Last Updated on 1 year by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: The Oval London weather forecast for 5th Ashes Test | What is the weather forecast for the 5th Ashes Test?
The weather is arguably the biggest talking point in cricket right now after the Manchester rain denied England an opportunity to level the series at 2-2.
This Ashes series, which has been enthralling and topsy-turvy in equal measure, did deserve a showpiece finish. However, the hosts, who are left to rue key moments in the first two Tests, can still deny Australia a first series win in England since 2001.
Attention now turns to The Oval for the fifth and final Test starting Thursday, 27th July. Here is a look at the weather forecast for the match.
5th Ashes Test 2023: The Oval London weather forecast – will rain have a say?
According to BBC.com, rain is likely to cause interruptions in the fifth Test as well. However, the forecast has improved slightly for day one, with chances of precipitation hovering around 40-60% as compared to 70% a few days ago.
AccuWeather forecasts “mostly cloudy, breezy and humid with a touch of rain” on Thursday. The platform predicts a 71% chance of precipitation during the day, with up 2.5mm of rain expected to fall.
Given moderately breezy conditions are expected, one can hope the rain clouds blow away quickly enough to allow for sufficient play on Thursday.
Days two, three and four look more promising. BBC.com forecasts 0% chance of precipitation from 2pm and less than 20% before that on Friday (day two).
Chances of precipitation are higher on Saturday (up to 48%), with drizzle a possibility late morning and early afternoon. Sunday looks mostly clear, with a peak 21% chance of precipitation at 1pm.
The chance of rain is higher on day five. The chances of precipitation are 66-70% between 11am and 4pm, with thundery showers and a moderate breeze forecast.
With all this in mind, there should hopefully be enough to play see a result in the fifth Test.
What will this mean for team selections?
The Oval is typically one of the better batting surfaces in England. The average first innings score at the ground since 2013 is 320.6. Australia scored 469 in the recent World Test Championship Final against India.
Will Australia pick a specialist spinner this time? Or will pace be the way to go in overcast conditions? Teams batting first have won 60% of the matches on this ground in the past decade. So, bowling last with a specialist spinner can be a matchwinning move.
Time will tell.
