Rain prevented any play on day three of the second Test between England and West Indies at Headingley.

The drizzle relented in the afternoon to raise hopes of a 1330 BST resumption, only for it to return.

When play does begin West Indies, who are 22-2 in their second innings, need 402 more to make England bat again.

Ryan Sidebottom, playing in his first Test for six years, was in inspired form on Saturday, taking six wickets with some superb swing bowling.

By Mark Mitchener

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on day three

NO PLAY ON DAY THREE - RAIN

1705 - PLAY ABANDONED FOR THE DAY
It's come as no surprise, but the umpires have finally conceded that no play will be possible at all today. They'll try again tomorrow - and Tom Fordyce will be back in this chair on clockwatch duty. Many thanks to those of you who have stuck it out with the complete lack of cricket today - and especially those who have kept the chat going with your e-mails. Thank you and good night.

To finish, some suggestions for Roger from Liverpool's camping holiday if it rains (see 1630 comment):

"John from Brooklyn, I won't tell you what the baseball fan said about the beautiful game of cricket, but it would have been enough to make even Tuffers blush. However I will reveal that much to my delight, said American referred to the English gent as a 'limey', which in my time here is a word I hadn't yet heard used in anger"
Tom, Bronx, New York, in the TMS inbox

"It's not raining in Helsinki (23 degrees C and sunny), we are looking forward to a full day's play tomorrow and eight more wickets for Sidebottom, eight catches for Prior and then it's only a case of told you so! Hope Blackpool get back to Championship next season it means that Stoke fans get a day at the seaside!" [Your wish is granted - MM]
Anne in the TMS inbox

"Why oh why couldn't the wife have decided to have gone to B&Q today instead of yesterday? I wouldn't have agreed to her buying aubergine paint for the living room just to get back for the cricket updates! (You will have had to have been following the B&Q discussion yesterday in order not to be lost off!)"
Mark, from Newcastle, in the TMS inbox

1657 - Rain getting heavier now. Apparently a final decision will be made at 1730, but I think they're only delaying the inevitable.

"Reading the backlog I see that 'beer snakes' are not tolerated. Yet during the TV coverage that I saw on Friday there was a ruddy great airship above the ground advertising a betting service. Given all the controversy and speculation in recent years, I'd have though this would be much higher up the ICC's list of things to outlaw than spectators innocuously enjoying themselves"
Hugh Gurney, Bournemouth, in the TMS inbox

"Paul Blakeley, I agree. Plan A for today - go to the Surrey v Ireland game, rain. Plan B - watch Test, rain. Plan C - watch Yeovil, boring. So the Muppets Treasure Island is a a very bleak silver lining. Any news when the rain is going to stop ruining my bank holiday?"
James Court in the TMS inbox

"Come on lads admit it, we've more chance of play here in Japan, where it's half past midnight. Just popped round the corner for a couple of pints of Abbott before reporting back to your rain-sodden reports. The very Englishness of it is making me feel quire nostalgic"
Gavin, Atsugi, Japan in the TMS inbox

1651 - It's all over at Wembley. Blackpool are in the Champo (to the undoubted delight of our BBC cricket website colleague Anna Thompson), and Yeovil remain in League One for another year.

1645 - Still raining. I can't see them playing today, to be honest - but I'm duty-bound to hang on until it's called off for the day. If it had rained harder, they might have cut their losses by now - but it's just been persistent drizzle all day.

"Mark, I sympathise with the boredom you're enduring. Try watching Essex playing a Championship game. Does anyone else think Sidebottom sounds awful? My dad and I call him Si-de-bot-om, it just sounds better"
Rob Short in the TMS inbox

"With there being no cricket to watch I decided to play a game of computer cricket, only for that to be stopped by rain as well"
Peter Russell in the TMS inbox

"It's not raining in New York and this is the first Test for ages that the BBC have allowed cricket fans in the US to listen to on TMS Web radio - is it because they can't sell the broadcasting rights to a Windies game to anyone these days? Not good for Windies cricket but great for cricket fans here. Re Tom from the Bronx's comments, the NY Times did an article on the Cricket World Cup where it compared baseball and cricket and I quote 'Baseball is to cricket as simple arithmetic is to differential calculus' - it also provoked American fury. It was written by an Indian from the UN who no doubt claimed diplomatic immunity"
John Hope, Brooklyn, in the TMS inbox

"I'd switch over to watch Muppet Treasure Island too, Paul Blakeley. It's ace"
Charlotte Thorn in the TMS inbox

1636 - Blackpool still 2-0 up, time running out for Yeovil as veteran Marcus Stewart makes a complete hash of a header from close range.

