England power to rain-affected win

Date released: 31 August 2008

Re-live the England v South Africa one-day international, at Lord's, where England record a seven-wicket victory by the Duckworth/Lewis method. Read back through our over-by-over coverage.

Match action

Eng: 137-3
England win by 7 wkts
SA: 183-6 (36.1 ovs)

^{Match affected by rain - England target 137 from 20 overs}

Batsmen: Owais Shah (44) & Andrew Flintoff (31)
Bowlers: Pavilion End: Vernon Philander
Nursery End: Andre Nel
^{Odd numbered overs from the Pavilion End, even numbers the Nursery End}

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Over-by-over

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7:09pm: Thank you for all your emails and support over the season. This is the last match that will get the over-by-over text commentary on Lords.org this season - we'll be back in 2009.

Be sure to join our audio commentary team for the two showpiece finals in just over a week though. They'll be commentating, online on both the Village Final (8 September) and the Cockspur Club Final (9 September). Click back to Lords.org to tune in.

7:07pm: Kevin Pietersen strikes a very happy figure on the presentation stage at Lord's and who can blame him? Everything he touches as England captain turns to gold.

Man-of-the-match, unsurprisingly, is Andrew Flintoff. Taking three-wickets should in itself have been enough - but adding the winning runs in his innings of 31 put the icing on the cake.

6:56pm: Well played England and well played the Lord's groundstaff for making any play at all possible.

That Flintoff/Shah partnership was worth 44 runs from just 24 balls - they really took the game to South Africa.

6:52pm 18th over: Andre Nel on to bowl what could be the last over at the rate England are going. Four needed... Flintoff on strike... brace yourselves.

A bouncer from Nel, smart bowling. Flintoff ends on his backside avoiding that one.

There it is! England win! Flintoff scoring the winning runs with a boundary!

England win by seven wickets - D/L

6:48pm 17th over: He'll have to hurry, England need just 18 more runs to win.

Philander back into the attack. Shah runs a two and a single, taking him to 43.

Flintoff has no time for running, he scores another boundary. Make that two - there goes Shah's hopes of a fifty. England need five to win and he's seven away from 50.

6:45pm 16th over: A single from Shah, happy to play the cameo to Flintoff's big-hitting.

Botha checks his delivery stride to more 'boos' from the crowd. Finally he delivers it and Flintoff slogs him into the Compton stand for six!

Shah's no shrinking violet though - he plays a sweet shot into the leg side for four. He's chasing a fifty.

6:40pm 15th over: Morkel returns, at the Pavilion End.

Flintoff's first boundary, carving Morkel for four.

A loud 'boo' rings around Lord's as South Africa tinker with their field placings - seemingly wasting time in the eyes of the partisan crowd.

Shah pops it away for a well-run two bringing up:

100 up for England

Flintoff picks a gap between two fielders and absoloutely slams it to the boundary. Four.

6:35pm 14th over: Shah and Pietersen are ticking along nicely now, four runs ahead of their Duckworth/Lewis target. They need 51 more runs for victory.

Make that 45, Pietersen batters Botha away for a big six.

Next ball - he's gone. He threatens the switch-hit but confuses only himself, hoisting Botha directly to Amla.

England 93-3; Pietersen c. Amla b. Botha - 40

A big cheer for Pietersen, you have to hand it to him, he's nothing if not entertaining to watch. As is the next man in, Andrew Flintoff.

6:31pm 13th over: Perhaps understandably, after that 20-run over, Kallis takes himself out of the attack again. Dale Steyn returns.

England are unphased though, Shah hits Steyn for four from the first ball of the over.

6:28pm 12th over: Another bowling change, Johan Botha into the attack.

England are bang on their Duckworth-Lewis par score. They should be at 75 at this point to reach their target and they're exactly on it.

Pietersen's getting confident - he attemps his first switch-hit of the day. Botha fielding it from his own bowling.

