4.45 pm Sorry this is late, but the news is improving in Napier. The rain has stopped and there will be another inspection at 5.30 pm. We might be able to squeeze in a T20.

Neil: "The current bowler for New Zealand in that under 19 game is called Christian Leopard. Now that name is a commentators dream, imagine the puns!"

Ahsan Butt: "A T20 without Afridi would be quite interesting to watch."

Faiz: "I say we have a one over match. Pakistan and New Zealand vs. Justin Green. We all know there can only be one winner..."

4.10 pm While it continues to be wet in Napier, today's action from the Under-19 World Cup has begun. Ball-by-ball coverage for Ireland v India, Pakistan v Afghanistan, Canada v Sri Lanka and New Zealand v Nepal.

Scott: "I am at work right now, but does anyone know if that match is on NZ TV? Need to know if I head to the Pub after work or home to support our up and coming cricketers?"

TPain: "Seeing its raining I believe a rendition is on order. All together now: 'There's only one, Hairy Javelin...'"

4.00 pm The next inspection is in 30 minutes but I'm not optimistic about good news.

 

 

Alex: "wow Munro was batting at 10... he probably realized that he could hit the ball towards Justin Green..."

3.35 pm The umpires have inspected the conditions in Napier, where the outfield looks quite wet. I'll have news for you shortly ... and here it is: There will be another inspection at 4.30 pm.

Bruce: "I wish people would stop saying that every time an ODI is scheduled for Napier it rains. Statistics don't back that up. Cricinfo shows McLean Park has been the venue for 42 scheduled one-day internationals since the ground's first in 1983, with only six disrupted by rain in Napier - four in March and two in the last few days of December. By comparison, five of the last 12 ODI matches scheduled at Eden Park Auckland in the last six years have been disrupted by rain."

Neil: "Interesting having a look at the scorecard of the Nepal vs NZ under 19 match that Prashant linked to. There are plenty of good current domestic players and fringe black caps in there including Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett and Colin Munro. Strange that Munro was playing as a bowler and batting at number 10. It must have been before he realised that he could hit the ball out of the stratosphere."

Yashas: "Can't Justin Green just blow the clouds away from Napier?"

Bazza: "Justin Green? JUST INtellegent & GREat ENtertainer"

Phil Grey: "The weather is looking a bit brighter now so here hoping we can get some action today. We have had some classic rain shortened matches in the Bay in the past. 1992 Cricket World cup was a classic when MD Crowe hit 74* of 43 balls. On that note, Rod Latham bowled very well that day with bowling attributes similar to Grant Elliot."

3.10 pm Umar: "We used to play "maram-pitti" in Pakistan in rain, that's hitting each other with a taped tennis ball as hard as you can, how can these guys can't play cricket with so much protection in rain...?" Was that a fun game, maram-pitti? I've played Kings, where you have to hit people below the knee with a tennis ball. That wasn't painful at all unless people got angry and aimed higher.

Jakob : "Good to see that McCullum is back in the squad where has he been lately can someone please tell me." Nathan?

Arslan: "We used to play different version of King where you have to kick a person below the knee. Is that the same thing?" Certainly not. My version improved aim tremendously, trying to hit a pair of moving legs below the knee. Stumps were child's play after that.

CS Manish: "Blasphemy! Justin Green did not burnout! He simply collected an NOC from the Kiwi board to represent Earth in the MCL (Mars Cricket League). Much like Sparta, Planet Earth sent just one person to represent it. Naturally, the obvious choice was Justin. "

Prashant : "Justin Green Playing? Then the Minimum total Pakistan will face if there's atleast 22 overs .. 22*6*6 + Extras = ?"

Jakob : "Nah Brendon he hasn't played in the last couple of matches." Brendon will be back for the third ODI if his recovery goes as planned.

Dickson: "@Jakob, he has been taking mentoring from Justin Green, who was a better orator than the great Christopher Hitchens, in prep for his spirit of cricket lecture. He learned so much that he has had to re-learn cricket. Justin Green has since allowed Napier to rain so that Baz has a little more time to re-learn his approach to the game."

Nab: "Oh, yes the grand maram-pitti. The ball definitely stung like a bee given when a couple of us guys could throw 85+mph but was so much fun."

LNR: "Mccallum re-injured his back in a T20 against Sri Lanka trying to save a boundary. At best would have saved two runs now has missed 6, 7, 8 more? games. Enthusiasm and commitment is great but was it worth it? "

Praneeth: "We used to play a similar but no particular name for it. Two teams - One team tries to get the other team out by hitting them below their hip using a tennis ball. But they can defend using a bat. They players who get out can defend their team mates using their full body." That sounds truly bizarre.

Darryl: "The Hawkes Bay farmers just love it when an International ODI is scheduled for Napier....it is almost guaranteed to rain."

Prashant : "Our version of kings the running person could only hold the ball with slipper in his hands or with his fists in take. Btw could you tell how many comments are there till now asking who justin green is? Justin green hailed from NewZealand & mostly appears in a EspnCricinfo Commentary of a NZ match when it seems no match is possible. He makes it happen " The Entertainment." He is the hero a rainy day needs ...

Brad: "Umar, when it rains in NZ we usually play Rugby. That's why the season is ten months long and starts in summer."

Mustafa: "Another game like "Maram Pitti" is "Pitto Garam". In which one tem have to build 7-stones building without been hit by a ball. "

Dickson: "They say that the rules of the game were changed so that even if both batsmen are run out at each end, only one is out for that ball. This was because administrators wanted an innings to last more than one over, as Justin Green had a habit of throwing down the stumps at both ends and always running out both batsmen."

 

2.45 pm We are 45 minutes away from that scheduled inspection but the forecast is not good.

 

 

Prashant: "How is NZ U-19 side this time? We Nepalese have lots of hope from our boys. We still remember that match when Nepal won against mighty NZ side featuring Guptill and Southee www.espncricinfo.com/u19-worldcup/engine/current/match/237744.html"

Ben: "There is heaps on the internet regarding Justin Green. For example: whoisjustingreen.wordpress.com/" Oh wow, I had not seen that before.

muhib Ali: "I don't want to see a 20 over contest because nz opener is Guptill and ours is Azhar Ali. I want 40-overs contest, our players might play full 40 overs."

2.30 pm Still raining in Napier. There's supposed to be an inspection at 3.30 pm.

Khaqan Khan: "ESPNcricinfo, your preview said yesterday that the weather will ease in the afternoon and now everything suggests that it won't." Apologies, but if we could predict the weather perfectly, imagine what else we could do.

Shahrukh: "Oh these international cricketers are such divas. In Pakistan I have played cricket matches during thunderstorms in near darkness (and the captain never accepted that as an excuse for dropped catches) And believe me, stakes are higher in street cricket." Pride, honour, glory - we've been there.

Kashif: "On which sports channel this match is being telecast in India." No one is showing it. Poverty in an era of plenty (of TV channels).

Sammy McCool: "@Goat Maclean Park has proven to be a happy hunting ground for the Black Caps. Welcome to the jungle could be an appropriate song for local cult hero Doug Bracewell. I must admit my black jeans are a little wet from the walk up to the ground."

Matt: "Mohammad....Justin Green is one of those never in anyone's lifetime characters, was also pretty good at lawn bowls. True great in anything he wanted to do. Unfortunately we never saw how good he could have really been...."

Imran: "I remember when i didn't show up for a match (Street cricket) on a rainy day the captain wasn't talking to me at all and didn't let me play in next couple matches. Ahhh ... those old golden Street Cricket Days!!!"

Khaqan Khan: "Commentator, tell me honestly that when you sleep at night after a full match, your fingers hurt or not because you've typed so much and so fast?" A hand massage works wonders. A washout is an easy - but undesirable - gig.

2.15 pm

 

DanSyed: "Need to get plastic or fiber bats, to make cricket suitable for rainy weather. ICC needs to work here else the global warming and weather changes may make cricket a game of the past - God forbid." I've occasionally wondered what impact the proliferation of modern bats - ones that hit the ball a mile but break easily - has had on willow stocks and the environment.

Mohammad: "Who is this Justin Green? I tried looking him up but couldn't find anything." Like the ghost who walks, though there's plenty of literature on that.

Khaqan Khan: "You had lost your commentary posts and i was again and again checking my internet connection because whenever i updated, the commentary page would be empty. Its okay, it can happen. I would have not signed off, I love ESPNcricinfo." And we appreciate it immensely.

Chris: "Hows that for optimisim then eh? 'We'll come back in two hours for an inspection'. What happens if it suddenly becomes blaring hot and the pitch dries up (I kn