Third and final Test between England and Proteas to resume on Saturday

The third and final Test between England and SA will resume on Saturday to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and honour her remarkable life and service.

This was announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board on Friday afternoon.

After the cancellation of Friday’s cricket fixtures as a mark of respect after the announcement of her death, the ECB confirmed that play in all cricket matches will resume from Saturday, including international, domestic and recreational fixtures.

The series-deciding final Test was scheduled to start on Thursday at The Oval, with England winning the toss and asking the visitors to bat first.

However, after numerous rain delays and pitch inspections, play was abandoned shortly before 6pm SA time on Thursday evening.

The decision has been taken after consultation with DCMS and in line with Official National Mourning guidance.

This means the women’s T20 match between England and India also goes ahead at the Riverside stadium in Durham.

The scheduled match between England and Sri Lanka men’s U19 along with recreational cricket fixtures will also take place as planned.

A minute’s silence will be observed followed by the national anthem before the start of each match and all players and coaches will wear black armbands.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.