6:23pm 11th over: Pietersen is really getting into shape now - two successive fours off new bowler Kallis have England rocketing along.

Make that three successive fours.

Shah doesn't want to let Pietersen have all the fun - he powers Kallis for six! Into the Mound Stand! I think that's England welcoming Kallis to the game! Twenty runs from that over.

Fifty partnership - Shah & Pietersen

6:21pm 10th over: Pietersen gets hold of a couple from Philander. The first he hits straight at batting partner Owais Shah. Ouch.

The second, he carves away beautifully for four.

Fifty up for England

6:15pm 9th over: Pietersen in on the act now, easing Morkel down the ground for four. Barely any backlift in that shot, just timing.

Two more and England and the Lord's crowd are really warming to the task.

Morkel called for another wide as Shah has to reach wildly for one outside off stump.

Pietersen takes one in the ribs... but seems ok, next ball running one.

6:10pm 8th over: A chat half-way down the pitch for Pietersen and Shah, who touch gloves - but this scoring rate is painfully slow for England. Philander continues from the Nursery End.

At last a little pressure-valve relief for England - Shah steps into that one and lifts it back over Philander for four.

Shah had no idea where that next one went but Pietersen called him through for a quick single. He knew where that one went... to the boundary for four, nice shot off his hips from Shah. A little momentum for England now.

6:06pm 7th over: Pietersen takes on the mid-wicket fielders' arm now (Steyn this time) and he too makes it - more comfortable for England this time.

A vicious, swinging, bouncing delivery from Morkel there and Shah has to take last-minute evasive action. Good, hostile bowling from Morkel.

6:02pm 6th over: 19-2 from five overs. Were this a Twenty20 match, that'd be very much below par. However, chasing only 137, England aren't a million miles away.

Vernon Philander on to bowl now. Pietersen plays well inside a straight one from Philander and the skipper needs to settle himself and his side.

Next ball, another swing and a miss.

Three in a row now! No luck for Philander, Pietersen repeatedly playing and missing. The bowler's earned himself a slip from his captain though. Just one run from the over, Pietersen off the mark at last.

5:56pm 5th over: Morne Morkel on to bowl at the Pavilion End.

There's the first boundary of the day - Bell gets it, chopping Morkel away for four.

He goes for another big hit next ball... and is walking back to the Pavilion. The umpire needn't even raise his finger.

England 19-2; Bell c. Boucher b. M. Morkel - 13

Next man in, the captain, Kevin Pietersen.

5:51pm 4th over: Nel's first ball of the over is a wide, one to England's total. Perhaps he'll put that one down to his alter-ego, 'Gunter'.

Now it's Bell making a Prior-like wild swing - and missing, fortunately for him, not even getting an edge. England are in a hurry but need to not bat in a suicidal fashion.

Another wide and Nel is contributing more to England's total than most of the batsmen so far.

5:44pm 3rd over: A good stop from Amla on the boundary prevents a four. Bell has to settle for running three.

Prior's gone. He never looked settled and took a massive swipe at that one - just edging it to a grateful Boucher. Prior out for a duck.

England 7-1; Prior c. Boucher b. Steyn - 0

Owais Shah the new batsman. He should be comfortable at Lord's he plays here for Middlesex, where he's just signed a new contract.

Steyn's fired up and slings in a bouncer which Shah shies away from. The umpire signals that at Steyn's one for the over.

Shah plays it gently down the wicket and takes on Philander's arm at mid-wicket, who makes a direct hit! That'll need a TV replay...

He's called safe - just.

5:41pm 2nd over: Andre Nel will bowl from the Nursery End.

England are in a hurry, running rapidly between the wickets. They need to as well. By my (bad) maths, they need to score at a run-rate of just under 7 runs per over.

Just one run from that Nel over - good bowling.

5:37pm 1st over: Bell will face the first ball of England's innings, bowled by Steyn.

