England v Australia, 4th Test, Old Trafford, 19-23 July, 2023

Crowd strangely subdued yet again.

England toothless with the wet ball.

Draw.

Ashes retained by the Green un Gold.

PeterCS wrote:Crowd strangely subdued yet again.

England toothless with the wet ball.

Draw.

Ashes retained by the Green un Gold.

And a hollow(ish) victory for us at the Oval, as we say thanks for the memories Jimmy, you’ve still not won a series here since the Twin Towers were standing, Aussies, but bugger, we really should have the urn?

Labuschagne stuffs up again.

Root outbowling Moeen convincingly.

PeterCS wrote:Crowd strangely subdued yet again.

England toothless with the wet ball.

Draw.

Ashes retained by the Green un Gold.

Unless another 90 overs are washed out across today and tomorrow, your mob will still will this game.

lardbucket wrote:Root outbowling Moeen convincingly.

If only he could bat 3, he’d be our frontline spin all-rounder

Bon Jovi ringing out around the ground, we may be halfway there, but we’re livin’ on a prayer in terms of the weather holding out.

Australia 61 behind. The Bairstow-Anderson partnership yielded 66 while the Australian bowlers (presumably on Cummins' instruction) bowled nowt but short tripe.

Reminiscent of the Mailey quip.

lardbucket wrote:Australia 61 behind. The Bairstow-Anderson partnership yielded 66 while the Australian bowlers (presumably on Cummins' instruction) bowled nowt but short tripe.

The story of the series really.  The Aus tail has added bugger all per innings, while the English tail has been very productive.

Anywho, unless another half a day (at least) is lost to rain, it is highly unlikely Aus will get out of this one.

And if it is 2-2 at The Oval, I expect England to emulate DGB's team's 1936/37 effort of winning the series 3-2 after being 2-0 down.

Forecast looks hopeful for Aus for Sunday...

lardbucket wrote:Australia 61 behind. The Bairstow-Anderson partnership yielded 66 while the Australian bowlers (presumably on Cummins' instruction) bowled nowt but short tripe.

Yep. Patty hasn't covered himself in glory in this series.

skully wrote:Forecast looks hopeful for Aus for Sunday...

With Marnus' soft dismissal yesterday, England will only need 15-20 overs today.

Plenty of time for that between 11am and 7.30 pm.

BTW - There are some tasty odds on England to win the series at the moment.

Get on it for the greater good.

How can they be playing golf on a reasonably dry looking course in Liverpool in apparently fine weather without a brolly in sight, but it's too wet to play cricket an hour up the road in Manchester? (And as an expat I know all about Manchester's reputation....)

What chance if any of a session of two later in the day??

Looks doubtful...

Twitter link

Hmmn.. rain rain stay today.

If this ends up a draw as it seems likely this is Karma for Oz not winning a toss and the weather conditions generally favouring England in the series to date.

Slow over rates and the vanity project in trying to get a ton for Fatty Dropstow may be looked back on unfavourably.

I keep dreaming of holding a hunger strike demanding the sacking of the GCS.

Although Marnus will be disappointed that he got out on 111, it may well be that his 173 ball vigil may well have saved Australia.

His 103 partnership with Mitchell March held England up throughout Day 4, and got Aus through to Day 5.

At this stage, approaching 4.00pm on Day 5 with the rain still falling, that effort may well have decided the Ashes.

Excellent result because I can say, all at the same time, with perfect credibility that:

1. AHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHA England is $hit.

2. AHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHA Australia is $hit.

3. AHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHA English weather is $hit.

I rest my case.

Thank you, FG Berner.

Can’t burn anything. It’s raining, or haven’t you heard?

Wow even for him Atherton was remarkably bitter, insulting and churlish during the presentation.

The pathetic Pom over rate and failure to declare knowing the weather is totally on them.

Your bloody town Athers....your ancestors went to Lords a thousand years ago (approx) and somehow convinced the powers that were that planting a cricket pitch in the middle of a place where it rains 362 days a year (and it would drip off the trees the other three except there ain't any) was a spiffing corker of a wheeze.... doesn't that look like an Einstein marvel of an idea right now?