England's first Test of the home summer gets underway today (June 4) against New Zealand at Lord's. Here's what to expect from the weather for the first day of the fixture.
Having not played a Test match since the final game of the Ashes in early January, England will begin their reset this week. Their starting XI for the match includes two different faces from the one that finished up in Australia. Emilio Gay replaced Zak Crawley as Ben Duckett's opening partner, while Ollie Robinson has returned to the side after two years in the wilderness. Jofra Archer is absent after his stint in the IPL, while Ben Stokes has dropped down the order to No.7, Jamie Smith moving up to fill the No.6 spot.
New Zealand chose to forgo Mitchell Santner in their XI, selecting Nathan Smith as a fourth quick with Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips as all-rounders. The BlackCaps won the toss and elected to bowl in overcast conditions.
What is the weather forecast for the England v New Zealand Test match?
The forecast for the opening day of play, and the rest of the Test, looks hit and miss. Following a heatwave last week, the last few days have seen rain showers and thunderstorms hit London, with the same weather predicted for the next week. There are thunderstorms forecast throughout the opening day of play at Lord's, although play was able to start on time.
BBC weather prediction for day one of ENG v NZ
BBC Weather forecasts sporadic showers throughout day one, although the chances of those showers hitting the ground decreases throughout the course of the day.
AccuWeather weather prediction for day one of ENG v NZ
AccuWeather presents the most optimistic picture of the forecast. It predicts a less than 50 per cent chance of rain for most of the day, with showers in the area during the morning session and before Tea.
Met Office weather prediction for day one of ENG v NZ
In contrast, the Met Office presents a more concerning picture, with rain at more than 70 percent likelihood for most of the day.
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