It's pretty gloomy out there again. I'm not sure I'd fancy facing a bowler with Steyn's pace in this light - even with the white ball.

First runs of the day for England, Bell binking it down to Amla at third man for two.

5:35pm: Here come the batsmen... who is it?

Looks like convention rules, nothing risky from England. It's Prior and Bell. Dale Steyn warming up his bowling arm at the Pavilion End.

5:32pm: The South Africa team are on the pitch, warming up. Andrew Flintoff heads back to the dressing room after his knock in the Indoor School.

There goes the five-minute bell.

So, cricket fans, what do you think? Is Flintoff's warm-up a hint? Will England promote him up the order, pinch-hitting to chase this quick-fire 137?

Matt Prior and Ian Bell are, officially, set to open but what chance Luke Wright, or Flintoff coming in at the start to swing the willow? What would you do if you were Kevin Pietersen?

Email us your ideas: Live@Lords.org.

5:28pm: Jacqueline and Pat have emailed: Live@Lords.org - thanks for writing.

Apparently Jacqueline's husband, Jack, is working at Lord's today as part of the police presence. I hope he has his waterproofs with him Jacqueline, if he was outside during that deluge he'll be after a hot bath when he gets home!

5:22pm: Official word on the scoreboards is: Play resumes at 5:38pm. The target score for England will be 137 from 20 overs. Cutting it fine indeed.

If it even hints at raining again later, the match will be a wash-out, surely.

5:20pm: Flintoff trots out to the middle, taking the short-cut to the Indoor School for a warm-up knock. He's obviously confident of batting later.

A good time to remind you that you can hire the Indoor School for yourself - the very same venue that Mr. Flintoff is headed to now. Where else could you say that you've shared wicket-space with Andrew Flintoff?

• Indoor Cricket at Lord's

5:17pm: Hover cover off again as it performs it's own, air-borne hokey-cokey. On, off, on, off... shake it all about?

5:14pm: The hover cover is back on again... it doesn't appear to be raining. Perhaps the groundstaff know something we don't - which is quite likely.

A great shot of the storm earlier (above) - that photo is actually in colour, it just appears to be black and white.

That's the Investec Media Centre there, to the right of that photo, where we're reporting from today. The 'spaceship' style building is a great place to watch cricket from. We're very much sheltered from the elements though, hence not being quite sure if it's spitting with rain or not.

5:11pm: There goes the hover cover, coming off the wicket. This is going to be cutting it fine to restart in time. We remain hopeful.

5:04pm: News from our scorers again, here in the Investec Media Centre. They've calculated that if England can get out there in time to bat 20 overs, they'll need 137 to win.

They'll need to be out there, batting again by 5:36pm at the latest, or they won't have time for the 20 overs required to constitute a match.

4:54pm: Well, the rain's stopped. It's not quite so 'doomsday'-ishly dark now either.

Well, well, well the covers are coming off again. Mr. Duckworth & Mr. Lewis and their arithmetic are going to be needed but we could see a conclusion to this match.

4:34pm: The rain is very heavy now - pity the stewards who have to stand out in it, just in case anyone takes it on themselves to run on the field. At least most of the spectators can shelter in the bar areas.

That lightning is much closer now, zig-zagging across the sky behind the Pavilion. It could be quite beautiful if it weren't so frustrating.

Keep sending us your emails to: Live@Lords.org. We can chat, chunter and banter our way through this delay together.

4:30pm: We've got plenty more to entertain you on Lords.org during the break too. Click on Kevin Pietersen's face to the left - and you can take a look at 'KP's' new poster here at Lord's.

It only went up earlier this week, so only those people in the Ground today and you, dear readers, have seen it.

4:27pm: Wow, it's suddenly got very dark here at Lord's - it's almost dusk-like. You wouldn't believe it was only half-past four. Flickers of lightning can be seen out towards Maida Vale.