"Greetings to all from Switzerland. Contrary to the weather forecast, it's warm and sunny here. Will never get a decent suntan as I'm popping in from the garden to read the updates on the Test match every few minutes"
Bill in Switzerland - who has never had a mail published on this site despite sending in thousands (well, 7) - in the TMS inbox.

1630 - Still raining. The authorities have announced that tickets for Day 4 are on sale - presumably they're still holding out to see if they can avoid paying people refunds for Day 3 (ie today).

"The rain doesn't bode well. Off for a week's camping tomorrow and the forecast is appalling. Suggestions (clean please - my children are coming too) of things to do in a tent when it's raining?"
Roger, Liverpool in the TMS inbox

"Mark, your dedication today is tremendous and I'm sat up here in Edinburgh seeing lovely blue skies out of my window while i fill in job applications and sort out a website. Shame we ain't at the Grange today, England would have won by now. As for the stirling work yourself and Tom Fordyce do, keep it up, I think you all deserve Wikipedia pages and Facebook groups as Ben Dirs has"
James Pope in the TMS inbox

"What does it say about me that I just turned over from the Blackpool v Yeovil game to watch Muppet Treasure Island?"
Paul Blakeley, Maidstone in the TMS inbox
[Blackpool are 2-0 up now through Keigan Parker - MM]

"I was in a pub in Manhattan watching the first day when a classic baseball fan objected to the cricket being shown on more than one screen, limiting his views of the ball game. A true English gent began to argue the toss with him, and two worlds collided. It was like Boon running in against Gower"
Tom, Bronx, New York, in the TMS inbox

1615 - Another quarter-hourly update for newbies. It's still raining, so deal with it. Scotland have lost a couple of wickets - one to Murali, but one to Sajid Mahmood (so maybe the Scots aren't that good after all). (Note to any hyper-sensitive Scottish readers, that was a dig at Mahmood rather than the Saltires)

"Hi from somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico! It's not raining here, but we have had unusually rough seas for the last couple of days. Tried to play pool in the crew bar last night, & all the balls kept ending up down one end of the table! Enjoying the English humour, as always"
Dr Louise Berry, Ship Physician, MS Ecstasy in the TMS inbox

"Hoggard and Flintoff should both play county cricket until they are fully fit. When playing well they are both comfortably in the best XI, but for the time being, against a mediocre West Indies team, let the likes of Cook, Strauss, Bell, Collingwood, Plunkett, Sidebottom and Harmison present cases as to why they are indispensible. Also, is Flintoff still actually injured because I would have thought a game against Scotland would be ideal extra match practice even if it is just batting"
Joe Cunningham in the TMS inbox

"Is it just me, or does the picture of CMJ you use in the blog give him the appearance of an F1 Pit Boss? Could just be the lack of play making me drift toward other sports"
Neil Forrest in the TMS inbox

1600 - This is your regular update to tell you it's still raining and the covers are still on. Still no play all day. Having been sat here for the duration, I'll be overjoyed to tell you the minute anything changes.

"If you're finding the rain annoying, spare a thought for my mate Ryan, who, since 6am yesterday, has been running along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal in the annual 145-mile Birmingham-London race. I saw him at 5 this morning with 55 miles still to go, and since then it's been bucketing it down non-stop. He's expected in at about 7 tonight, but must have webbed feet by now"
Guy, Leighton Buzzard, in the TMS inbox

"What you've got, Andy in Exeter, is transient paraesthesia - unless you've still got it, in which case it's chronic paraesthesia and an altogether more unpleasant state of affairs. What we call pins and needles - the tingling which passes after a few minutes at most - is caused by pressure building up inadvertently on a superficial nerve, as sometimes happens if you sit in awkward position for a long period of time"
Graham, in Harrogate, in the TMS inbox

"Re: Flintoff's poor bowling - I think he's been pretty good. Okay, so his batting at the moment doesn't exactly seem inspired, but he's still a good bowler - and besides, surely if we want variety in the attack, Flintoff's a good man to go for? We already have two wild cards in our bowling squad - we do need not only more variety but people who are generally consistent. Also, there's a fair bit of light but persistent drizzle in my corner of St Helens, so I hope this isn't heading over to Manchester or the county game won't be played either!"
Chloe, St Helens, in the TMS inbox
(FYI, the combined efforts of Cork, Anderson and Muralitharan are yet to dislodge the Scots opening pair at OT)

"Why is there no information about the legendary Tom Fordyce on Wikipedia, the factual and ultra reliable Internet encyclopedia? Since it's raining and there's no cricket to watch, some bright spark with a Wikipedia account should make a Tom Fordyce entry. All TMS users can post information for the entry to help them out. I'll start:- As a child, Tom Fordyce was adopted by a family of otters"
Jonathan, Leeds in the TMS inbox
(There is a Ben Dirs entry, although one of the editors has expressed concern that it might be deleted. Save the Dirs!)

