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It wasn’t the total washout many Australians were praying for, but a fighting century from Marnus Labuschagne has combined with the elements to take the visitors a step closer to drawing the fourth Ashes Test, and securing the urn.
Still trailing by 61 runs with five second-innings wickets remaining, England will remain confident of securing an emphatic, series-levelling win should play be possible for at least part of Day 5 – but having taken just one wicket on a rain-affected fourth day thanks to Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh’s (31 not out) stoic rearguard, the fate of the series will rest with the elements.
Just 30 overs were possible – though 30 more than were expected heading in – as the expected Manchester deluge descended on Old Trafford, with only a break in the rain during the afternoon allowing an uninterrupted middle session before it returned to wash out the rest of play.
With England also only able to call on the spin of Moeen Ali and Joe Root due to bad light for much of it, their task was made all the tougher to dislodge the Australian pair, though Root did look the most menacing of the bowlers and at last ended Labuschagne’s stay on 111 after finding bounce to elicit a top edge well taken by Jonny Bairstow.
Thanks to the rain, Australia now have genuine hope of holding out for a draw even if some play is allowed – especially if Marsh, Cameron Green (3 not out), Alex Carey and the tail can scrounge the visitors a lead on the final day on a pitch which failed to produce the uneven bounce seen at stages across the first three days.
Marnus Labuschagne is caught by Jonny Bairstow. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
The greatest shock of the day came when the umpires confirmed play would be possible at all, with heavy rain through the morning washing out the first session and covering the ground in puddles.
A repeat of Australia’s collapse at Headingley after a similar morning washout on the third day seemed possible when James Anderson was handed the ball by Ben Stokes to begin play at 2:45pm ahead of an extended middle session; but despite having surely been hoping not to have been required, Labuschagne and Marsh took to the task with aplomb.
Resuming on 44, the Queenslander looked determined to at last capitalise on a start after a series of misses throughout his time in England, clipping Mark Wood away through mid-wicket to bring up his second half-century of the match.
With Marsh keen to take the fight to the quicks, risking an ugly dismissal by flipping Chris Woakes over mid-wicket and just out of the reach of Moeen Ali in the deep for four, there was no question of battening down the hatches from the pair – though a nasty blow on the gloves from a Wood riser did give Labuschagne the chance to bring out the physio and waste precious time.
Having failed to secure a breakthrough with a conventional approach in the first hour, England resorted to another bouncer barrage after drinks: setting a short leg, three catchers in the leg side and a fly slip, Stokes encouraged even Anderson to break out the chin music.
But where Wood had found success with the short ball in removing Steve Smith and Travis Head the previous evening, the slower offerings of Anderson and Stuart Broad presented few problems for Labuschagne and Marsh, the pair leaving anything that couldn’t be safely kept down and working everything that could for singles.
With the partnership cruising past 50, England hit another snag: as Stokes turned to his talisman Wood for another spell, the umpires intervened, bringing out the light meter and deeming it unsafe for the quicks to bowl.
On came Moeen and Root – a more than reasonable spin pairing, at any rate, though Labuschagne in particular seemed to relish the change as he skipped down and launched the latter over long-on for his first six of the innings.
With Moeen struggling with consistency once again, Marsh cashing in on a full toss and dispatching it through cover for four, it was Root who provided the day’s first near miss.
A ball after being once again clouted over his head and into the stands by Labuschagne to jump into the 90s, Root almost denied him a century with a surprise outswinger that moved and gripped viciously, the first sign of uneven bounce for the day: it was the extra speed, in the end, that saved the Australian, his thick outside edge past Zak Crawley at slip and to the boundary before he could react.
Now on 97, Labuschagne would reach his 11th Test century, and just his second overseas, with a trio of singles, a quick one wide of mid-off bringing up the milestone and a subdued celebration from a man knowing his job was only half done.
As the tired centurion began to waver in his concentration, again tempting fate with a late cut off Root that sailed just wide of Crawley again, the pair would nevertheless bring up a priceless century stand, with Marsh punching Moeen through the covers to bring his share up to 31.
With tea closing in, though, the breakthrough would arrive: Labuschagne again looking to cut Root but brought unstuck by extra bounce, Bairstow clinging to a tough catch on the juggle and demanding a review when umpire Nitin Menon was unmoved.
Sure enough, Ultra-edge would detect a thick edge, a despondent Labuschagne forced to trudge off with three figures to his name, but having failed to take his team to safety.
With Root continuing to take chances, a Marsh inside edge nearly pouched one-handed by Harry Brook at short leg, the looming tea break had he and Cameron Green eyeing respite close at hand.
They couldn’t reach it without one final scare, though, England reviewing a claimed inside edge onto Green’s pad and to Root at slip off Moeen; however, this review would go the visitors’ way, the ball snaking past Green’s bat and having hit him well outside the line to survive both the catch appeal and the chance at an LBW.
Having negotiated an extended middle session for the loss of just one wicket, Australia’s reward came shortly after tea was called: the rain returned, and from there wouldn’t cease. Having survived 107 balls, Marsh’s innings, though nowhere near as spectacular as his Headingley century or even his 50 in the first innings, may yet prove the most significant of his career.
With the forecast looking miserable – depending, of course, on your perspective – for the final day’s play, it remains to be seen whether another break in the clouds will give England a chance, however long, at taking Australia’s final five wickets… or whether Labuschagne’s century and Marsh’s stoicism have saved a match that looked lost.
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