Rain Halts England's Push for Series-Clinching Win Over Pakistan at Lord's

LONDON —

Rain kept interrupting play at Lord's cricket ground on Saturday, slowing England's bid to beat Pakistan and wrap up the three-Test series early, according to the Associated Press and Sky Sports.

Groundstaff pulled the covers on and off the pitch through the day as showers came and went. At one point, officials said play would resume at 2:15 p.m. local time if the rain held off, but another downpour arrived before that could happen, according to the Guardian's live coverage of the match. The covers went back on and workers repainted the crease lines as they waited for a longer dry spell.

England Holds A Big Lead

England took control of the match on day two, when fast bowlers Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer combined to take five wickets for just 19 runs in seven overs, according to BBC Sport. That spell bowled Pakistan out for 110 in their first innings and gave England a 180-run lead heading into day three.

Captain Joe Root's side is trying to close out the series against Pakistan after already winning the first Test at Headingley by an innings, which put England 1-0 up with two matches left to play, according to Sky Sports.

A Test Already Short-Handed

The build-up to the Lord's match had already been overshadowed by the loss of fast bowler Brydon Carse, who withdrew from the England squad after a nightclub incident in Derby, according to Sky Sports. Sky Sports did not report further details of the incident or whether Carse faces any further action.

Neither the Associated Press nor the Guardian reported a revised start time for play once the rain finally cleared on day three, and it remained unclear how much cricket, if any, would be possible before the close of the day's play.