1545 - The news we've been waiting for - here's how Tom Fordyce's triathlon went:

"Still awaiting official results from Crystal Palace - think it took just under one hour seven mins to do the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. Soggy experience all round too - rain lashing down and puddles the size of Lake Titicaca all over the place. Between you and me, super-ready for a long lie-down on a large sofa"

1543 - Still raining at Headingley, while Lancashire won the toss at Old Trafford and put Scotland in. (Spoiler alert for other sport) At Wembley, Blackpool have gone 1-0 up from a free-kick by Robbie Williams (no, not THAT one).

"I was due to play three games of cricket this weekend, and it seems to have turned into one, which we lost yesterday! I was at least hoping for some cricket today, but it doesn't seem like it's going to happen. It is just as well the game isn't here in Kent, it has been raining all day!"
Mark, Kent in the TMS inbox

"If it makes listeners feel better, the rain has been torrential in Bangkok since 5pm this evening, but it's now 9.30pm and City is coming to life, so rain in Leeds could be forgotten"
JG in the TMS inbox

"Well, it's raining here in Adelaide, too. Apparently (so I have been told), Aussie rules football was devised to give the Aussie cricketers a sport to play in the winter. I wonder what our lads used to do to pass away the winter months - drink cups of tea and participate in curling?"
Nigel, Australia, in the TMS inbox

"Have been revising and trying to keep up with numerous sporting events at the same time. I've been sitting on my foot for quite some time whilst reading revision notes and the numerous comments on this page, and suddenly got pins and needles, which is very annoying. I've never understood what this is and what causes that strange sensation. Have noticed the medical advice given out previously on this page and just wondered whether anyone can help explain this serious condition?"
Andy, in Exeter, in the TMS inbox

1530 - Tea will apparently be taken at its usual time of 1540, and the umpires will reassess matters if - and that's a big if - it stops raining. If play does resume (and there's no guarantee it will), it can continue until 1900 this evening.

"Seeing Graham Gooch's comment about facing Andy Roberts reminded me of David Lloyd's comment opening against the Windies in his first Test at Old Trafford. Lloyd has taken guard and Michael Holding is still pacing out his run up: 'By eck, I don't go that far on me 'olidays!'"
Richard in the TMS inbox

"GW is right. Stick with the present team unless someone fails comprehensively or sufers injury. Flintoff needs to prove he is match fit and focused and he doesn't seem to have been both since 2005, so he probably needs a season of county cricket to rebuild his reputation. There would be a stonger case for bringing back Trescothick than Flintof at present"
CR, Kent in the TMS inbox

1518 - Still raining, plus ca change. And it's goalless after 18 minutes between the tangerines of Blackpool and the jolly green giants of Yeovil.

"I have been doing a rain dance all day today and so far it's working! But I feel a lot more dancing will be needed with two days left to stop my team taking defeat in this Test"
Aaron Kumar, Guyana in the TMS inbox

"If you want cricket, get down to Red Row Cricket Club in Northumberland. They're going for the Guinness world record - all in aid of asthma UK, following the tragic death of a local lad, 20-year-old David Griffiths. who suffered a fatal asthma attack last year. Play started yesterday and is cheduled to finish at 7pm tonight. They're playing in wind and rain. The local community is out in force and everyone is having a great time. Also, congratulations to all the fun runners who completed the 10k run this morning - also in aid of asthma UK"
Jacqueline Moscrop in the TMS inbox

"I'm gobsmacked by GW's comments on Freddie. Up to this Test, he's been the only bowler with the exception of Monty who's looked like taking a wicket. Let's not kid ourselves, the West Indies batting has been dreadful and their best two players didn't bat. Plunkett is only in the team because he can bat a bit at number eight. Sidebottom has had a great match by getting the ball in the right place, something either of the two Durham lads seem incapable of. Flintoff's batting has gone backwards, but come on he's been our best bowler for years. If he's fit, play him at number eight, because Harmison and Plunkett's action is all over the place. Do we really think these two would've frightened the Aussies, South Africa or Sri Lanka yesterday?"
Don, St. Helens, in the TMS inbox

1504 - Here's an irony - the only county cricket this afternoon is likely to be in traditionally rainy Manchester, as Lancashire-Scotland is due to get under way at 1515. The other two remaining FP Trophy games (Somerset-Kent and Surrey-Ireland) have now been abandoned too, without a ball bowled. Elsewhere (spoiler alert for other sport), the Monaco GP was won by... Alonso, who beat team-mate Hamilton into second place.