Bailed out: Gibbs 4:26pm: During this (hopefully short) rain delay, why not take a look at our latest match photos. There are some corkers in there from the snappers around the ground, including this one of Herschelle Gibbs losing his wicket.

4:24pm: For those that don't speak cricket-ese, those Flintoff figures mean he bowled: 7 overs; 1 maiden (an over with no runs scored from it); conceded 21 runs and; took 3 wickets.

4:20pm 33rd over: Last over, you'd hope they can brave the rain for a few more minutes.

Flintoff's figures in that last spell: 3-0-13-2. Impressive.

Oh dear - the players are heading off, the covers are coming out. Agony just five balls short of the end of SA's innings.

Flintoff's match totals: 7-1-21-3. Once again 'Freddie' has really swung things England's way. Covers on, umbrellas up. What a shame. Let's hope we don't lose too many more overs.

4:15pm 32nd over: Philander adds four more, hooking Flintoff - brave man.

He tries again, big swipe but it's airbourne again. James Anderson underneath it and he pouches an effortless catch.

South Africa 179-6; Philander c. Anderson b. Flintoff - 10

It raining... boo. We're playing on, for now.

4:10pm 31st over: Three overs left of SA's innings and England will be quite pleased with their day's work so far. The South Africa projected score has come down from in the mid 200s, to around the 180-mark now. With Gibbs gone the scoring rate has slowed considerably.

Boucher picks it up again, with a well placed four.

4:06pm 30th over: A great reception for Anderson in front of the Grand Stand - they love the all-action England bowler's sharp fielding.

I don't want to worry you but it's starting to look a little gloomy in NW8 again.

3:59pm 29th over: Stuart Broad returns to the attack, at the Pavilion End.

Amazing, Gibbs has just given away his wicket. He stepped across that one from Broad and got nowhere near it - his stumps in a mess.

South Africa 158-5; Gibbs b. Broad - 74

An ignominious end to a great innings from Gibbs.

Almost another wicket, as Philander edges Broad, Prior dives and just cannot reach it. Next ball, a great diving stop from Anderson has the batsmen scrambling - nearly another run-out.

3:53pm 28th over: England need another wicket, so guess who is coming on to bowl? Andrew Flintoff.

First ball back and Flintoff hits Gibbs. A little 'livener' for the big-hitting South African.

And there's another wicket. Duminy gets right under that one and lifts it high, high in the air... Ian Bell takes a comfortable catch:

South Africa 155-4; Duminy c. Bell b. Flintoff - 20

Magic-man Flintoff making the breakthrough again. If he could bottle whatever it is he has, he'd be even richer than he probably already is.

3:51pm 27th over: Pow, there's the first maximum of the day. Duminy bloasts Patel back over his head for six.

Four more makes it:

150 up for South Africa

3:45pm 26th over: Gibbs waits and waits for that one from Collingwood and then just fishes it around behind him. Four.

Duminy gets under that one - its heading for the rope and a sprinting Andrew Flintoff... and both ball and fielder end up going over the rope. Four.

3:42pm 25th over: Patel won't catch us out this time, we're ready for him.

So was Gibbs, easing him into the off side - but good fielding keeps it to a single.

Pietersen comes dashing in for one of his mid-over chats - trotting right across the wicket - frowns from the umpire.

3:39pm 24th over: Gibbs is into the 60s, swatting Collingwood, sweep-style, for four. A handful of singles and suddenly Collingwood is looking like a harmless medium pacer again.

3:37pm 23rd over: Patel's quickly into his bowling again, even before I have time to write: "3:37pm 23rd over"

Duminy gets his first run, a single into the leg side. The left-hander (Duminy) and right-hander Gibbs mean every single is a big fielding change for England.

Click for latest match photos 3:34pm 22nd over: Remember to keep up with our latest match action photos - like this one of half-century man Gibbs.

A much better over from Collingwood that one. He has Duminy dangling his bat at one outside off stump.

