The ICC World Test Championship Final is set to unfold on June 11 between two giants of the game -- Australia and South Africa -- at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Scheduled to run until June 15, the match also has a reserve day in place on June 16 to accommodate any weather interruptions. But will the opening day of this marquee clash be affected by rain or poor conditions? Let’s take a look at the weather forecast for WTC final Day 1.
The defending champions, Australia, arrive at Lord’s with confidence, coming back with nearly the same squad that won the title in 2023. The only absence is David Warner who announced retirement from Test Cricket. Adding to their confidence is the possible presence of Josh Hazlewood, often seen as their lucky charm for the fact that he never lost a final in his career.
However, standing in the Aussies way is Proteas' own talismanic, Temba Bavuma. Since taking over as Test captain, Bavuma remains unbeaten, leading South Africa in nine matches with eight wins and one draw.
Australia Vs South Africa WTC Final Day 1 Weather Forecast:
According to Accuweather, on Wednesday, June 11 there will be an ideal cricket weather at Lord’s, with a pleasantly warm high of 25°C under partly sunny skies and 64% cloud cover. With just an 8% chance of rain and no thunderstorms expected, play is unlikely to be disrupted. A moderate breeze from the east-southeast at 15 km/h, gusting up to 32 km/h, may slightly influence swing and outfield movement.
The UV index will be high at 6, so using sunscreen is preferable. As evening sets in, temperatures will cool to 15°C under increased cloud cover (94%), but conditions will remain dry. With over 16 hours of daylight and a full moon rising at 10:21 PM, it’s set to be a great day for cricket at the Home of Cricket.
Squads:
Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne
