Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live text commentary of the third one-day international between England and Australia at Edgbaston.
England require a victory to seal a series triumph over their rivals after winning the first two matches.
Michael Clarke's Australian team will be hoping to force their way back into the series with a result and will be determined not to go 3-0 behind.
The weather could prove to be a stumbling block for both team's aspirations with plenty of rain expected at Edgbaston today.
18:15We're going to finish things for today on the live commentary and I'd like to thank you all for remaining so patient ona frustrating day. Join us again soon, goodbye.
18:14England will be so disappointed with the news and they'll now have to wait for another chance to reach the top spot. England do have an opportunity to win the series in the fourth match on Saturday.
18:13The crowd are now starting to leave the ground and I'm afraid that's it for the day. Terrible news for the fans.
18:10Discussions are not looking good, I think that's looking like the game is off. Handshakes all round, surely abandoned.
18:09Captain Cook is with the umpires heading to the Australian dressing room.
18:06The umpires are back once again, announcement surely coming.
18:00Andy Flower and his team will be bitterly disappointed if the match is abandoned. Hopes of the top ODI ranking are quickly fading.
17:58The rain is heavy too, not looking promising. It also means that the last hour of dry weather is now wasted because we're faced with the same problems again.
17:56All of the covers are back on but what a shame if there's no play today. Still a good crowd at Edgbaston.
17:56It's raining again everyone, today's luck can't get much worse.
17:51A lot of the covers are off but the [itch cover remains grounded. Umpires still inspecting but 6pm start has surely passed so we're waiting for a toss.
17:47The umpires are being jeered by the crowd but I do feel for them today. It's been miserable at Edgbaston.
17:41We're seeing the umpires again, toss maybe? Let's hope it's good news.
17:39The toss was scheduled for 5:30pm but the last shower put a stop to that. WIll be interesting to see what either team will do.
17:35I do wonder how happy the bowlers would be with the ru-ups, still not many promising comments from Edgbaston.
17:31The players are warming up but the rain is still around and the crowd have their umbrellas up. I would be surprised if 28 overs per side were possible.
17:21Unfortunately, the rain is heavier now. I'll have no fans after all this bad news today.
17:13The umpires are remaining hopeful but sadly the rain has started to fall again.
17:06If play does start at 6pm, then it will be a 28 overs per side match.
17:04Good news, the umpires have said that play will start at 6pm. Bad news, the clouds over Edgbaston have gone very dark and rain looks like it may be coming.
16:57It's Australia's turn for a word, Mickey Arthur and Michael Clarke are now speaking to the umpires.
16:50With 19:07 the latest play can start, I think the umpires will want around an hour of sun before start of play.
16:46I think we'll need some more sun at Edgbaston to make sure the outfield is dry enoguh to begin play.
16:43The umpires have appeared to inspect the pitch earlier than expected. It's certainly brighter but it's a difficult decision at the moment.
16:37England's bowlers have walked out onto the field, they really want this game to start.
16:36The stumps are in now guys, promising signs. Stay away rain!
16:32The sun is out now and the pitch is being marked out but if the reports of a shower soon is true then we could be frustrated again.
16:28What a shame if England are robbed of the opportunity to go 1st in the ODI rankings. The series with South Africa could bring them another chance though.
16:22The covers have come off for what seems like the tenth time today!
16:21I don't think they will risk it if they are still unhappy with the run-ups that the bowlers will be using. It's just too dangerous.
16:19The bad news is that another shower is expected at around 5pm and I think that may be enough for the umpires to give up hope.
16:12Another inspection at 5pm, the rain really does need to stop to give us some chance of a 20 over game.
16:05Very heavy rain now and Alastair Cook has joined Andy Flower for a conversation with the umpires.
16:02Umpires are inspecting and you'll never guess.... it's started raining again!
15:59More light showers could also be around the area at 5pm, not good news.
15:51The weather forecast is suggesting heavy showers later this evening which would surely bring a halt to any shorter game too.