3:29pm 21st over: De Villiers is gone! He swings at that one from Patel and only succeeds in hoisting it into Andrew Flintoff's giant hands, stood near the leg-side boundary.

South Africa 113-3; AB de Villiers c. Flintoff b. Patel - 14

It was a smart catch from Flintoff but he barely had to move. It seemed to hang in the air for an age - he could have signed a few autographs in the Mound Stand before taking the catch.

3:25pm 20th over: Prior's stood up to the stumps for Collingwood's bowling too. Gibbs nicks it off the shoulder of the bat, quite deliberately, past Prior. The batsmen run two.

3:22pm 19th over: Gibbs will be chasing his fifty in this over. It's De Villiers facing at the moment though. Patel makes a good stop from his own bowling to keep him there, for now.

The first ball of the over that Gibbs faces and he brings up his fifty with a gentle single.

50 for Gibbs

His half-century came from 46 balls and includes seven fours.

3:19pm 18th over: Paul Collingwood comes on for Flintoff. Former England captain, Collingwood, will be keen to make his mark on the match.

In a way, he does - first ball is guided away for a single:

100 up for South Africa

The hundred came up from 103 balls. A good scoring rate by the Proteas.

3:17pm 17th over: Prior's right up to the stumps for Patel's bowling, crouched like a crab behind the stumps.

3:11pm 16th over: Three more to De Villiers - sharp running by the batsmen.

3:09pm 15th over: Samit Patel comes on at the Pavilion End. De Villiers off the mark with a streaky edge - they run three.

3:05pm 14th over: De Villiers is still playing and guessing against Flintoff, who looks England's most dangerous bowler at the moment.

2:59pm 13th over: The umpires are examining the ball. It seems a more and more frequent occurance in international cricket these days. You'd think, with the flurry of wickets, it wouldn't have come from a complaint by the bowling side. Still, the box of new (old) balls comes out to the umpires.

We play on and Gibbs adds another boundary to his tally - a big chop at that one from Harmison. Another big cut into the off side but James Anderson is stationed on that rope now and makes it only a two.

2:51pm 12th over: To his credit Gibbs is batting on, despite being involved in that run out. It must play on one's mind but he's getting on with his job.

A wide from Flintoff. A wild swipe from Kallis at the next ball and Flintoff is making a half-hearted appeal - Prior seems far more interested. This one's going to the TV umpire.

He's given out! Kallis can't believe it and trudges off.

South Africa 75-2; Kallis c. Prior b. Flintoff - 1

De Villiers the next man in. Flintoff just has that wicket-taking x-factor. Whatever it is, when he comes on wickets tend to fall, even from his bad balls. De Villiers is struggling against Flintoff too. England are rejuvinated.

2:47pm 11th over: Kallis gets his first run, leaning back almost to avoid that one from Harmison but getting bat to it. A single.

2:41pm 10th over: Pietersen's seen enough - Andrew Flintoff is brought on at the Nursery End.

The 'Fred-Factor' works! Disastrous running from the South African's though.

Gibbs chopped at Flintoff's first ball, hitting it back past him and off he set. Amla went no where and stood, agog as Gibbs ran down the wicket towards him. Only belatedly did he set off - but too late, Owais Shah's direct hit ran him out.

South Africa 66-1; Amla run out (Shah) - 34

The replay screens show the run-out, it was a great pick up, turn and throw from Shah - almost a lazy lob, he had that much time. Amla wasn't even close to his ground.

Captain, Jacques Kallis, is the new man in. A spicy first over from Flintoff, as Kallis fences and misses at the last ball of the over. A breakthrough at last for England, even if not directly attributable to Flintoff's bowling.

2:37pm 9th over: Amla is certainly batting like it's a Twenty20 - the first two balls from Harmison go to the rope too: one a hard flashed edge down past third man; the next a smart off drive.