1500 - Still raining. Even TMS has opted back into normal service on Radio 4, but will return if there are any prospects of play. We'll keep you posted here of course if we hear anything at all.

"We should leave out Plunkett and Harmy for the next Test. They have bowled poorly in both games and I feel some county cricket will do them the world of good. Give them both some overs, wickets and confidence and they should come back for the India series much better players. I also think Owais Shah should be given another chance if Flintoff isn't fit for the next match. He should replace Strauss who hasn't got any runs yet this summer"
George, London (supposed to be revising for GCSEs!) in the TMS inbox

"I hadn't counted on anyone having Met Office inside information! [see Glenn from Bedford's earlier comment] However, I'll retain my optimism for the time being. If we haven't had any play by this time tomorrow then I'll think about reaching for my wallet but not a moment before sir!"
Iain in Cardiff in the TMS inbox

"Just been reading through the last 2 days' commentaries and noticed you had an email from Chris Lowe - surely not the one from the Pet Shop Boys?"
Sera in the TMS inbox
(No idea - with no actual cricket, I've been pretty much 'Left To My Own Devices' today)

1446 - Still raining and the covers are still on, but Tom Fordyce has arrived back in the office after his triathlon. I'll let you know how he got on when he's logged in.

"If the Western Terrace are on the same form as yesterday, at least the spectators won't be getting bored - just very wet. Comedy moments of yesterday was the guy crowd surfing on an inflatable lobster, and the guy dressed as the only gay in the village getting escorted away for running onto the pitch. Both guys clearly asking for trouble but very funny to watch. Secret beer snake building was good as well, until they got thrown up in the air rather than letting the steward confiscate them... new rules in the leaflet that accompanies the tickets apparently mean that this activity is no longer tolerated"
Diane in Harrogate in the TMS inbox

"Everyone (except me) in my location is euphoric with the continuing rain at Headingley. I am sat in a bar in Kingston, Jamaica with my West Indian buddies who have cheered all morning at the sight of covers going on and staying on. I suspect tomorrow their cheers will turn to tears as surely the next two days must provide enough cricket time for England to complete the job. More rum!"
Phil P in the TMS inbox

"Here is a useful word for you (and the rest of the team). 'Ultracrepidate' = to criticize beyond the sphere of one's knowledge. There are a lot of ultracrepidarians amongst cricket supporters. They are people who have never played the game and certainly do not know the trials and tribulations of being a professional cricketer, but nonetheless are prepared to pontificate about how the game should be played. I am proud to count myself one of them"
L A Odicean in the TMS inbox

Well, we may not have seen any cricket today but at least we've learnt how to ultracrepidate about acromioclavicular injuries. With nomenclature like this, so much for people who think the BBC are dumbing down...

"Leave Flintoff out - he has been injured and when he has played he has not even made a half-century since a long time ago, also his bowling is rather poor. The last time I really thought highly of our "star man" Freddie was in the our Ashes win in 2005. Keep the same team as we have now... we are winning and there is no need for change"
GW from London in the TMS inbox

1430 - Still raining at Headingley. Still no play today in any county matches either. Two of the five FP Trophy games (Glamorgan-Essex and Northants-Leics) have already been called off, and the start's been delayed in the other three.

1424 - Aggers is speaking to Michael Vaughan just outside the ladies' toilets. Apparently the players have been watching the golf from Wentworth for ages (it's on BBC2), and may watch the Blackpool-Yeovil play-off final at 1500.

"I remember facing Andy Roberts for the first time at Dean Park in Bournemouth in the 1970s. I didn't even see the first ball, I just remember the fielders saying 'well stopped' to Bob Stephenson the wicket-keeper"
Graham Gooch on TMS

"I was supposed to be playing cricket myself today but that got rained off too. So with no cricket to play or watch on TV, I am having to suffer the golf on telly which my dad has got on. I just hope we will be able to watch Gloucestershire v Essex at Bristol tomorrow (doubt it though), otherwise I will be housebound for two whole days"
Harry, in Wet Worcestershire, in the TMS inbox

"You've got to love the optimism of Iain in Cardiff - but have just been chatting to buddy at Met Office and it's very dodgy [the forecast] - then again as i told him - what do you guys know? Nope Iain - a tenner says it's a washout"
Glenn in Bedford in the TMS inbox

1417 - The TMS 50-year anniversary documentary has just finished, but the entire programme is available on the 'Listen Again' feature as part of the BBC Radio Player. It's part of 'The Archive Hour' strand. Happy listening.

