Day four of SCG Test washed out

“Even the captain (Jason Holder), when he batted in the second Test on the last day, you can see there’s a lot there to work with”.

Only three balls were bowled in the first two hours of scheduled play and another 21 before lunch after the action resumed briefly at noon.

With the Sydney rain unrelenting, play was abandoned on Tuesday (January 5), the third day of the final Test between Australia and West Indies, without a ball being bowled.

The rain-hit Test joins Australia’s matches against South Africa at the Gabba in Brisbane in 1931-32, India at the SCG 1947-48, England at the SCG in 1954-55 and Pakistan at the SCG 1989-90.

Weather permitting the Windies will start day four on Wednesday at 7-248 in the 87th over. Just 11.2 overs were possible on the second day as the visitors moved to 7-248, where will they remain two days later.

Nathan Lyon sent down three deliveries to the West Indies sheet-anchor Denesh Ramdin (30no from 103 balls) – two of which he knocked gently to short-leg and the third that was patted tamely back along the pitch – before the next shower rolled through and the players headed for cover.

He described the possibility of day-night Ashes Tests as a “natural progression” and indicated Adelaide was an obvious candidate given the success of the inaugural five-day match under lights at the venue against New Zealand previous year. One side is telling me that there’s showers again in the morning then it will brighten up. “I’ve heard that Sydney spins a lot but I didn’t know on the first day”. “If you can get three days in, then that’s close to 300 overs”.

Contrived results are prohibited, while the stigma of match-fixing is so strong that early declarations are nearly unheard of in Test and first-class cricket. The only chance of a result, however, seems to be through some creative declarations, but Simmons said weather would have the final say. It is not very nice when you are expecting a big crowd for a great day and you get rained out. “If we can get a full day’s play tomorrow and the last day we will certainly be playing for a result”.