Amla's on fire - timing another one into the off side. Another four. Gone is the nervy looking Amla from the first six overs - it's he and not Gibbs who looks like the shot-making, high-scoring one-day specialist now.

A fourth four! Almost the same shot again but each time he plays it Amla perfects it a little more. That one flew to the boundary.

2:32pm 8th over: Broad continues from the Nursery End. Amla takes the first ball and smoothly guides it through the off side for four.

Four more to Amla, a neat dink off his hips. A drop and run for a single brings up the 50 - from exactly 8 overs.

Fifty up for South Africa & fifty partnership Gibbs & Amla

2:27pm 7th over: A bowling 'change' to resume the match, Steve Harmison comes on at the Pavilion End.

A nice bit of lift for Harmison, one for Gibbs to avoid. He takes a wild swipe at the next one and completely misses it.

Hazy sunshine now at Lord's, the skies are light and blue rather than grey and dull.

One ball from a maiden for Harmison before Gibbs toe-ends one over the in-field and away for four.

2:25pm: All very technical this - with the reduction in overs it is, of course, required to reduce the power-play overs too. There will be 13 overs of power-plays now.

Umpires and the England team head onto the field - closely followed by Gibbs and Amla.

2:21pm: Samit Patel and England bowling coach Otis Gibson join them. Not a day for Patel's spin you'd fancy - unless Pietersen wants to take some pace off the ball?

England need to do something to unsettle Gibbs and Amla, the former at least has looked very comfortable so far.

Word on the scoreboard is the match will now be 33-overs per side.

2:19pm: One set of stumps are back in, at the Nursery End and there are four England players on the pitch warming-up. Broad and Prior are amongst those four, Anderson and Harmison the others and bowlers and 'keeper loosen up again.

2:12pm: Good news: play will resume at 2:30pm.

We'll have to have another reduction in the total overs though. We could be nearing Twenty20 territory eventually.

1:59pm: Covers are coming off again, more applause for the groundstaff - who are always minor celebrities on rainy days like this at Lord's.

1:47pm: Anderson's figures are ugly. Three overs, 23/0. Broad's: Three overs, 14/0 - not a maiden between them.

1:44pm: The covers go on again and the stands are a rainbow of umbrellas. Black is the most popular choice but there are pink polka dots, some MCC colours (of course) and even a rainbow chequered pattern. Very colourful.

1:42pm: Fingers crossed this is just a brief interlude. Either way, stick with us for the very latest news, live from Lord's.

What do you make of the play so far? Just a few overs down but hardly the start England will have hoped for - the batsmen have looked very comfortable.

Send us your comments & questions: Live@Lords.org.

1:38pm 6th over: I should give him a name-check really, the scorer. His name is Ray. Very helpful chaps these scorers, they come up with all sorts of useful and interesting stats.

A better over, that one from Broad, just one run from it.

Uh-oh, coats and brollies going up and on... the players are darting off. Rain stops play. Curses...

1:32pm 5th over: They're dealing almost exclusively in boundaries at the moment. Gibbs steps into one from Anderson and lifts him back down the ground; then twists delightfully into a wristy one through the off side for another four.

Pietersen has a mid-over chat with Anderson. It has no effect though, next ball and Gibbs cuts him through the off side again. Four.

Only a full-tilt run from Steve Harmison prevents another boundary on the on side this time.

The scorer, up here in the Investec Media Centre, tells us that in the last 9 balls from Anderson that Gibbs has faced, he's scored 19 runs. Ouch. That'll hurt Anderson's figures.

1:28pm 4th over: Amla adds another four to the total. Broad drifted slightly to the leg side and Amla just shuffled over and clipped it away.

Next ball is wild and wide from Broad, down the leg side again and it beats wicketkeeper Matt Prior too - four more.

Luke Wright makes some running repairs to the pitch, putting down handfuls of sawdust just towards the end of Broad's run-up.