1415 - I feel it's my duty, every 15 minutes or so, to let any new arrivals know it's still raining at Headingley, with England still left kicking their heels as they look to roll the Windies over. An abortive attempt to start play at 1330 failed (see below).

"Lord L-W, 'Any team will do'?? Wow, Mark, you MUST be bored - but you've just won the Award for 'Worst pun of the day' and THAT takes some doing!"
Pam Nash from wet Lancashire in the TMS inbox

"Live just up the road from Headingley but didn't get tickets for today as I was expecting to be at Wembley watching Nottingham Forest get promotion in the play-offs. But Forest got beaten by Yeovil last week so now sitting at home watching the F1. At least I'm not cold, wet and miserable on the stands at Headingley... every cloud...!"
Stu, Leeds in the TMS inbox
(That's a point - it's the League One play-off between Blackpool v Yeovil at 1500 to see who gets promoted to the Champo)

"I don't know why anyone (I'm directing this mainly at Glenn) is assuming a draw is the most likely outcome. There should be enough clement weather during Monday and Tuesday to finish off the Windies and secure a crushing innings victory. That's my hope anyway"
Iain, Cardiff in the TMS inbox

"Bored in Cornwall. Weather is even worse and only the soporific goings on in Monaco keeping me from going out and getting wet. Can't you have a word with the umpires? It doesn't look that wet?"
Hugh Broadbent in the TMS inbox

"It isn't raining at all here - but you'd probably not get much play in this light - I'm in Auckland, New Zealand and it's almost 1am on Monday morning. Keep up the good work"
Mark Kreling in the TMS inbox

"Strauss must be hoping for another innings. What with Cook, Vaughan, Pietersen (x2), Collingwood, Bell and Prior all hitting tons already this series, his position should surely be under threat now from Flintoff"
Alistair in Leeds in the TMS inbox

"If Hoggard and Freddie are fit for the next Test, who do people think should make way? Personally I think it is the Durham lads that need kicking out, but with a Test up there will that happen?"
Darren, East Yorkshire in the TMS inbox

1400 - Still raining at Headingley, covers still on. If anything changes, I'll let you know.

"Here in soggy Bedford, completely disconsolate that this game has draw stamped all over it - the weather looks bleak but not as bad as last night's offerings by the wannabe Josephs. Rumour has it that old Lloyd Webber is at the ground today"
Glenn in the TMS inbox

Anyone know which county Lord L-W supports, or is it a case that Any Team Will Do?

How to listen to TMS

1348 - The TMS team aren't expecting any play soon (at least within the next half-hour) as they're repeating the second half of Rory Bremner's documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of TMS.

"I'm at home waiting for our weekend houseguests to arrive, as they're arriving shortly. I'm recording the Grand Prix and trying to avoid any coverage of it. I've managed - with some difficulty - not to look at your round-up of other sport. Could you post a warning if you are going to do this again?"
Marc, York in the TMS inbox

Sigh. I'll see what I can do. Honestly, Marc, you'd think this was a sports news website or something. :-)

1339 - For new arrivals, we've had no play all day (just my luck - Fordyce never gets days like this!). An early lunch was taken, and when the rain did hold off for a while, play was scheduled to start at 1330 (with 78 overs to be bowled in two long sessions from 1330-1610 and 1630-1900), but the rain returned before 1330 and the square is now completely covered. But this hasn't dented the enthusiasm of three chaps in the crowd whose torsoes are entirely painted blue. Took me a while to work out they are dressed as Smurfs.

"Hello from the Island of Berneray, population 127, in the Outer Hebrides. Yet another day of heatwave here; Ambre Solaire weather, and we're off to play cricket on the beach (3 miles, no traffic or crowds, unspoilt, unpolluted). About time they started holding Test matches up here. Especially at this time of year, where it is still light after midnight; any delayed play can be tagged onto the evening"
John Kirriemuir in the TMS inbox

"I only had to face Shane Warne once, in a benefit match for Ian Healy, and that was enough. With the egos involved, I don't think there would have been room for both of us!"
Sir Viv Richards on TMS

1327 - Here's a round-up of the rest of the sport. At the GP in Monaco, it's all McLaren after 17 out of 78 laps - Alonso and Hamilton leading the way. Vroom, vroom. Aaron Lennon has withdrawn from the England football squad with a twisted knee. Boston United manager Steve Evans and his assistant have resigned. Marat Safin has reached the second round of the French Open Tennis - it's raining there too. And England's rugby union team have suffered a shedload of injuries following yesterday's game against South Africa.

