Heavy rain has been forecast on Sunday when Pakistan and England are scheduled to play in the T20 World Cup final here at the MCG. There is currently a 100% chance of rain forecast for Sunday with between 8mm to 20mm prediction. “Very high (near 100%) chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm, possibly severe,” read the Bureau of Meteorology website on Friday evening. Monday has been scheduled as reserve day but that too could be uncertain with a 95% chance of rain between 5 and 10mm. If the reserve day too is washed away, the finalists will have to share the trophy.
As opposed to five overs in the group stages, a minimum of 10 overs per side is needed to constitute a knockout match. Officials will try to complete a shortened match on Sunday before even mulling the reserve day. If the game starts on Sunday but can’t be completed then it will resume on the reserve day from the position it was halted. If the game begins on Sunday and there is a reduction of overs but play does not have a chance to restart due to weather then the game will resume as a 20-over contest on the reserve day.
“If the reserve day is allocated, every effort will be made to complete the match on the scheduled day with any necessary reduction in overs taking place and only if the minimum number of overs necessary to constitute a match cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day,” the playing conditions read.
“If the match has started on the scheduled day and overs are subsequently reduced following an interruption, but no further play is possible, the match will resume on the reserve day at the point where the last ball was played.”
Medium to severe rains have lashed southern and south west Australia throughout October and November. In Melbourne, three Super 12 matches—New Zealand vs Afghanistan, Afghanistan vs Ireland and Australia vs England—had to be abandoned. The England-Ireland game too was curtailed by rain before Ireland won on DLS.