1:25pm 3rd over: Gibbs is dismissive of that one, a loose delivery from Anderson which sat up and was smashed to the boundary, unceremoniously. Four.

1:20pm 2nd over: Stuart Broad will bowl the second over of the day.

Second ball and he has Amla flashing at it... but it carries well wide of the slips and runs for four. They're the only runs in the over.

1:15pm 1st over: We start, as predicted, at 1:15pm. James Anderson opening the England attack, Gibbs facing.

Anderson certainly won't mind a bit of moisture in the air. He's found some prodigious swing at Lord's in the past.

A few 'leavers' for Gibbs to start with before a loud appeal from Anderson for an edge off the fourth ball - not out. SA under way with a three for Gibbs and one for Amla.

1:13pm: A ripple of applause for the umpires from the ever-hopeful crowd at Lord's - and here come the England team too - the applause raises to raucous levels.

The hover-cover cruises back off the pitch again, the rain was just a smattering and we should have action soon.

SA batsmen on the pitch too.

1:10pm: This cannot be happening... just as the five-minute bell is rung, the rain starts again bang on cue. It was as if it was synchronised.

1:01pm: A few nods and murmurs of approval amongst the great and the good of the written, radio and TV media up here at England's team selection. Sticking with the same side suggests they're really going for the jugular and the 5-0 series win.

There must have been a slight temptation to tinker with things, or give some of the other players a go in the side but Pietersen's England are a 'foot on the throat' side - they want to win every match, 'dead rubber' or no.

12:52pm: Word up here in the Investec Media Centre is that Albie Morkel is injured. Andre Nel bowled well when filling in for the injured Dale Steyn in the Test Series, he's a good 'sub' to be able to call on.

12:48pm: South Africa team news: Albie Morkel and Makhaya Ntini are out; Andre Nel and Vernon Philander come in: Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher, Johan Botha, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Andre Nel, and Vernon Philander.

12:47pm: Toss news: England have won the toss and will field.

12:42pm: England team news: they're unchanged from the victory at The Oval. Confirmed team: Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Samit Patel, Luke Wright, Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison & James Anderson.

12:23pm: The England squad are on the field now too - more stretching and warm-up exercises and suddenly the start of play doesn't seem so far away after all.

And confirmation at last: PLAY WILL START AT 1:15pm.

We've lost 11 overs due to the rain, so we're down to a 39 overs-a-side match - which I make as losing 22 overs from the 100-over total... but who understands umpires?

12:16pm: The Proteas team are on the pitch, in front of the Pavilion, performing fielding and warm-up drills.

Just two covers left on the pitch now and that dashed clever hover-cover. As I type the groundstaff are using it to jet air under one of the canvas covers, to help dry the pitch off and move the moisture from on top of the cover. Impressive.

12:12pm: An official pitch inspection is expected shortly.

The groundstaff are like a well drilled unit - there's a seven-man team working on removing all the covers, whilst others are dragging a long, long rope over the outfield to try and sop up some of that moisture.

A word MCC Young Cricketers who help out the groundstaff team with a bit of manual labour on match days. Well done lads (and ladies).

12:08pm: The MCC Indoor Cricket School is a really great facility. You can hire it out yourself. Either for a net session or why not the whole thing for a game of indoor cricket? It's great fun, an ideal 'team bonding exercise' or a lads' day out - and not subject to the weather!

12:05pm:_ Gosh, excitement here and the most action on the field for hours - the groundstaff are rolling up one of the covers. The 'blotter' is out to soak up any water that sneaks off the cover as it's rolled.

Applause from the crowd as the cover is rolled away - hope springs eternal.

More applause as Kevin Pietersen emerges from the Pavilion and heads across the pitch - presumably for the MCC Indoor School to have a knock. 'KP' is all smiles as he cross Alistair Cook on his way back from the School.

11:57am: A taster of the 'action' here at Lord's and it's brollies up.

But, what's this? Mick Hunt is back on the field and he's taking his jacket off! The brollies are going down - it's stopped raining!