1320 - I hate to say it, but I can't see play starting at 1330 as the covers are now being extended to cover the entire square. Alastair Cook patiently signs autographs for fans in the pavilion area, and is rewarded with a kiss on the cheek by a very appreciative lady.

"How is that a sportsman usually gets an accurate diagnosis of an injury in under 24 hours but the rest of us have to wait weeks or months to get an appointment to see a specialist?"
Keith in Perth, Western Australia in the TMS inbox

I'm afraid it's probably because money talks, Keith. Incidentally, I love the Australian method whereby if you buy something in a shop and it costs $7, it costs $7, no messing around. Not $7 plus sales tax added at the till (like in the USA), or �6.99 as it would be here in Britain.

1315 - Covers are being brought back on and clouds are gathering ominously. Bad times. England are still warming up in their navy blue tracksuits. Also clad in navy blue is reserve umpire Richard Illingworth, who sported a moustache in his playing days but has now expanded it to a goatee.

"Duncan Fletcher was one of the best nickers in the world - and by that I mean giving slip catches in practice. Phil Neale's got the job now, and when he batted for Worcestershire he nearly always used to edge to gully so he's probably well qualified for it"
Vic Marks on TMS

"Love reading the comments, helps time pass quicker while waiting for a ball to be bowled. 'Level 5 water restrictions' means we are all having to take 4-minute showers. Using lager sends you off to work with a spring in your heel, and actually my hair has never been so shiny!!"
Stuart, Brisbane in the TMS inbox

"It's raining again now - the England players are warming up, including the young Yorkshire substitutes from yesterday but it's drizzling. Theoretically, there will be a session from 1330 until 1610, and then another from 1630 until 1900 which is the cut-off point - that's what the umpires have decreed. I think we may not be able to play for all that time, but we'll get some cricket in. West Indies coach David Moore has just told me that they will almost certainly have to send for a batting cover for Ramnaresh Sarwan - but Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been warming up and he may be fit for the next Test"
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS

"Daft this weather business. I'm in central Leeds, a couple of miles from the ground and it's been dry since 5am when I got up. Is there a big cloud hanging around only over the ground there or am I in the only dry patch in Yorkshire?"
Chris Rothwell in the TMS inbox

"International Men of Mystery brings mental images of a badly dentitioned Mike Myers, and a rather tasty looking Liz Hurley. Which do you feel you're closer to and why?"
Roger, Liverpool in the TMS inbox
(Can I plead the Fifth Amendment here?!)

"Malcolm Marshall probably saved my life at Portsmouth once, when you were allowed to hit a ball about on the pitch before the game he was practicing high catches and I wandered into that area and he shoved me about 10 yards out of the way with a ball coming straight for my head!"
Matt in the TMS inbox

"Back in the late 80s I was a temporary binman in Horsham, Sussex and it was my immense pleasure to dispose of the waste products produced by the Martin-Jenkins family"
Trevor Ledger in the TMS inbox

1300 - Play is going to start at 1330.

"The longest beer snake i have ever seen was the snake built when we played South Africa, it's on youtube called 'barmy army plastic cup snake' but I'm sure there must be bigger ones out there"
Michael Hollingworth in the TMS inbox

1256 - The umpires have wandered out to have a look at the pitch, together with reserve umpire Richard Illingworth. And the covers are being taken off. Woo hoo!

"It's definitely brightening here in Sheffield, the rain has stopped - am hoping this weather (or lack thereof) reaches Leeds soon"
Nic in Sheffield in the TMS inbox

"I think Viv Richards looks like his voice whereas Christopher Martin-Jenkins sounds nothing like he looks!"
Chris (not Martin-Jenkins) in the TMS inbox

1247 - The ground floor corridors at BBC TV Centre (on the way to the tea bar) are still strangely lit, with purple filters over many of the lights. It looks like they haven't finished clearing up after last night's British Soap Awards. It was absolute mayhem down there when I was leaving yesterday - soap princesses in nice frocks everywhere.

"Speaking of 'ageage', how old are you guys? This question comes up a lot and yet like international men of mystery the question remains unanswered... maybe that is how God intended it..."
Michael Wilton in the TMS inbox

I'm not sure how Fordyce, Dirs and the others would feel about being described as "international men of mystery". However, I quite like it - groovy, baby. As the players are having lunch, and I've been sat here all morning with no cricket to report on, I think I've earned a sandwich - back in a couple of ticks.

