LONDON, (Reuters) – Rain and bad light frustrated England on the third day of the first test against Bangladesh at Lord’s yesterday despite some high class fast bowling from Steven Finn.
Finn, playing his first test in England at the headquarters of his county Middlesex, confirmed the excellent impression he had made on Friday with three wickets, including two in eight balls.
He finished the day with four for 75 as Bangladesh struggled to 237 for seven, in reply to England’s first innings 505, when the players left the field for the third and final time for bad light.
Although Lord’s has floodlights, they can be switched on only 12 times a year by agreement with the local goverment council. Officials said it had been decided not to use them during the current test to ensure consistency with Old Trafford in Manchester, hosts of the second and final test in the series starting next Friday, which does not have lights.
Only 28.5 overs were bowled after steady rain prevented any play before mid-afternoon and the required allocation of 90 had been cut to 50. Further time can be made up on the final two days of the match.
After a tea interval which seemed superfluous given the loss off so much time, the players left the field after only 2.1 overs for bad light.
They returned in time for Finn to clean bowl Mushfiqur Rahmin for 16 with the second new ball, at which stage the umpires took the players off the field again.
After returning for just nine balls, the players left the field yet again, this time for good.
