Weather wins at The Riverside

At 12.30pm this afternoon, umpires Aleem Dar and Billy Bowden gave in to the weather on the first day of the Fourth Test without a ball being bowled in anger.

The rain has been unrelenting in the North-East of England, and with the rain still coming down and no play looking possible for the foreseeable future, hopes of any cricket today were brought to an end.

Forecasts from the met office are more encouraging for the weekend, but showers will always remain a possibility.

It will be a disappointment for everyone associated with Chester-le-Street, who will have been hosting only its third ever Test match (previous Tests against Zimbabwe 2003, and Bangladesh 2005).

Here is hoping for a clearer day tomorrow and a chance to get this final Test up and running.