40pm. Ho hum
2.50pm: Sky have just shown some pictures of standing water on the ground, as the umpires undergo a forlorn inspection of the square and outfield. That was a little while ago, I think, and it does seem as if the rain has eased off a touch. We also saw Sue Redfern having a chat with the captains, before they retreated to the dressing rooms once again. Ah ha, more news: there will be another inspection at 3.10pm (of no further rain), which might be a bit more definitive
2.35pm: Hello again. My lunch was beans on toast, which I had to share with my son (even though I made him some beans of his own). Anyway, on to more important matters – Valkerie has news of activity at the ground: “Groundstaff wading over the covers. Umpires walking out onto the field. There is a huge puddle at square leg as I look at the pitch… Just behind square leg if we want to be completely picky.” Precision is our watchword. Now then, did you say wading…
“Please stop tempting me with food talk–I’ve still got two more hours before I can break my intermittent fast.” Hang in there, Raji. Valkerie might have been served cake by then (if she’s not already been sent home)
2.14pm: Twiddle twiddle twiddle. No news is no news. Meh. Valkerie says that the lemon tarts haven’t yet arrived in the press box, so at least there’s something to look forward to. As it happens, the Guardian’s Raf Nicholson agrees with the verdict on the red curry. A red-letter day for the Taunton kitchen!
Too much food chat. I’m off to seek some of my own. Alan will be lurking for (non-)updates.
Andrew Evans: “Sounds like Taunton put out quite the spread for Valkerie! I’m having 8 ounces of infant formula for lunch and the baby is having last night’s chicken tikka leftovers. Or is that the other way around? The sleep deprivation is real.”
1.50pm: Not yet official, but Sky reckon that the restart would have to be by 5.11pm to get the full 20-overs-a-side in. Which means that the rain would surely need to have stopped falling by 4pm. Which, funnily enough, it might just be scheduled to do! We wait on…
1.44pm: Here’s what you’ve been waiting for… Valkerie has filed her lunch report: “Thai red chicken curry with a good kick to it and steamed jeera rice was very good, as was the healthy side salad, but the highlight was the giant poppadum (and not a misplaced apostrophe in sight). I’m going to rank it No.1 for this tour, ahead of the jerk chicken and salsa (with a massive kick to it) at Hove.” Incredible scenes. Tier 1 status for Somerset has clearly been a game-changer!
1.19pm: Still here? Glub … clearly we are losing overs now, but until the rain stops falling, there’s not a lot of point in speculating on how many! It does look brighter from about 6pm… but how soggy it will be by then is anyone’s guess!
The ECB have confirmed that the extra hour has been used up, and that 20 overs a side constitutes a minimum. So, I’d estimate they’d need to be playing by about 4 to get enough play in. No word yet on when the latest restart time would be. As and when the rain stops, a pitch inspection will be scheduled and we’ll go from there.
Andrew Evans: “Still here! Waiting for Valkerie’s lunch report, or rather, her report on lunch.” Me too… she was promised “WHOLE FRUIT” on the press-box menu. No half-measures at Taunton!
Walt: “Rain…in England…in June? That wasn’t on my bingo card! “
12.56pm: Sure enough, Valkerie Baynes has found a productive way to steel herself for drip-watch. “You’ll be pleased to know said lunch will be served earlier than planned. “We might as well do something while we sit here” was the reasoning from an anonymous source.” Cricket in thinking-on-its-feet shocker!
Meanwhile, here’s that update on Sophie Ecclestone from earlier today. Here’s hoping she comes back stronger for a break from the coalface.
Andrew Evans: “Someone actually moved a lunch time on account of rain for Valkerie and co.! It’s cricket Jim, but not as we know it…”
12.53pm: ‘Twix cup and lip, there’s many a slip. And the sound it makes is drip, drip, drip. Spike Milligan said it best.
Andrew Evans: “How do the Cricinfo staff steel themselves for a long day of weather reporting?” Lots, and lots, and lots … of tea. Talking of which, the kettle is calling
Raji: “Woke up early only to find out the rain stopped the play. Not exactly how I wanted to start the weekend–ugh.”
12.37pm: There is a yellow warning for thunderstorms in the South West of England… which is somewhat inauspicious, you’d think!
Valkerie Baynes is doing her utmost to be useful, but let’s face it, it’s futile: “Rain gone. It’s brightening up somewhat. That yellow warning makes this information moot, I’m sure … yep, raining again … I’ll stop talking now.” Thanks Wendy Hurrell. I think you’re better off tucking into the bespoke press menu in the 1875 restaurant. Those “Poppadum’s” [sic] won’t eat themselves!
12.23pm: Greetings. It is indisputably sploshy out there. If there is no more rain we will have a pitch inspection at 12.45pm. So no imminent resumption in prospect. Sit tight!
“It’s raining again,” says Valkerie. So scratch that notion!
12.15pm: The bowlers’ run-ups are being covered now, which adds to the sense that the weather has set in. “How long till we lose overs?” asks Abhi. Will see if we can get confirmation from the ground, but there’s usually 30-60 minutes to play with before they start making deductions
Andrew Miller, keeper of the seaweed, will be here shortly with further updates
12.05pm: All looking a bit grim around the CACG right now. While we wait, here’s news of Sophie Ecclestone taking time out from the game – although England still hope she will be available for the visit of India later this month. The ECB said in a statement:
“England spinner Sophie Ecclestone will take a break from domestic cricket in order to manage a minor quad injury and prioritise her well-being. She remains available for selection for England Women’s upcoming series against India.
“England Women’s head coach, Charlotte Edwards, said: ‘Sophie has been managing a quad niggle over the past week but more importantly she wants to take a step back from cricket for a short period to look after herself. We’re totally behind that. We want to be able to select Sophie for the India series but the most important thing for her at the moment is that she feels in a better place. We all agree that a break now could be beneficial for her to achieve that.'”
11.58am: And that will be the last of the action for now, as the umpires signal for the covers to be brought on. The groundstaff aren’t in a great hurry as they roll out the old-fashioned sheets, but the weather has definitely closed in again, lots of brollies up around the ground. Looks like they are going to take the precaution of swaddling the square, too, so we might be in for an extended break in play