Second Test RECAP: Frustrating day two rain but Boland shines again

We got a LITTLE BIT of cricket last night… but not much.

When they did get on the park, Scott Boland took another two wickets and Matt Renshaw held onto a screamer at slip.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Join us again this evening (AEDT) for our live coverage of, hopefully, a bit more cricket.

It’s looking very unlikely we’ll get any play.

The umpires did an inspection at 2:15pm local time with another scheduled for 3pm.

There’s still plenty of water in the outfield and that’s why there’s been no play.

For that reason, we’re going to finish off our LIVE coverage and we’ll catch you next time.

There hasn’t been much of an update on the coverage.

It appears the outfield is a real problem after the big downpour overnight.

It wasn’t just Kurtis Patterson in the runs today.

Ben McDermott, Jake Doran, Nathan McSweeney, Jake Lehmann and Sam Konstas all made impressions.

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While this drags on we can provide an update to how things ended at the WACA between Western Australia and NSW.

Kurtis Patterson was the man, finishing 117 not out at stumps.

Patterson was likely in the frame for Australian selection, but he had a minor quad problem in the lead up to the series. There’s a good chance he would’ve been selected over Nic Maddinson.

The setback could be a benefit after he impressed in Shield with the ton.

Sam Konstas finished with 71 and Lachlan Shaw hit 61.

It looks like things are on the up at NSW with Brad Haddin at the helm.

Everyone is getting anxious at St George’s Park.

Vision from the ground shows grounds staff and the umpires discussing what’s going on, with a lot of hand movement going on.

“It’s a bit animated,” Brendon Julian said on Fox Cricket.

Moises Henriques explained why that might be the case.

“He’s blowing up, when they’re getting animated like that it’s usually because the umpires want to get on the field, players want to get on the field, and the groundsmen don’t think the field is ready,” he said.

We now have 45 minutes until another inspection.

Well there needs to be a lot of filler content during a rain break.

So on Fox Cricket, Mark Howard has been taking viewers through a behind the scenes look at the commentary box and the food on offer.

Now he’s found former Wide World of Sports host Mark Nicholas who talked about his golf game and gave us an update on the rain.

“We’re definitely going to play, it’s brightened up but it won’t be easy to bat,” Nicholas said.

“There’s a couple of umpires wandering around like they know what they’re thinking but they never do,” he added with a smile.

Those umpires are walking very slowly around the outfield right now.

Howard predicts play could start in about an hour.

The covers are off on the pitch but the outfield is the problem.

We have another inspection coming in 45 minutes. Stay tuned.

The rain isn’t there at St George’s Park but the covers are on still despite some of them being removed earlier.

Umpires about to inspect the outfield in around 10 minutes.

The covers are coming off at St George’s Park.

There is a scheduled inspection in 45 minutes now to look at the outfield as well.

“If I’m batting, I’m nervous,” Kerry O’Keeffe said on Fox Cricket.

“This pitch has been under these covers throughout the rain, the moisture will have increased. Batting is going to be even more difficult than it was late yesterday.

“I think South Africa will be quite happy if there’s no play on day two.”