England and New Zealand have been made to wait for the second Test to begin due to a day of poor weather at Headingley.
The tourists were hoping to start to avenge the first Test by producing a promising display on day one of the final match of the series.
However, regular showers throughout the day meant that a ball was not bowled before umpires made the decision to abandon play just before 4.00pm.
Play will now begin at 11.00am on Saturday.
Good morning everyone. We're back again for more live coverage following that fascinating first game at Lord's. I'd love to tell you how exciting the first morning will be but I'm afraid I've got some bad news...
It's very, very wet at Headingley and the start will be delayed due to the weather. The umpires have said that they will inspect the pitch when the rain stops, which might not happen today!
The forecast looks awful for most of the day but don't lose hope just yet. Wind is as much of a problem as rain at the moment and it's a bit of a challenge just to keep the covers on at the moment.
One man who will be desperate for this game to begin today is Stuart Broad. England's hero from Lord's heads into this game on the back of a seven-wicket haul and he'll want to continue that form in Yorkshire over the next five days.
If the rain does stop today, it will take around 90 minutes for the ground staff to get the field ready for play. So any play before lunch is quite unlikely at this point.
During the first Test I spoke about how big England's summer is but Alastair Cook has once again urged his team to not look to far into the future. The captain told BBC Sport: "We know what's coming up in the summer, but we have to focus on this game and these five days. That's the way you have to operate, so that's how we will operate.
Cook continued: "Winning is vitally important - we want to win every game and series we're involved in. It sounds simple but it will take a lot of hard work."
Cook has always been able to say the right things in interviews but for England fans especially, it's very difficult to not count down the days until the Australians arrive.
There's also the ICC Champions Trophy to consider before the Ashes, too. England will be one of the favourites on home soil and a good display in the tournament is surely one of the big targets this year.
If you've got any comments about this Test, the Champions Trophy or the Ashes, then tweet us @sportsmole or visit our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/sportsmole?ref=ts&fref=ts
Back to the Ashes. Will England ease past Australia as many people are predicting? The hosts will surely be the favourites but you can bet that Michael Clarke's side will produce their best over the five Tests.
The umpires have confirmed that lunch will be taken at 12.30pm.
There's still rain coming down at Headingley but the forecast suggests there could be a sunny period just after lunch. How long that spell lasts is another question.
Due to the forecast we're yet to hear what the two teams are. Tim Bresnan could come in for Steven Finn but I wouldn't be too surprised if England named an unchanged side.
New Zealand spinner Bruce Martin is heading back home with a calf injury and Daniel Vettori has been added to the squad. However, the former captain is not yet ready to return to action following a lengthy absence, according to Brendon McCullum.
Vettori's fitness seems to still be a concern for the Kiwis but his experience in the one-day series could prove to be very important for the tourists.
All of the covers are still on at Headingley and the ground staff are doing their best to get the water off the outfield but at the moment, the rain is destroying any chance of play in the next couple of hours.
A possible problem for the Kiwis could be the balance of power in the side. All seems to be well at the moment but with two former captains (Ross Taylor & Vettori) in the side, could McCullum feel undermined?
I've got a little slice of good news for you. The rain has stopped at Headingley and it's a bit brighter in Yorkshire, so we could still see some play.
We just need this good weather to stick around for a while to allow the ground staff to prepare the field of play. We're a long way off some cricket at the moment though.
Lunch is to be taken in eight minutes and if the rain can stay away during that period, the ground staff could be able to clear the field for some play this afternoon. However, I don't think it's the last we will see of rain clouds for the day.
We're also going to take a quick break during the lunch interval. Coverage will resume in around 35 minute so make sure you're back to see if the game can begin this afternoon.
Welcome back everyone. The rain has stayed away during lunch but the ground staff are still busy at work trying to get this game started.
When this game does finally begin, it will be very interesting to see what the winner of the toss will do. It may be cloudy around Headingley but the pitch has been uncharacteristically good for batting this season.
A few of the England players have come out of the dressing room to take a look at the conditions. There's a lot of staring at the skies going on but it's still not raining.
The umpires have appeared in the middle for the first time today and it looks like they are going to conduct an inspection of the playing area.
