8.30pm Sri Lanka vs Nepal is washed out. The rain all day was heavy, and even though it got light very late, it was too little too late. Nepal earn their first points as a result, so do Sri Lanka.
Both Nepal and Sri Lanka would've wanted a game because this fixture was one they'd both fancy to win and lift their tournament campaign. Sri Lanka are alive in the tournament, but barely, now not only needing other results going their way but also a washout! Nepal play South Africa three days later, having last played a match eight days previously. Visuals show Chris Silverwood talking to the umpires and the Nepal players thanking their enthusiastic fans for turning up. This result also confirms South Africa as the first team to make the Super Eights.
For now, we're signing off from this page, but remember to hop onto Australia v Namibia game that has just begun. Bye!
Daffer : "How is Sri Lanka still alive? Even if they beat Ned, whichever one of Ned or Ban that wins their match will have more points than SL. I don't see a qualification route for them?" -- Netherlands v Bangladesh will have to be a washout, plus other results need to go SL's way, plus they need a big NRR boost. Yes, its awfully tough but not 0%.
8.20pm With rain and thunderstorms predicted across the week, the Florida leg of the World Cup could cause a bunch of washouts. Remember, this is the first game in Florida, and later we have Ireland (twice), Canada, India and Pakistan playing three fixtures here.
Ram Panta: "ICC must learn from all this situation, when you choose venue for big tournaments you have to check weather season, available venues for playing, cricket culture and entertainment of cricket and supporting government not like USA new venue, VISA Denied for big players etc. You much have to check all the conditions before announcing the big tournament. "
7.45pm Next inspection scheduled for 8.30pm. Play needs to start by 10.47pm for a five-overs-a-side game. While we wait, here's our SL correspondent Andrew Fidel Fernando on why the 2024 tournament is making cricket great again
samraat: "It's been terrible scheduling so far. Nepal had to wait 8 days for their second match and now there's chance of washed out." -- Tough gig scheduling a World Cup with so many teams across such a large geography if you ask me! The rain is frustrating though...
Over at North Sound, Australia have opted to bowl against Namibia.
Sugam Adhikari: "Taking sick leave today--catching a serious case of Nepal vs. Sri Lanka cricket fever. Go Nepal"
Biru: "It is currently 5:10 am in Nepal. Thousands of people have alrarmed their clock and rushed to Sano Gaucharan ground to watch the live screening. I just wish we have a game today. "
Zubair: "What a gut-wrenching update. Thank you, though. An already disheartened fan from Pakistan. "
lns: "Being optimistic and Hoping for some good cricket today "
Zenith: "I just wanna cry as a Nepalese fan looking at the ground's condition right now. Since we lost a close match against Netherlands, this match is really crucial. If we had won our first match, this washout wouldn't have been a problem for us."
Nikhil: "I'm looking at the radar right now and it seems there is some clear holes….so maybe it is going to clear soon! Matheesha will be key on a wicket like this!"
7.10pm Vaguely positive update folks: The rain has stopped. Reliably informed that there are some very wet patches near the boundary line, especially straight down. According to the live broadcast, it might take about 90 minutes to get the ground ready provided there is no further rain.
Odinlass: "Were the previous two or three WC's also played in this format? Wondering what the response to washout induced knockouts will be. Would having five groups of four make more sense then?" --- Not sure the format is going to help too much with regard to mitigating weather-related results I'm afraid. But if you're interested in just how devastating rain made it for teams in knockout scenarios in the past, let me introduce you to the farce that was the rain-rule circa '92 (look away now South Africa fans).
But if you can turn away from the misery that is the weather today for a moment, this has certainly been the World Cup of upsets and Fidel posits that that is exactly the shot in the arm cricket has been crying out for.
Odinlass: "Bummer" --- Took the words right out of my mouth. Sure Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel will be pretty bummed as well, he was eyeing up a pretty tasty upset.
Eli: "Hate to bring bad news, but it has rained over 2 inches today in the Lauderhill area due to a tropical disturbance in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. A flash flood warning has just expired for the area and there is a chance the rain could stop around 11pm but between the cutoff time and rain received today, this game is not getting played. And with plenty more rain to come this week, Friday's USA-Ireland game is in doubt, which is good news for USA and bad news for Ireland and Pakistan."
If the game does not indeed go ahead, here are the current qualification scenarios as they stand. Shared points here means Sri Lanka are virtually out of the tournament, they will now need to beat Netherlands in their next game and hope Bangladesh lose to both Nepal and Netherlands. As for Nepal, wins against South Africa and Bangladesh, along with Netherlands losing their next two, will see them through.
6.45pm The latest from Cameron is also pretty dire reading I'm afraid: "Almost no chance of cricket this evening. Latest we can start is 10:48 for a five over match, but that means we basically need it to stop raining by 9 so the ground staff can start clearing it up."
6.40pm Morning/evening folks! The action moves to sunny wet and gloomy Florida, and the early prognosis is not a good one sadly. It's been bucketing down in Lauderhill and a flash flood warning is in effect. This is Sri Lanka v Nepal, and it'll be Madushka Balasuriya and Shreshth Shah bringing you some action today hopefully.
