Ground Weather and Light | Page 25

• When making decisions regarding starting, continuing or resuming play, the umpires must err on the side of caution and must prioritise safety over and above the optimisation of play, irrespective of the state of the match. If there is any doubt as to the likely threat of lightning, the umpires should • not start or should suspend play; if play is already suspended, they should not resume play until they have agreed that the threat has passed. • The following 40/30 protocol should be considered by the umpires: • Play should not start or resume, or should be suspended and shelter immediately sought, when there are 40 seconds or less between the flash of lightning and the associated thunder clap. It is generally safe to return to the field of play a minimum of 30 minutes after the final flash of lightning or clap of thunder has been seen or heard. It might be possible to start or resume play earlier than 30 minutes