Cricket World Cup semi-final, Black Caps v India: What happens if it rains?

The Black Caps play in a Cricket World Cup semifinal against India at 9.30pm tonight, but the forecast is bleak. Here’s everything you need to know..

The latest from the UK Met Office predicts a cloudy day in Manchester with a max temperature of 18degC and increasing showers. The Met Office reports there’s a 60 per cent chance of rain at noon (local time), 90 minutes into the match, then a 50 per cent chance at 3pm.

There were no reserve days in the 45 preliminary matches but they are in place for the semifinals and final. If the minimum 20 overs per side, which constitutes an official match, are not completed on the original day, play will continue on Wednesday rather than a complete restart, the ICC confirmed.

According to the ICC’s website, if rain persists for the entire day and the game is washed out, the match will then be played the following day (Wednesday), known as the reserve day.

“Where possible, the matches will be held on their originally planned day and in the event of poor weather, there are a range of steps taken to be able to finish the match that day,” reads the ICC’s guide to World Cup semi-finals.

“For example, reducing the number of overs down to a minimum of 20 overs per team needed to achieve a result.

“If there is still no result on the scheduled match day, play will continue on the reserve day, using the same start time and hours of play as the scheduled match day.

The Met Office forecast is better for the reserve day on Wednesday, with a 10 per cent chance of rain for most of the day. If a minimum 20-over match somehow can’t be completed across two days, India progress to the final as top qualifiers.

“If no play was possible on the original planned match day, a full 50-over per team match will commence on the reserve day, weather permitting.

“A tied match will use a super over to determine the winner.”

The weather is expected to clear on Wednesday, but if no play can be completed across both days, India would advance to the final, as the higher-ranked team through the round-robin stages of the tournament.

With patches of rain forecast, a match is expected to be complete on Tuesday, but it may be shorted, with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method playing its part.