Match abandoned without a ball being bowled (with toss)
19:23 Local Time: Oops, it's official that the match has been abandoned. A radar so appalling that it poured right after the flip of the coin. Rain overnight. Rain in the morning. Rain in the afternoon. Thus, rain has the final say in St Lucia. What a damp squib. Both teams played their best cricket in this series and neither of them deserved to lose. And it is perhaps only fitting that series is tied at 1-1. So, that brings us to the end of the 3-match ODI series between these two teams. Afghanistan will take a lot of heart from here and head back home with lot of pride. West Indies cannot rest, important times coming up for them with a series against India which begins in under a week's time. Cricketing action doesn't stop here. Champions Trophy semi-final between India and Bangladesh starts later in the day. Buckle up and catch all the action. For now it's a goodbye from all of us here. Cya!
19:10 Local Time: "It's past 7 pm now and cut-off time for a 20 over game is 8.17 pm," Tweets Cricket West Indies.
18:32 Local Time: Latest from Cricket West Indies on Twitter: "It's still raining and the wait continues."
18:14 Local Time: With the drizzle still falling, chances of play today are turning increasingly slim. I reckon the players are not yet arrived at the ground. It's that kinda day.
16:42 Local Time: This is frustrating. The drizzle is back and the covers are in place now. More delay, stay tuned
Teams:
Afghanistan (Playing XI): Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Stanikzai(c), Nasir Jamal, Mohammad Nabi, Afsar Zazai(w), Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Fareed Ahmad
West Indies (Playing XI): Evin Lewis, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope(w), Jason Mohammed, Roston Chase, Jonathan Carter, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder(c), Miguel Cummins, Ashley Nurse, Alzarri Joseph
Holder: We wanted to bat first as well looking at the conditions. Gabriel is out. Cummins is in. It's a must win game and we are looking forward for it.
Stanikzai: We will bat first. Batting is our strength. The conditions are wet and we have made two changes.
Afghanistan have won the toss and have opted to bat
16:21 Local Time: "Play will start at 4:45pm in the 3rd ODI. We will have 43 overs per side. The toss is at 4:25pm." says Cricket West Indies on Twitter.
16:17 Local Time: "Good news from St Lucia. The covers have come off and the ground staff have started their work. Looks like we will have some play." Tweets Cricket West Indies.
15:29 Local Time, 19:29 GMT: Unfortunately the covers are still on. We've started losing overs now.
14:54 Local Time: Apparently, the rain seems to have stopped now, but the outfield has taken enough water due to the overnight rains that the toss won't be happening any time soon. Stick around, we'll keep you informed.
14:23 Local Time: Nothing much to update folks. It appears to be still raining. So the toss has been delayed. I'm afraid that the radar doesn't look too promising..
13:41 Local Time: Some bad news to start things with. Cricket West Indies have tweeted, "Heavy rain in St Lucia overnight and all day. Covers still on the square. Will keep you posted with details."
The bowlers have called the shots in this series so far. We have gotten to see some good spin bowling, gritty knocks and partnerships at crucial junctures. West Indies would like their batsmen to not throw away their wickets after getting a start. Afghanistan's rise in the recent years is well documented. This will be another feather in their cap if they manage to seize crucial moments. Toss and teams coming your way in a few minutes..
How much confidence can Afghanistan take from Pakistan's performance? Not much in actuality I would think, but they can go out there and give it a real go, like they did in the first game. Hello and welcome to the third and the final ODI between West Indies and Afghanistan. Both teams have been playing tentatively, neither giving too much away nor taking full advantage. With the hosts managing to sneak past the finish line on the last occasion, we are in for a cracker with both of them needing to win this encounter to stake a claim for the series.
13:30 Local Time: Shock defeats or upsets are not a fresh phenomenon in sporting history; still they manage to surprise many whenever such events occur. Like any other game in the world, cricket is also a game of fortunes. On your day, you can do an unthinkable or when it's not your time, nothing goes right. Earlier in the day, we saw Pakistan usurp the favorites England and progress to the final of the Champions Trophy 2017. Underdog stories can resonate for months, years, and decades - and inspire others to attempt the same astonishing feats.