Rain delays Edgbaston encounter

The third and final match of England's NatWest Twenty20 series with South Africa at Edgbaston has been delayed by rain.

In a summer programme frequently affected by adverse weather, it seemed vaguely fitting that the final fixture of the international season did not run smoothly, with an inspection due at the advertised start time of 6:30pm.

England need victory to square the series against the Proteas after slipping to a seven-wicket defeat at Durham and a washout in Lancashire.

The rain stopped before 6:30pm but after a couple of heavy earlier deluges the umpires were concerned about standing water around the square.

A second inspection was planned for 7:15pm, with an earliest possible start of 8pm and a maximum of 13 overs per side.