CARDIFF: Rain again washed out a match in England’s series against Pakistan for the second time as the third Twenty20 international in Cardiff on Tuesday was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

England remain 1-0 up with one to play at The Oval on Thursday after a 23-run win in the 2nd T20 at Edgbaston followed an opener at Headingley where bad weather again meant no play at all was possible.

Archer, Buttler star as England beat Pakistan in second T20

This four-game series is meant to act as a warm-up campaign for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States, with reigning champions England set to start their title defence against Scotland in Barbados on June 4.

Rain in Cardiff on Tuesday started to fall steadily an hour before the scheduled 1730 GMT start, with a capacity 15,600 crowd expected in the Welsh capital for England’s penultimate game before the T20 World Cup

But the bad weather delayed the toss, with the pitch and square at Sophia Gardens remaining fully covered.

And soon after a 1910 GMT inspection, the umpires abandoned the match due to a saturated outfield and persistent rain.