Hold your breath and cross everything... if Mick and his ground staff can work a minor miracle we might get some play later this afternoon.

11:50am: There's an umpire on the pitch, having a chat to Mick Hunt (the Groundsman at Lord's). There's a lot of head-shaking going on.

Mick's staff are working on the covers, using brooms to sweep the water towards the drainage points.

Mick himself is pointing up at the leaden skies. Soul-sapping stuff this.

Frustrating for England too. A 5-0 Series win would see them leapfrog the Proteas into second in the world rankings. The chances of that happening are disappearing down the drains with the rain.

11:48am: Samit Patel was certainly pretty impressive down at The Oval - he took a five-for and scored a lusty 31 runs batting at seven.

Personally I'd like to see more of him before I'd promote him to the Test side. One swallow does not make a summer - just ask Darren Pattinson.

11:36am: More of your emails and from an England fan this time (that's more like it!).

Jon, in Essex is a big fan of Samit Patel and wonders: "Is this the spinning all-rounder we've been missing since Ashley Giles retired? Much as I love Monty his batting and fielding are woeful. Patel should be in the Test team shake-up."

What do you think? Panesar or Patel? Which would you pick for your England Test team? Send us your views: Live@Lords.org.

11:22am: Still raining...

The stands that are undercover are still quite full - those exposed to the elements are less so. The skies are grey and grim in the distance.

We've had another rash of emails to Live@Lords.org asking about Ashes tickets (you lot move on quickly!). The answers to all your questions can be found on the Lords.org website.

Take a look at our Ashes 2009 section. Any more questions, let us know: Live@Lords.org.

11:02am: Brollies still up, rain still coming down. Oh dear, it's all quite grim. Over to you to entertain us, and David (who I'm guessing is a South Africa fan) has written to Live@Lords.org to say:

"Well played England but it won't last. Harmison is about as consistent as your weather. When it comes to travelling overseas, he'll get homesick and start bowling to the slips again."

Fighting talk David. What do you think England fans? Does David have a point? Is this a false dawn for England?

10:52am: So, what do you think of England's performances so far? 3-0 up in the Series with two to play, it couldn't have started much better for the new captain, Kevin Pietersen.

What do you put it down to? Inspired (or inspiring) captaincy? Luck? Or have the South Africans just played so badly as to make England look good?

10:46am: BBC's Test Match Special are already extolling the virtues of the drainage system here at Lord's. If there's a break in the weather, there's more chance of play here, than at many other grounds.

The surface here drains almost like a sink with the plug pulled out - if only it could work on the clouds as well as the grass...

10:41am: We'll have to show some good, English spirit to get us, collectively, through this wet start.

Your emails are already coming in to: Live@Lords.org - keep sending them in, we'll answer as many as we can here.

Let's start with an email from Suhas who asks: "Is one allowed to bring to bring their own wine bottle/water bottle food etc to the ground?"

The answer to this one, Suhas, is "Yes." Lord's is one of the few international Test Match Grounds which allows spectators to bring in their own alcohol.

There's really no limit (within reason) the amount of food/picnics/soft drinks you can bring in with you. There is a small limit on the alcohol (one 75cl bottle of wine, or equivalent per spectator).

You can find out more on the General Ground Regulations page of the website.

Keep your questions coming in to Live@Lords.org.

10:34am: We're all feeling a bit victimised at Lord's. It seems as if every major match is affect, at least in some part, by rain. The New Zealand Test? Affected by rain. The South Africa Test? Affected by rain. Today's one-dayer against South Africa? More rain.

Latest from Lord's, guess what? It's still raining...

10:24am: Good morning and welcome back to Lord's.

The presiding feeling at Lord's this morning is: "Oh no, not again..." as grey skies and rain mean the covers are firmly on and the umbrellas very much up. No official announcement yet, but it would be beyond miraculous if we start on time today.