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.”
Micko
Roar Rookie
That doesn't mean anything. England needed to chase the game, and prioritised first innings runs rather than second innings wickets. They had at least six bowling options to choose to go for the kill and didn't do it.
Micko
Roar Rookie
What declaration? They were bowled out! :shocked:
Tempo
Roar Rookie
England last held the Ashes in December 2017 when Australia regained them in the third test at Perth. It’ll be 8 years of Australia holding them by the time of the next Ashes in Australia.
Worlds Biggest
Roar Pro
Technically England didn’t declare as they got bowled out, splitting hairs I know. But they batted an hour or two too long which was very costly. They had enough runs and it’s the lack of a declaration on this occasion.
Worlds Biggest
Roar Pro
Agreed, some regeneration is required. Murphy has to play at the Oval. Hopefully we see Morris and Richardson ( if he can ever stay fit ) in the Summer. Need some top order batsmen to emerge.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Despair and resignation don't come into it until the Australians have left the country.
jameswm
Roar Guru
It's sliding doors though - the one decision changes everything that follows. Maybe he wanted to give his bowlers a break too.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Well fair enough. You need to put that on some English site . As I personally, don’t care about that rubbish. As long as you’re fine with entertaining the crowds & not recognising previous tour losses. :thumbup:
Rellum
Roar Guru
Morris and Richardson need to be in the team if fit
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Be good to see Lance Morris worked into the Test line up. But will no doubt be the same 3 this summer, again, especially given the two series are split.
Kamikaae
Roar Rookie
“God Save the King” is in the current English national anthem. Nothing to do with Gough Whitlam.
R N
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
mushi
Roar Guru
What it rained in England? How lucky is that!
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Certainly plenty of bargaining We should finish at 1030 There should be a reserve day Cancel lunch and tea Frightfully little time for them to reach acceptance before the oval
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Exactly right Opeo. Made to order pitches is where the spirit of cricket begins. Bazball afraid to play in their own conditions
Rellum
Roar Guru
As much as we can rejoice in sticking it to the Poms, there are a lot of issues with the current team that need to be looked at moving forward. The batting is weak, the bowling is aging and no young players have been brought through(some should have by now, there are young bowlers about) and the tactics have been atrocious all series. We can’t be naïve and think everything is great because we retained the Ashes
Rubbish Surf 69
Roar Rookie
I think you're right that even if Stokes declared earlier the draw was still very much on the cards. However if he'd declared with 150 lead and set some of the unique attacking fields like in the first test it may have gotten in to the Aussie's heads and stolen a famous victory. He could have done that knowing that even if the Aussies batted themselves back in to the lead the draw still would've been certain. I think it was a missed opportunity.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
The fact that we got to 5/214 tells us that England needed to do that batting. If they did not do it in the second innings then they would have needed to do it in the fourth innings, but there would not have been time to do that batting in the fourth innings because of the rain. Same net result. I think people might be giving Ben Stokes too little credit too. That was a flat wicket. Stokes obviously kept batting because he thought that it would take at least around 80 overs to bowl Australia out and he was right.
William W
Roar Rookie
There must have been plenty of rain as only 270 overs were bowled in total out of 450.
All day Roseville all day
Roar Guru
England's turn to pay the price for white-ball cricket's dominance of the calendar. In the 1980s or '90s this would have been a six-Test series ie still possible for Eng to win it 3-2. Even more recently we might only be up to the second or third Test by now, with the series lasting until late-Aug or early-Sep. And this week might have seen merely a washed-out tour match at Leicester or Taunton. But squeezing five Tests into just seven weeks has cleared the ECB's calendar for its main priority, The Hundred. What are the odds that Aug and Sep will be hot, dry and sunny ? With all players injury-free, mentally fresh, and in top form ?