CLOSE A day of intense frustration ends with the news that had seemed inevitable some time ago. The umpires have admitted defeat and abandoned play for the day. Thanks for sticking with us today, and be sure to come back tomorrow: the forecast is far better and we'll get some good cricket, I promise.

WET WET WET The rain's as heavy as it has been at any stage of the day. With no football to distract us now (Portsmouth won, by the way) this is getting grim. Time is running out for today, and the Test match. One team is going to have to play some incredible cricket over the next two days to win this game. Even then, they'll probably need some shoddy work from the opposition.

CANCEL THAT The inspection has been cancelled. Raining again, and everyone seems to be more interested in watching the FA Cup final. Still 1-0 to Portsmouth.

ANOTHER INSPECTION At 4.40pm. What a day. Put the FA Cup final on.

HOGGARD BLOW Tea is officially over, but the covers are still on. More bad news for you: England seamer Matthew Hoggard has been ruled out of the second Test after fracturing his right thumb playing for Yorkshire.

TEA As the frustration at Lord's continues - every time the umpires try to inspect, the drizzle returns - the decision has been made to take Tea. Meanwhile, up the road, Kanu has given Portsmouth the lead.

GOALLESS The patient punters at Lord's are being entertained by the FA Cup final on the big screens. It's goalless.

BRIEF EXCITEMENT One of the covers to the side of the hover was rolled up, which is as exciting as anything we've seen in hours. But then it started raining again, and as quickly as it was rolled up it was unrolled again.

MEMORY LANE Lovely stuff from the archive now. Still no play at Lord's, but there was in Napier back in 1997. Nick Knight cutting loose, Alec Stewart in his white batting helmet, and an England one-day kit so hideous I'd removed it from my memory. It's a horrible, candy-striped affair with approximately 23 too many shades of blue. Awful. Mind, New Zealand's black-and-turquoise number is little better.

OR NOT That inspection due in three minutes' time will not now happen. You don't need me to tell you why, but I'm going to anyway: it's raining. If you want some London-based sporting action today, try Wembley. Doesn't bother those uncouth football chaps if there's rain about.

INSPECTION Another flurry of rain scuppered the last inspection. The umpires will try again at 2.50pm.

PATRIOTIC While we wait for news on the prospects of play, we're watching highlights of England v New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2004. My brother phoned to remind me that this was the match I turned up to watch after, in a drunken and unusually patriotic moment of weakness, having a St George's cross shaved into my head. And dyed red. A dignified and sensible way to support your country, I'm sure you'll agree. I remember the B and B we stayed in in Nottingham having low, steeply sloped ceilings. When I woke from my slumbers on the Saturday morning I bumped my already-aching head on said ceiling leaving a big streak of red dye behind. Great days. Any of you out there done something equally idiotic while watching cricket, possibly under the influence of something stronger than sunshine and excitement? Share your tales of woe and embarrassment with us, as long as they're relatively clean.

ACTIVITY It's brightened up further, and the umpires are preparing to inspect the conditions at 2.15pm. There's a team of broom-wielding groundsmen sweeping water off the covers while our old friend the rope is back doing whatever it does to the outfield.

BETTER NEWS It's definitely brighter out there. There are still some brollies up, but what rain there is is very light. But at the moment there's still no move to clear the covers, and we'll be off the field a good while yet. I did say 'better' news not 'best'.

IT'S STILL RAINING And that's pretty much all there is to say. No imminent prospect of play, with the rain looking pretty set.

PAYING THE PRICE? A few emails have come in suggesting England should have batted on in the dodgy light last night given the forecast for today. Tricky one, isn't it? I can't think of too many opening batsmen who would have wanted to bat last night. It's easy to sit here and say they should have continued, but I think it was understandable that they wanted to protect themselves. Simon Berry, meanwhile, asks: "As you seem to be a budding weather forecaster is there any chance of seeing you on Sky News soon?" I'd say that's unlikely. Anyway, come the summer being a cricket fan and a weather forecaster amounts to the same thing. From September to April I couldn't give a stuff; but come the summer I'm F5ing weather websites and absorbing every long-range weather forecast I can get my hands on. It's really quite tragic.

LUNCH The full covers are in place now, and the umpires have wisely decided to cut their losses and take an early lunch. That means the earliest we can get back under way will be 1.20pm, but I'd stick my neck out and say that's unlikely. Without wishing to drive you away from your computers, we just might have seen all our play for the day. But stay with us, send us some FEEDBACK via the link, and we'll make our own fun...

RAIN STOPPED PLAY Just 8.5 overs' play possible in that stint. The only real incident of note was Cook passing his 50 as New Zealand set out to make runscoring difficult for the England openers. The ECB bean-counters, by the way, will be desperate for some further play today: under 10 overs means full refunds, under 25 means half refunds. A couple more overs will save the money men an awful lot of cash.

