An early lunch will be taken at Headingley on day four between Yorkshire and Middlesex.

This Specsavers County Championship match was already heading for a draw even with a start on time at 10.30am and a full day’s play.

Unfortunately, that is not going to be the case due to heavy overnight and morning rain.

Umpires Jeremy Lloyds and Richard Illingworth called for an early lunch at 12pm when they will inspect an outfield which has taken a lot of water, with puddles having formed at the Football Stand End.

Middlesex are currently 108-3 in their reply to Yorkshire’s 358 in their first innings.

Yorkshire will take 10 points and Middlesex eight from the tenth match of the season.

The two teams would therefore swap places in the Division One table as a result; Yorkshire going fifth and Middlesex sixth on 113 and 112 points with three more fixtures to play.

If second-bottom Somerset beat Warwickshire at Edgbaston, where the start has also been delayed with them needing four wickets to win, they would cut the deficit to Middlesex to 12 points.

A draw would mean a 22-point gap.