Lord's Test lunch taken, rain stops after 11 balls
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- Lord's announced a lunch break at 12:20 pm on day three of the England‑New Zealand Test after the ground cleared and sunshine returned at 11:55 am, despite rain forecast for the early afternoon.
- England and New Zealand resumed play at 1 pm but managed only 11 balls before rain returned, leaving a total of 9.4 overs bowled on the day.
- Ian Ward (Sky Sports) called the decision to take lunch in sunshine “ludicrous”, comparing it unfavourably to how other sports adjust schedules for weather.
- Nasser Hussain (Sky Sports) questioned why lunch was taken during the brief sunshine, joining the criticism of the timing.
- Fans on the Sky Sports blog condemned the move, describing it as “ridiculous” and a “mugging off” of spectators, and noted the match has now stretched into a fourth day.
Why it matters: Spectators miss out on a continuous match experience as the rain‑delayed Test is pushed into a fourth day, diminishing the value of their attendance and viewership.