1230 - EARLY LUNCH BEING TAKEN. It's still raining sporadically and the covers are still fully on. Here's an update from Sarwan on his injury:

"I'm waiting for the results of more tests on my shoulder, and I've been taking painkillers, but hopefully I should be able to take some part in this series"
Ramnaresh Sarwan on TMS

"My clearest memory of Malcolm Marshall was not in a match but watching him practise at Portsmouth. The Hampshire bowlers were bowling at one stump in turn and Marshall hit the stump at least eight times out of 10 - a remarkable achievement that none of the rest of the attack could manage - at something like full pace. I then realised why it seemed a different sort of game when he was bowling! It wasn't just pace, you simply had nowhere to go either! What a servant for Hampshire too - Viv was right about the way overseas players used to fit in to county sides"
Roger Mills in the TMS inbox

"To all intents and purposes, it's stopped raining. One of the umpires, Richard Illingworth, is going out to inspect, and we might see some cricket today"
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS

"They'd better start playing soon or I'll have to watch the Grand Prix... round and round and round they go. Any idea when they'll start?" (1300 BST, you can follow the race elsewhere on the website - MM)
Chris, Sussex in the TMS inbox

"If Tom's performance on this site yesterday is anything to go by, in his triathlon he will probably experience some 'fallage' off his bike, and show his 'ageage' by coming in 'lastage'. I hope he enjoys some 'beerage' afterwards however"
Gary P in the TMS inbox

1215 - Just to keep you posted with other news from the world of cricket, India have beaten Bangladesh by an innings and 239 runs, and win the series 1-0. In county cricket, the start has been delayed by rain in all five of today's scheduled Friends Provident Trophy matches.

(And thanks for all of your e-mails about avascular necrosis - but no more please!)

"The clouds seem to have dropped again - it's still raining, although not torrentially"
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS

"Does anyone up there know the longest length recorded for a pint-pot anaconda?"
John Shaw, Hampshire Fire Control (on my break, honest guv!) in the TMS inbox

"We need your Yorkshire weather here in Brisbane, we are on level five water restrictions and that means we are showering in lager. It plays havoc with your hair"
Mark Blake in the TMS inbox

"What fantastic accounts by Sir Viv about Brian Close. He is right. Great players need tough mentors to match and guide their egos in the early days. Perhaps Vaughan and Collingwood are a little like this to KP, with England"
Robius in the TMS inbox

"Freiberg's Infraction is a condition specific to the lesser metatarsal heads, most commonly the second metatarsal. Also known as avascular necrosis, or AVN, this condition results in a focal loss of blood supply to the metatarsal head"
Jordan, Hants in the TMS inbox

"I can't believe this, I came on here to get away from my anatomy revision! And in reply to Jon, avascular necrosis is when blood supply to a bone is cut off, usually after a fracture, and the bone tissue then dies"
Hannah, Cambridge in the TMS inbox

"Crikey, while we're waiting around for the cricket can we get updates on Tom's triathlon instead? Good luck Tom!"
Elaine, Southampton in the TMS inbox

If I hear anything, Elaine, you'll be the first to know. Mr Fordyce also showed off his cricketing skills last week, when the might of BBC Sport Interactive (that's us folks who work on the website) beat BBC TV Sport by four wickets. Tom showed Badger-like skill behind the timbers, before hitting a very rapid 22 at the top of the order to get our innings off to a flier.

"I fell over (rather embarassingly) in pre-season nets hooking and damaged my acromicoclavicular and I couldn't raise my arm for about 2 weeks! It hurts so so much!"
Nick Gee, Leicester in the TMS inbox

"I desperately hope they don't play today. I've got tickets and ninja outfits for tomorrow. P.S. I've got a friend called Mark Kitchener. Weird, eh?"
Seb, Loughborough in the TMS inbox

1200 - For those of you just joining us, this is the situation. There has been no play so far today because of rain. West Indies are 22-2 in their second innings and need 402 more runs just to make England bat again - but we do not expect captain Ramnaresh Sarwan to bat because of a shoulder injury (see below for detailed medical diagnosis). Any change in the weather or prospects of play, you'll read it here.

