Why play abandoned on Day 2: Why has England vs South Africa 3rd Test been suspended at The Oval?

Why England vs South Africa 3rd Test match suspended: No live sport will take place in England on Friday despite pre-planned events.

The first day of the third Test match of the ongoing South Africa’s tour of England at The Oval ended up getting abandoned due to rain. Weather in London on Thursday not only justified the forecast but also managed to amplify it on the back of incessant rain throughout the playing hours.

After England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl in the last Test of the summer, there was a brief phase in the morning of Day 1 where play seemed possible even after a delayed toss.

Having said that, it wasn’t to be as the weather gods soon made a U-turn to prevent a single ball from being bowled on Thursday.

Why has England vs South Africa 3rd Test been suspended at The Oval?

Following the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland last night, the second day of the Test has also been abandoned. As a matter of fact, the whole Test match has been suspended for now.

UK’s longest-serving monarch with a reign spanning across 70 years, Queen breathed her last at Balmoral Castle, her estate near Aberdeen. The 96-year old’s death has come across as a massive moment of grief not just for people of UK but for people across the globe.

“Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Friday’s play between England and South Africa Men at The Oval, along with all scheduled matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, will not take place,” ECB (England Cricket Board) said in a statement.

As far as the fixtures beyond Friday are concerned, updates will be provided in due course of time. India Women’s tour of England 2022, scheduled to begin from tomorrow, might also face a slight delay.

Talking precisely about England vs South Africa third Test, the second day could both be postponed to Saturday or cancelled completely after ECB’s discussions with the government. All the ticket holders for the original Day 2 (Friday) will receive a full refund.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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