15:47The covers are completely off now, outfield seems to still be wet by all acounts but inspection is coming in around 15 minutes.
15:42With a shorter game surely in store if play does start, it will be interesting to see what England team plays. Jimmy Anderson is apparently fit but I wonder if they'll save him for the fourth ODI iinstead of risking his groin injury.
15:35The sun has emerged at Edgbaston but it will take a long spell of good weather for the umpires to be pleased.
15:33I think it's a good job Prince William didn't choose to bring Kate to the cricket today. Can't imagine they would be having such a good time at Edgbaston.
15:27If at any point today you do become frustrated with the weather at Edgbaston, you can join my colleague Matt Law for live commentary of today's play at Wimbledon.
15:21Still a good crowd present at Edgbaston today for a Wednesday match but chances of play are slowly fading.
15:17I do feel for Edgbaston this summer though, three days wiped out due to weather during the West Indies Test match and now today.
15:15There's been some criticism for the drainage system at Edgbaston too. The big problems today is certainly the areas close to the boundary.
15:10Update from the umpires is that they're going to have another pitch inspection at 4pm.
15:06The umpires are out on the field, some covers are still on though. No problems with the pitch apparently, just the bowler's area and the outfield.
15:02Just a reminder, 19:07 is the latest a match can start today.
14:57The umpires will be back in a few minutes for their next inspection but if anything, the conditions have got worse after that last downpour.
14:48The covers are coming off as I type this entry. It's debatable how good that news is, the sky is still grey and sunshine will be needed to give us the best chance of seeing a game today.
14:41We could witness a Twenty20 match tonight due to all of this rain. I think that's the best we can hope for today.
14:33Covers still firmly in place at Edgbaston. Miserable weather at the moment.
14:28In other news, the funeral of Tom Maynard has taken place in Cardiff today. More than 1000 people attended the service, tremendous tribute for a superb talent. A big loss to the game of cricket.
14:22Pietersen's absence has not hit England mainly due to the form of Bell, Cook, Bopara and Morgan but as soon as the squad have a tough time you can guess the first name that will be brought up.
14:14It's worth noting the lack of talk about Kevin Pietersen during this series. England have responded brilliantly to his retirement by winning every match since the announcement.
14:10Umpires will be back in an hour for another inspetion, that will be the key point today. If the rain continues for a further hour then I would expect bad news from Edgbaston.
14:09The latest a game can start today will be 19:07. Keep your fingers crossed everybody.
14:07Bad news, the rain is back and it's very heavy. Not good for chances of play now.
14:05Sir Ian Botham: "Just been out on the ground it's soaked....very unpleasant !! Chances of play very slim if it stays dry..! Such bad luck for Edgebaston !!"
14:02The pitches that aren't being used on the square seem to be extremely wet.
13:59The umpires are back but the field does look very wet still. We're awaiting word from them now.
13:58There does seem to be a few players who have claims to be in this side but aren't being considered by Australian selectors. Mitchell Starc has been very impressive on the few occasions that I've senn him. Nathan Lyon will also be wondering why he is not being considered as the main spinner.
13:52The tourists don't seem to have the balance in their side now, seems to be a few players who don't know their role within the squad.
13:49Australia will not to go back home without a win in this series either. How times have changed in this rivalry since the 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia.
13:45Light drizzle has started again and the covers are coming on but it's believed to be only a shower.
13:42I think the main concern will be the ground where the bowlers will be running. The umpires won't take a chance there.
13:40The ground does seem to have retained large amounts of rain and more is expected this afternoon.
13:37England will be desperate for the match to go ahead today. Remember, if England win the series 5-0 then they will move to the top of the ICC ODI rankings.
13:34The umpires will inspect the pitch and the outfield again at 14:30 and fingers crossed we will have a confirmed time for the match to begin.
13:32Good afternoon everyone, there's some good news and some bad news to start today with. It isn't raining at Edgbaston but unfortunately the start of play has been delayed due to the amount of rainfall in the past couple of days.
