When the umpires called off play shortly before 5:00pm (8:00pm UAE time) for the second Test between England and India, it was the first time that a full day’s play at ‘The Home of Cricket’ was lost since the 2001 Test against Pakistan.
Here, we look back at some of England’s notable matches in which the first day’s play was lost.
1964 – England v Australia, Lord’s
You have to go back to more than four decades for England to experience the feeling of not getting out on the field on the first day. It came in the second Ashes Test with the rain so bad that it even washed out the second day. When play did begin on day three, the hosts bowled Australia out for 176 as Fred Trueman took 5-48. England made 246 in their chase before the tourists salvaged a draw, reaching stumps for 168-4.
2001 – England v Pakistan, Lord’s
The start of the two-match series but instead of the game beginning on the Thursday, the players were out on the field on Friday due to rain in London. England batted first scoring 391 but Pakistan suffered with the bat as Darren Gough took five wickets in their first innings total of 203, before failing again to lose by an innings and nine runs.
Nasser Hussain walks up the stairs
2007 – England v West Indies, Chester-le-Street
The weather proved to be a good omen for the national team and it wasn’t back until a decade ago that an England match didn’t start on the first day. West Indies were the opposition with umpires deciding to call off play at 12.30pm. England went on to win the match by seven wickets to clinch the series 3-0.
England coach Peter Moores (right) and assistant coach Andy Flower inspect the pitch
2012 – England vs West Indies, Edgbaston
The same two teams were again frustrated five years later at Edgbaston. Umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Tony Hill waited until 3:35pm to call off play. It was the first full Test match day to be washed out in England since the 2009 Ashes Test.
2013 – England vs New Zealand, Headingley
The following year, there was more misery when the opening day against New Zealand was washed out at Headingley. When the toss was done on day two, Alastair Cook decided to bat with England closing play on 337-7. They managed to score 354 but New Zealand fared much worse having been bowled out for 174. Eventually Cook’s 130 saw them win by 247 runs.
