Rain stops plays at Lord's

Cricket: Umpires called an early lunch as poor weather wiped out the first morning of the fourth and final npower Test between…

Cricket:Umpires called an early lunch as poor weather wiped out the first morning of the fourth and final npower Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's.

Bad light and a wet outfield initially held up proceedings, before rain returned as umpires Billy Bowden and Tony Hill inspected the pitch, and they decided to set lunch for 12.30pm local time.

England lead the series 2-1.

As the clouds began to thin, it was announced play would start at 1.40pm if there was no deterioration in the weather.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter