The side covers are off, and we're still on for the 17:30 BST resumption.

There are still another 38 overs (theoretically) to get through today - safe to say we won't bowl all of those before the latest this game can finish, at 19:30.

It sounds like not everyone's happy at The Oval...

Northern Horners: Ridiculous this £210 for a family day out and there's one bloke sweeping water off covers down our end - under cover of blue sky.

Tom: Never understand why it takes so long to get playing again when it stops raining.

Melinda Farrell
BBC Test Match Special

Cathryn Fitzpatrick coached the Australian women's team before Matthew Mott, while Belinda Clark is now the team performance senior manager for Cricket Australia, for both men and women.

Alison Mitchell
BBC Test Match Special

How important is it that, before long, we see women's international sides coached by women?

That's a matter of the evolution of the game. We saw women umpires at the World Cup, there are female coaches like Salliann Briggs in the Super League. But there are only six Super League head coaches' jobs. I'd really like to see men's club cricket embrace a female coach - say like Lydia Greenway, who's starting her own coaching business. They will know what it's like to be a part-timer, playing cricket but still trying to hold down a full-time job.

John Bills: A 2/3-1 loss to South Africa isn't the same as a 5-0 in Australia. Root will last longer than Flintoff [as captain].

Some news from BBC Radio Solent - having been left out by England today, Liam Dawson has been added to Hampshire's squad for tomorrow evening's T20 Blast game against Gloucestershire at Bristol.

While we're waiting for that 17:30 BST resumption, as it's England v South Africa at The Oval - remember Devon Malcolm and "you guys are history"? Set the DeLorean for 1994 and take a look back at big Dev's finest hour in an England shirt.

Melinda Farrell
BBC Test Match Special

Australia didn't have an extra bowler, and had to turn to Elyse Villani - who's a part-time bowler at best, when Sri Lanka's Chamari Atapattu got after them, and then again in the powerplay against India when Harmanpreet Kaur was going well. If you're bowling a part-timer in the powerplay, your selection's wrong.

Alison Mitchell
BBC Test Match Special

Captain Meg Lanning had a dodgy shoulder throughout the World Cup, and I don't think Australia got the composition of their team quite right.

Melinda Farrell
BBC Test Match Special

There's been an established women's 50-over competition in Australia for more than 20 years, and the New South Wales Breakers recently became the first fully professional women's cricket team in Australia. When they started paying the national players a few years ago, they put aside some for the state players, and have also brought in the Women's Big Bash League. So there are seven semi-professional squads in Australia now.

Resumption at 17:30published at 16:58 British Summer Time 27 July 2017

16:58 BST 27 July 2017

We're going to restart at 17:30 BST - and can continue until 19:30.

Whlle Adrian (below) is possibly the first person to question Root's captaincy after two Tests, the debate over England's top order will continue - particularly after Keaton Jennings fell for another duck first thing this morning:

Adrian Murray: I have an unnerving feeling, that Joe Root will be the shortest reigned captain in English cricket. Harsh, but the team are down.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at The Oval

You may see a few of these knocking around during this Test. 20,000 are being given away as part of Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign.

Mention of the upcoming Women's Super League - Cricinfo is reporting, external that Sri Lanka's Chamari Atapattu, who hit that incredible 178 not out against Australia, has signed for Yorkshire Diamonds, where she will replace the injured Beth Mooney.

Covers coming off. Hooray.

Ross Harrison: Cook now third highest scorer ever at The Oval., external He's gone past Gower, Sutcliffe & Hammond today. Gooch (not quite) in his sights.

Hashim Amla is on that list - he needs 131 to overtake Don Bradman as the highest-scoring overseas batsman.

'It's a lot brighter'published at 16:49 British Summer Time 27 July 2017

16:49 BST 27 July 2017

Dan Norcross
BBC Test Match Special

The ground staff have been out there constantly with their brooms - it almost looks like curling - but the rain has stopped and it's a lot brighter. It's not the fastest draining ground in the UK but I think it's one of the better ones.

Alison Mitchell
BBC Test Match Special

Getting the video clips out on the BBC website, and the live streaming on the ICC website has hammered home the World Cup and played a big role in drawing people in.

Despite losing four batting partners, Alastair Cook has remained serene at the other end today - here's a couple of his boundaries, the first of which brought up his fifty.