Play is already starting early, at 09:30 local time in Durban, given this is the first October Test at Kingsmead, a setting where the sun sets shortly after 18:00 at this time of year on South Africa’s eastern coast.
Still, on day one, play was halted at 15:23 local time after clouds built. Only 65.2 of the scheduled 90 overs had been bowled and the players were unable to return.
Day two was slightly better with play continuing until 16:25, but that finish was still 35 minutes earlier than it could have been. Day three’s end came at 16:31.
On each occasion, the first two sessions have been played in hot, sunny conditions, only for clouds to build in the afternoon – a familiar weather pattern in Durban.
“Very quickly in the morning, as temperatures have risen inland as the sun heats the ground, a sea breeze has formed with winds coming from the sea into Durban,” said BBC weather presenter Chris Fawkes.
“This has increased humidity levels through the morning and brought some cloud in. As temperatures have started to fall again towards the evening, this has increased the relative humidity with the air getting increasingly saturated.
“That has caused the cloud to get thicker and lower.”