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Australia have retained the Ashes after persistent Manchester rain forced the final day of the fourth Ashes Test to be abandoned.
Under pressure to try to save the game, Australia had been poised to resume on 5-214 with 61 runs still needed to make England bat again.
But instead they were able to watch the rain fall throughout the day, allowing them to retain their 2-1 lead in the series with one more match to be played.
There had been a brief hope of play after lunch on Sunday, but moments after the umpires approved a 1pm start, the rain returned.
And from that point it never let up, before umpires and the two teams agreed to call the match off at 5:23pm.
Australia’s effort to retain the Ashes marks the fourth straight series they will have them in their keeping, after winning them back from England in 2017-18.
But the draw in Manchester marks an incredibly anti-climactic way for Australia to retain the urn, after a series of high drama and close matches.
“Obviously not the best circumstances,” captain Pat Cummins said.
“2019 felt a little bit different (when Australia retained the Ashes at Manchester). It was a climax late on day five.
“This feels a little different. It’s not been our best week, so rain probably helped us out there.”
England already felt aggrieved by their controversial 43-run loss to Australia at Lord’s earlier this month, furious when Jonny Bairstow was stumped in the run chase.
Stuart Broad. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
The first Test at Edgbaston was also won by Australia in thrilling circumstances, after Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins put on a match-winning 55-run ninth-wicket partnership.
England hit back to make the ledger 2-1 with a three-wicket win at Headingley a fortnight ago, and this Old Trafford Test has been the first lopsided match of the series.
After England dominated the opening three days of the contest by having Australia all out for 317 and hitting 592 in reply, only 30 overs have been possible across the final two days.
Australia, though, can take credit for resisting England for the two hours of play on a rain-affected and shortened Saturday, with Marnus Labuschagne the only man out on day four for 111.
Mitch Marsh also soaked up 107 balls for his 31, proving his worth after keeping his spot in the team following a run-a-ball century at Headingley a fortnight ago.
With the urn now safe in their keeping, Australia remain desperate to win the series in Thursday’s fifth Test at The Oval.
Cummins has long maintained his side have no interest in only drawing the series, as they eye off being the first Australian men’s team to win an Ashes series in England since 2001.
That desire is partly driven by the fact Australia walked away with an empty feeling from England four years ago, when they retained the urn with a 2-2 series draw.
“Whatever happened today doesn’t really change the way we look at next week,” Cummins said.
“We’re here to win, we want to try and do something an Aussie team hasn’t done for 20-odd years.
“It’s a big motivator for our group. No one in our group has done it before as a player.”
© AAP
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