The toss for the third and final ODI between England and West Indies at the Oval, London, was delayed on Tuesday. But the reason is not what you might think. It was not raining at the Oval, nor was the outfield wet, but still, the coin flip got pushed back, and even the match did not start on time. The reason for the delay was one team not reaching the ground on time. Yes, you read that right. Add this to the bizarre reasons list for cricket matches not beginning on time.
The England players were seen doing their warm-ups at The Oval. However, the away dressing room was empty. The West Indies team failed to turn up at the stadium on time, and hence, the toss had to be delayed. However, it was no fault of the visiting contingent, as heavy traffic in London was the reason behind their late arrival at the venue for the third and final ODI.
The toss was eventually delayed by half an hour. Earlier, England players also ditched their bus ride to reach the stadium as the contingent opted to arrive in the stadium in a rather unusual style.
The development about the toss being delayed was also confirmed by the official social media handles of Surrey County.
“Due to a delayed arrival of one of the playing teams, who are stuck in heavy traffic north of the river, the scheduled start of play will be delayed. Once all members of the playing teams arrive, the match officials will coordinate updated timings and discuss any impact on the schedule of play,” the official account of Surrey wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“We will update spectators with the schedule of play as soon as we are able to,” the county added.
England have unassailable lead in the three-match series
Harry Brook, who is leading England for the first time in the ODI format, has already won his first assignment as the captain. The hosts have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Joe Root put on a masterclass in the second ODI as he played an unbeaten knock of 166 runs off 139 balls to help England chase down more than 300 runs.
England were 133/5 at one stage. However, Joe Root ensured England did not suffer any hiccups and chased the total down to win the ODI series.
Earlier this year, Harry Brook was appointed as England’s white-ball captain following Jos Buttler’s resignation. Buttler stepped down following England’s disastrous campaign in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, where the side failed to make the semi-finals.
Under Buttler, England also failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup. In the T20 World Cup last year, the Three Lions faced a defeat against India in the semi-final.
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