Oh dear, I guess we should have seen it coming. The umpires eventually make their way out to the middle and just as they begin to inspect the field, it starts to rain once again. This delay is going to last a bit longer.
Sadly, the rain is heavier than it has been all day. Too much of this weather and the day's play could be abandoned.
It's just going to be a frustrating day, I'm afraid. The rain has stopped again but I think the showers will keep coming back.
Remember, the ground staff will need around 90 minutes of uninterrupted dry weather to prepare the field and pitch for play today.
Some people have chosen to leave Headingley despite the sunshine above them but they can see the puddles in the outfield and are probably confident of grabbing a bite to eat before play begins.
Obviously a day without play will only suit England as New Zealand need a victory in the second Test to claim a series draw. Cook has spoken about securing a whitewash though and he'll be confident of winning again.
We shouldn't be surprised about the rain. It's nearly June, what else do you expect?
The weather can't decide what it wants to do at the moment but don't lose hope just yet. There might still be time for a crazy couple of hours like we saw at Lord's on Sunday.
As we wait for some promising news, let's have a look at who needs a big performance in this match. Who needs some runs? Who must produce an impressive bowling display over the next five days?
IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR - JONNY BAIRSTOW: The Yorkshire ace has been given a number of chances by the selectors but has struggled with the bat since his two half-centuries against South Africa at Lord's last summer. Bairstow cannot let another opportunity pass him by while Kevin Pietersen sits out with a knee injury and a big score could keep him in the picture for the Ashes.
IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR - STEVEN FINN: Some may disagree with me about Finn after the bowler took four wickets at Lord's but in truth, he didn't bowl that great in the first Test. As the rest of his teammates celebrated victory on Sunday he went out to the middle to practice his approach to the crease with bowling coach David Saker. Finn has struggled for form with Middlesex too and his place could be under threat by the returning Bresnan.
IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR - BRENDON McCULLUM: The New Zealand skipper will have probably lost some sleep after witnessing his side collapse at Lord's on Sunday. After leading his side so well in the reverse series earlier in the year, he'll want to end the duel with England on a positive note. A big innings may be required to inspire his side in Yorkshire.
IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR - MARTIN GUPTILL: A year ago it would have been ridiculous to suggest that Guptill would struggle to get into the New Zealand team. However, due to the form of Hamish Rutherford and Peter Fulton, the batsman is struggling to cement a place in the squad following an injury. BJ Watling's absence means that Guptill will bat at six in this game and he'll want to impress the selectors to remind them of his quality.
The current conditions at Headingley are dry but with showers expected to come soon, there's no sign of play yet. They must begin before six but there must be 90 minutes of dry weather to prepare the field.
It's not dry anymore, sorry. There's barely a soul inside the ground now and you can't really blame anyone for that.
Do you agree with my four picks for who needs to perform in this Test? If not tweet us on @sportsmole or visit our Facebook page.
Of course, it's always a big week for Cook. After starting his career as skipper by beating India in the winter, his side's progress was stalled by the draw in New Zealand. If he can get to the end of this summer with a couple of series victories and a good display in the Champions Trophy, then he'll look back on his first year in charge with a smile.
It's much brighter at Headingley now and I'm sure the ground staff will be discussing if they can get this game started. If the rain stays away we could be on in around 90 minutes but that's obviously a long way off.
Tea has been taken early and the covers, unfortunately, are still on.
It looks like we'll have a four-day Test on our hands if this weather continues. The forecast for the weekend looks very good so we should expect two full days.
We keep being told that 90 minutes is needed to prepare the pitch for play and that play must start by 6pm. So, expect a decision to be made in the next 45 minutes.
I'll be honest with you, I'm not confident at the moment. Showers seem to be coming back as soon as the sun begins to shine and the forecast is not too promising for the next couple of hours.
BREAKING NEWS: The umpires have confirmed that the first day of this second Test has been abandoned. We'll have to try again tomorrow.
It's been a very frustrating day but as I said earlier, the forecast for tomorrow looks good. Make sure you join me at 10.30am tomorrow morning when we are likely to see this match start. Goodbye.
