Day three of the first Test begins with overcast skies and persistent drizzle over Lord's, as England and Bangladesh are forced to wait before the Tigers can resume their first innings on 172-2
An early lunch is taken at 1230 BST - and Test Match Special's lunchtime "View from the Boundary" interview with acclaimed British film director (and cricket fan) Stephen Frears is also brought forward
The rain eventually stops at 1430 BST, and the excellent Lord's drainage system does its work as England are able to emerge from the pavilion's Long Room and resume play at 1520
Middlesex's Steve Finn continues to impress on his home Test debut on his home ground - inducing a careless edge from Junaid Siddique as he shoulders arms and is caught behind by Matt Prior for 58
Finn soon has his third wicket of the innings when he raps former skipper Mohammad Ashraful on the pad and umpire Asoka de Silva raises his finger - Bangladesh are 185-4
Jahurul Islam, who was 16 not out overnight, becomes the third wicket of the day to fall after adding only four more to his score, as he edges an outswinger from James Anderson to Prior behind the stumps
Wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and captain Shakib Al Hasan ride their luck a little, but push the Bangladesh score past 200 - they need to score 306 to avoid the follow-on
But Shakib falls shortly before tea when he edges behind, keeper Matt Prior fumbles the initial chance but the ball bounces up to Andrew Strauss who holds on at first slip
Soon after tea, there is a stop-start passage of play where the umpires take the players off for bad light three times, and bring them back on - albeit very briefly - twice
And during one of those two brief resumptions of play, Finn picks up his fourth wicket by bowling diminutive wicketkeeper Mushfiqur for 16 before the umpires take the players off again
Bangladesh somehow survive without losing another wicket, as Mahmudullah is dealt a painful blow by Finn, while Shahadat Hossain swings wildly like an old-fashioned tail-ender without connecting
On the third occasion when the umpires rule that the light is unfit for play, that proves to be the final act of a weather-affected third day. Bangladesh will start day four on 237-7, still needing 69 more to avoid the follow-on
What are these?
E-mail this to a friend 
Bookmark with:
What are these?