Over 10 Mills 0-0 89-0 - The rain is just starting to get a bit heavier, and after a couple of dot balls from Mills the umpires call for the hover cover. It's there in a flash - what a cracking piece of kit it is - as the brollies start to go up all round the ground. The rain was forecast to arrive around midday. Alas, the weathermen look to have got that bit almost spot on; let's hope they're wrong about the bit where it stays all day...

Over 9 Martin 0-0-0-0-0nb-0-0 89-0 - Cook takes on a short ball from Martin, but his attempted hook makes no contact. Martin then beats the left-hander with a good one that seams away. Martin ends a fine over with a sharp bouncer that flies through to McCullum. Only another no-ball prevents Martin completing a maiden over.

Over 8 Mills 0-4-3-0-0-0 88-0 - Cook drives Mills sweetly, but Daniel Flynn makes a fine diving stop at cover, saving four runs. Nothing he can do from the next ball though, as Cook rocks back and punches the ball slightly squarer, collects full reward and brings up a fine half century (79 balls, 6x4s). He gets three more with a controlled defensive push through the gully and, after a steady start, England are starting to motor again.

Over 7 Martin 0-0nb-0-0-4-0-0 81-0 - Strauss jerks out of the way of a sharp bouncer before Martin catches the no-ball disease. Strauss has been very patient this morning, but he gets the chance to attack a short ball from Martin, carving it deliberately up and over the slip fielders to the third-man boundary.

Over 6 Mills 0-0-0nb-0-0-0-0 76-0 - Mills bowling very well this morning. Tight lines just outside the left-handers' off stump and nothing to get after. His only problem is overstepping: he's done it twice this morning, and the latest one is a big no-ball - a good six inches past the line.

Over 5 Martin 3-0-0-0-0-2 75-0 - Cook gets a hard-run three from a thick edge all along the ground wide of slip, and Strauss gets two more on the legside as Martin just drifts a fraction too straight from round the wicket.

Over 4 Mills 0-0-0-0nb-0-0-0 70-0 - Another fine, probing over from Mills. He's getting decent pace and carry here, and beats Strauss with one that just runs away from the left-hander. Just a no-ball from the over.

Over 3 Martin 0-0-0-1-0-0 69-0 - Strauss gets the first run of the morning, clipping the ball off his toes to long-leg. Good start from New Zealand this morning, making England's batsmen play and giving them little to get after. It's clear from the field setting that New Zealand are content to sit in this morning and make things difficult for the home side.

Over 2 Mills 0-0-0-0-0-0 68-0 - Kyle Mills shares the bowling duties first up, getting his first go from the Pavilion End. After a couple of looseners outside the off stump, Mills beats Cook with a beauty that jags off the deck and flies through to McCullum at head height. New Zealand still have only two slips in despite the conditions. Cook nicked one through there last night, and Daniel Vettori may yet regret not bolstering the cordon this morning. Unfortunately, there are a few spots of rain on the camera lens.

Over 1 Martin 1-0-0-0-0-0 68-0 - Martin completes the over he started yesterday evening, bowling round the wicket to Strauss who is content to defend. As in Napier, he's looked nice and compact in this innings.

ACTION A chilly-looking New Zealand team are out in the middle, with long-sleeved jumpers very much the order of the day. Brendon McCullum is blinking and doing Robin Smith-style eye exercises as he tries to make the most of the limited light available. Steve Bucknor and Simon Taufel make their way out to the middle, light meters in hand, and they're followed by Strauss and his opening partner Alastair Cook.

PROMISING The rope continues to circle the outfield as the hover cover glides back to its station at the Nursery End. Play will start shortly, say the umpires.

ROPE TRICK The groundstaff are doing their trick with the big rope on the outfield. Great to see that, in these days of £1.25million drainage systems, that you still can't beat two fellas with a dirty great bit of rope. The hover cover's still on, but none of the other covers for the square or run-ups are in place at the moment.

BALCONY SEATS The activity on the respective team balconies shows which side wants to crack on this morning. England's is a hive of activity, Andrew Strauss and Michael Vaughan are padded up and deep in conversation and there is much general milling about. Across the pavilion, the New Zealand doors are bolted shut, with the lone figure of Chris Martin peering into the gloom from behind the glass.

HOVER BORED It's a sight we've seen all too often in this Test. The hover cover is on, umbrellas are up, and play will not now start on time. At the moment, the rain is very light.

WELCOME Well, so far so good on this third morning. The sky is blanket grey, but so far it's dry and there are no covers on. We're set for a prompt start, but how much play we will get is hard to say. The forecast is simply one word: rain. It's expected to arrive early in the afternoon. It is unlikely to leave.

More news from SportingLife.com

Live scorecards from SportingLife.com