LONDON — The covers stayed on and the crowd stayed restless. On Day 3 at Lord’s, England’s push for a swift second-test victory over Pakistan ran straight into a wall of grey cloud and steady rain.
The players never made it to the middle at the scheduled start. Showers swept across northwest London, just as forecasts had warned, leaving the outfield slick and the umpires in discussion rather than in position.
It was a frustrating pause for a home side firmly in control of the match and the series. England are 81-3 in their second innings, already 261 runs ahead, a lead that looms large on a surface beginning to show the scars of three days’ traffic.
Every dry patch of sky felt like a chance. Every fresh shower, a reminder that time is Pakistan’s unlikely ally.
England’s dominance comes off the back of a ruthless display at Headingley, where they won the first test by an innings to seize command of this three-match series. Lord’s offered them the stage to finish the job early, but the weather had other ideas.
If the rain relents and the ground staff can work their usual magic, England will walk back out knowing the game is theirs to lose. Pakistan, staring at a heavy deficit, can only hope the clouds stay thick and the overs keep slipping away.