"I once kept wicket to Malcolm Marshall for a cricketing skills book he was doing with my publisher. Hampshire keeper Ady Aymes was supposed to be behind the stumps, but he got caught in traffic and I had to don the pads. I hadn't kept wicket since backyard cricket as a kid in Australia years earlier, and to make matters worse I had a photographer behind me with a �5,000 lens on his camera, shooting the great man's bowling action! Thankfully, none of the deliveries beat me, as I stopped them with virtually every part of my anatomy - still had the bruises to prove it a week later. What a splendid fellow Malcolm Marshall was too, God rest his soul"
Tony Holmes in the TMS inbox

"I've just seen an interesting notice posted by Yorkshire on the press box door. No smoking will be allowed in this press box, and no dogs except guide dogs. It says something about the observational powers of the journalists there"
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS

"I had a condition called avascular neucrosis when I was 12 years old. 10 points to anybody who can give me a brief definition of what it is. I don't think the doctor who diagnosed me with it was quite sure what it was at the time!"
Jon, trying to revise, France, in the TMS inbox

"Let's not worry too much about the rain. If Sideshow is as on form as he was yesterday England should win by an innings!"
Rachel, Southampton in the TMS inbox

1136 - For those of you who may be wondering where the legendary Tom Fordyce is, who's been in this seat for the last couple of days... he's doing a triathlon this morning. Lovely weather for it.

"It's quite steady drizzle here. Not heavy, but persistent, so I think we can put any thoughts of cricket away for the moment"
Jonathan Agnew on TMS

"I once had surgery on the acromioclavicular joint and can confirm it is indeed painful"
John Kanefsky, Devon, in the TMS inbox

"Big problems here in Aberystwyth with my acromioclavicular joint! I forgot to take the shoulder of lamb out of the freezer for Sunday lunch"
Andy (in a dry Aberystwyth) in the TMS inbox

1130 - The television coverage is just showing the Headingley Test from 1984 when Malcolm Marshall bowled England out with his hand in plaster - having previously batted one-handed to help Larry Gomes to a century.

"I used to enjoy facing Hampshire off-spinner Nigel Cowley, but I'd always have one eye on Marshall at mid-on, worried that he was warming up for another bowl"
Former England and Somerset off-spinner Vic Marks on TMS

1126 - The clouds are still dark, and ground staff are still trying to remove water with the aid of large mechanical devices. But the Headingley crowd are still trying to remain cheerful, and a group of people with chickens on their heads are performing a dance - whatever the opposite of a rain dance is.

1123 - More news on Sarwan - a medical man has been in touch...

"Wondered if you wanted to know more about Sarwan's injury. This is an underrated little joint between the clavicle (collar bone) and the scapula (shoulder blade). It is commonly injured following a fall onto the point of the shoulder as Sarwan did this week. We also see it a lot in rugby players and in people falling off bikes. Rob Howley did one ACJ on the South Africa Lions tour, and the other one in Australia. it did not do him any long-term harm though it did foreshorten his tour.

"The joint is stabilised by the acromioclavicular and coraco-clavicular ligaments. If these are ruptured then it is unlikely that he will play again in this series. If the ligaments are intact but the joint is just bruised then he could be back quite quickly (2-3 weeks). Long term there should be few problems even if there is ligamental rupture (as was the case with Rob Howley).

"For the moment his major problem will be getting his arm above his head, which let's face it will severely limit his batting."
Simon Carley, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary in the TMS inbox

"Peter Willey got back at me once by making me nightwatchman against Hampshire when Malcolm Marshall was bowling. I thought I'd gloved one down the leg side, so I walked, and Willey was furious"
Jonathan Agnew on TMS

1113 - In other cricket news, it has been announced that ICC president Percy Sonn has died. He was 57.

"The acromioclavicular joint is indeed a shoulder joint - it's what helps allow the arm to lift over the head. pretty painful to injure. I wouldn't expect him to bat..."
Michael Chilcott in the TMS inbox

To be honest, Michael, at the moment I can't see him batting either. Even if the rain lifts, at this stage it would take an astonishing turnaround in the game situation for the Windies to be in with a realistic chance of saving the match. But I have been known to be wrong. Once or twice, at least...

1100 - Still raining and the covers are still on. The latest news we have is that although the weather in Leeds is not as bad as in the rest of the country, we're unlikely to have any play before at least 1130.

"The forecast for today is not as bad as we thought it might be yesterday"
Jonathan Agnew on TMS

1005 - Just to remind you about the condition of Ramnaresh Sarwan, the Windies skipper who normally bats at four but did not appear at all in the first innings. This is the latest bulletin from the West Indies camp:

"Ramnaresh will bat in the second innings of the second Test match against England only if absolutely necessary.

"Sarwan suffered an injury to his right acromioclavicular joint during the third session of play on the first day."