Scores : K Vairavan • Comms : Alan Gardner • Ground time: 11:4711.33am: New news, and another delay: toss at 12pm, start at 12.20pm, so not much longer to wait. Time, indeed, to check in on the Colombo Test, where India have finally chiselled out a third day-five wicket (but still need one more, plus a decent chunk of runs with time running out...)"At least now there's a chance that this test _might_ reach the weekend," snorts Stefan"For once I'm not actually bothered about the test being delayed, because we badly needed this rain." Lawn looking bleached, eh, Mark? I hear ya11.28am: Toss delayed (again), though the weather isn't so bad that it is preventing the warm-ups. Sky are continuing to broadcast pitchside, and the hope is that play can still get underway at midday.

Sit tight Scott: "London denizen here, rain has been on and off all morning, with brief windows of respite followed by more rain. Reckon that pattern will (annoyingly) continue, but I sense we might get a decent chunk of play in the afternoon and evening!" Not your first rodeo, eh, Scotty boy?11.25am: Sounds like the rain has set in again, with the bowlers' run-ups being covered. That 11.30am toss is in serious jeopardy...

Graham Gooch has been talking to the players in the England huddle, meanwhile, doubtless impressing on them the bed-and-breakfast method, in preference to the liquid-lunch approach that seems to have taken hold11.20am: More from the Spoke Too Soon Dept. Umbrellas going up again at the ground, and the central hover cover has been moved back into place. Joe Root is, however, out there in his blazer...

Fingers crossed it's just the last squeeze of the sponge"Why do we waste another 45 mins? Why not start in 15-20 mins with toss happening right now?" Well, nabeel, because in the old days they probably needed the ground to dry out a little more. And in this case, because it is still raining (lightly)"And as if by magic.... Carse takes a wicket in his first over!!!!" So he has, Rob P11.15am: We are good to go! Well, almost.

Toss scheduled for 11.30am, with the game to start at 12pm - providing there's no further rain (and that can't be ruled out). That should cheer up Danyal Rasool, who's manning the Live Report today - and can be forgiven some of his pessimism, given what he had to sit through up in Leeds11.10am: The umpires are heading out for their shufty as I type. Still looks pretty gloomy around HQ, but so long as the rain has moved through, hopefully the Famous Lord's Drainage will see us right Over in Colombo, meanwhile, Sonal Dinusha has notched his second hundred of the Test (he's currently averaging 130.33 for the series!) and India, having managed to take two wickets all day, are are fast running out of road in which to force victory...10.45am: More good news: there will be an inspection at 11.10am (weirdly specific time, but this is cricket).

The covers are being hauled off, so it all sounds much more promising. "England players making their way through to have a net on the nursery ground," reports Vish. "Duckett first." This is all water off his back, presumably Nakul Pande is on shame-faced-England-player watch: "Brydon Carse is in the XI for Durham against Glos under Chester-le-Street skies that can only be described as 'glowering'. And Durham are bowling first - good luck, lads."And Badhat has a new alias: "The Good News Cricket Fairy here: it's brightening up in West London, so we might just see some play earlier than hoped. I called it.

I also call centuries for Duckett and Gay. (Really, really hoping I'm not double jinxing, here)"10.27am: Toss officially delayed, colour me surprised... But there is some better news from Paul: "Some blue skies on the horizon." Still looks pretty dank for now, so time to catch up on another shower: England's players after they've had a drink. Joe Root is officially "hacked off", which is when you know you've messed up big time; and Vish Ehantharajah has written about the new normal for England i...