With Australia holding a 2-0 lead in the Ashes, England can’t afford inclement weather pushing the third Test at Headingley, Leeds toward a draw.
The hosts need to win all three remaining Tests after Australia claimed the first two matches with nail-biting fifth-day victories.
If Australia win a third match in the series or a draw occurs, England can no longer win the Ashes urn off their rivals.
England’s predicament means the weather across the third Test at Headingley is pivotal in their chance of a comeback.
MORE: The Ashes 2023: Australia’s full record and history at Headingley
Headingley weather forecast for third Test
Friday, July 7
There is currently no expectation of rain on day two of the third Test.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) at the start of play, with a peak of 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) later in the day.
Saturday, July 8
There is a chance of rain across the whole day with thundery showers predicted.
Chance of rain starts at 39 per cent at the start of play and peaks at 48 per cent when play is due to finish for the day.
The temperature will range from 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) at 11am to 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) during the last few hours of play.
Sunday, July 9
Overcast conditions are set to dominate day four but there is no chance of rain currently predicted during the day’s play.
The temperature will range between 19 and 21 degrees Celsius (66 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit).
Monday, July 10
If the Test stretches to day five, it might be hard to get the required overs in with showers predicted across the day.
The chance of rain starts at 44 per cent when play commences and peaks at 70 percent for the final three hours of play.
The temperature will range between 18 and 19 degrees Celsius (64 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit).
Weather forecast in Leeds: What happens if Ashes is stopped by rain?
Matches are delayed when there is rain or a wet pitch, leading to timings being altered and the prospect of a draw increasing.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has a sliding scale of refund measures for supporters, rising to a full reimbursement if fewer than 15 overs are played.
Half of the ticket price is refunded if a 15th over starts but the match does not go beyond a 30th over. Money is not refunded otherwise, and the policy doesn’t come into play for the fifth day.
MORE: The Ashes 2023: Top runscorers and most wickets for England vs Australia Test series
England squad vs Australia
Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Australia squad vs England
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner
