Ben Stokes of England looks on as the umpires carry out a pitch inspection on day four of the LV=Insurance Ashes 4th Test Match between England and Australia at Emirates Old Trafford on July 22, 2023 in Manchester, England. Picture: Clive Mason/Getty Images.
England’s victory charge in the fourth Test against Australia was frustrated by the rain on Saturday, with no play possible before lunch in a match they must win to regain the Ashes.
The home side, who have dominated the game at Old Trafford, are 2-1 down in the five-match series.
Australia are 113-4 in their second innings, still 162 runs behind England, who posted an imposing 592 in their first knock.
Persistent rain in Manchester meant large areas of the playing surface were under cover as knots of fans huddled under umbrellas.
Ground staff started mopping-up operations and removing some of the covers shortly before 1:00 pm (1200 GMT), with the umpires due to inspect the pitch an hour later if there is no further rain.
But the forecast for the fourth day of the match on Saturday and Sunday’s final day is dire.
Ben Stokes’s men are desperate to ram home their advantage and level the series — they must win it to regain the Ashes from holders Australia.
England restricted world Test champions Australia to 317 in their first innings before racing to 592 all out, thanks largely to a breathtaking innings of 189 from Zak Crawley.
Fast bowler Mark Wood ripped through Australia’s top order on Friday with a superb burst of 3-17, dismissing Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and Travis Head.
Jonny Bairstow, who was left stranded on 99 not out in England’s first innings, was sanguine about the weather after Friday’s close.
“The weather is the weather,” he said.
“What comes will come and we can control what we have done so far in the game, which is score at a rate that puts us in a position that hopefully forces a result.”
Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood admitted the tourists would welcome rain-enforced delays.
“We’re well behind and it’s easy to see that,” he said.
England are bidding to become just the second side in Ashes history to win a series from 2-0 down.
The Australia team of 1936/37, inspired by batting great Don Bradman, overturned that deficit to win 3-2.
The tourists won a nail-biting first Test at Edgbaston by two wickets before winning the second match at Lord’s by 43 runs.
England bounced back to win the third game of the series at Headingley by three wickets.
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