Play abandoned without a ball bowled on weathered third day

Pakistan 223 for 9 (Rizwan 60*, Naseem 1*) v England

Pakistan's hopes of pushing for a series-levelling victory against England in the second Test, however faint or strong, were dented by a third-day washout at the Ageas Bowl.

As every hour passed with no activity whatsoever on the pitch, the chances of either side securing a result within the final two days diminished. Attempts were made to mop up late in the afternoon, followed by a number of ground inspections but, by the time play was abandoned without a ball being bowled at 5.15pm local time, rain had begun to fall again.

The lightest of drizzle greeted what would have been the start of play in the morning and it remained so all day. But it led to a soggy outfield that couldn't be dried in the absence of any wind or sun.

When a time for the final inspection of the day was set, the light meter readings were poor, lower than the previous day when play also ended early, sparking debate over what measures could be taken to allow play in less-than-ideal visibility. Ultimately though, the required levels had been set for a match which has been hampered by bad weather throughout.

That meant Mohammad Rizwan, the No. 7 who batted valiantly on the second day, remained unbeaten on 60, with tailender Naseem Shah not out 1 and England seeking one final wicket to wrap up Pakistan's first innings.