SOUTHAMPTON, England – West Indies bid to forge ahead in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 England & Wales hit a snag today.

Only 7.3 overs were possible in their third match of the global showpiece against South Africa which ended in a no-result at the Rose Bowl.

Left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell gave the West Indies a bright start with a couple of early wickets, leaving the South Africans on 29 for two in the eighth over before the weather interrupted play after close to an hour.

There were a series of inspections by the umpires, but the players never returned to the field of play, and the match was officially abandoned almost two hours before the scheduled close, resulting in both teams earning one point each.

West Indies entered the match looking for a victory to stay in step with the front-runners and South Africa needed to avoid their fourth straight loss to keep their marginal hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

Cottrell made the early breakthrough, when he had Hashim Amla caught at slip for six, essaying a cut at a rising delivery in the third over, and Aiden Markram was caught behind down the leg side for five in the seventh over to leave the South Africans 28 for two.

Cottrell had 2-18 from four overs up to this point, but the rain drove the players off the field with left-handed opener Quinton de Kock not out on 17 and his captain Faf du Plessis yet to score.

West Indies made two changes from their previous game against Australia, recalling batsman Darren Bravo and bringing Kemar Roach into the line-up for the first time in the tournament, replacing opener Evin Lewis and all-rounder Andre Russell.

South Africa have also made a couple of changes, bringing in Markram and Beuran Hendricks for Tabraiz Shamsi and JP Duminy.

NEXT MATCH: West Indies face England this coming Friday at the same venue.

Source: CWI Media