*Official* Fourth Test (Old Trafford, Manchester) 19-23 July

[SteveNZ]

Australia were the better team in the 09 Ashes be quite a margin. One of cricket history's biggest travesties

Just like 01 when Australia were the vastly better side for 1.8 Tests but almost (should have) lost the series to NZ. That's why we love Test cricket, it has so many layers and we can argue the toss for decades

 

[Anil]

Rain forecast in Manchester tomorrow

 

[Niall]

Varun Aaron. Think it broke his nose or cheekbone, was a nasty injury.

Such a weird bowler insanely quick and terrifying at times but he loved bowling junk.

 

[Qlder]

Australia lost their main spinner after 1.5 tests and didn't play a spinner this test, but Smith and Labushagne have only bowled 1 over each in the whole series

Another case of Cummins being too rattled by Bazball to bowl them. Root seems to have done ok as part-timer

 

[TheJediBrah]

Neither team were great tbh but Aust were there way down and England on there way up

Their

 

[Victor Ian]

Their

there there!

 

[Croadymeister]

It's a fair enough point.

The weather will almost certainly rob us of the win here and that's disappointing and its a real shame for the game that there will probably be no decider at the Oval.

Instead of a test that would absorb the cricketing world, the series may ebb away as a bit of a damp squib, literally and metaphorically.

But the real damage will have been done at Edgbaston. A match that we should have won, we lost and from there it's a big uphill battle to win the series.

Yeah Edgbaston will rightly be the one which comes under the most microscope. Staggering we couldn't take those last two wickets

 

[Croadymeister]

New ball is the key in that case

But can't really trust the weather reports any more after today

Yeah hopefully accuweather forecast is similarly accurate to what it was yesterday

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah hopefully accuweather forecast is similarly accurate to what it was yesterday

#voodoo

 

[GIMH]

Hearing the rain has been #cancelled

 

[Adders]

It certainly burns from an Eng pov to have this test pulled from under us by the weather but in all honesty we can't complain too much......should never have got 2-0 down. Was always a tough road back from that.

It's just a shame from a series perspective though. 2-2 going into The Oval was just a mouth watering prospect it would have been a massive thing for cricket.

 

[Croadymeister]

It certainly burns from an Eng pov to have this test pulled from under us by the weather but in all honesty we can't complain too much......should never have got 2-0 down. Was always a tough road back from that.

It's just a shame from a series perspective though. 2-2 going into The Oval was just a mouth watering prospect it would have been a massive thing for cricket.

Yeah unfortunately it feels like we have woken up a bit too late to set up the most incredible comeback

 

[GIMH]

Fairly resigned to a draw here, still feel like drawing the series will mean more than in 2019. Maybe I’m just telling myself that, but still feel more up for The Oval than I did four years ago

 

[Croadymeister]

#voodoo

Yeah I have probably cursed us now

 

[Croadymeister]

Fairly resigned to a draw here, still feel like drawing the series will mean more than in 2019. Maybe I’m just telling myself that, but still feel more up for The Oval than I did four years ago

Nah drawn series will hurt so much more than 2019

 

[Victor Ian]

So much gambhir on the weather. There will be enough gap today to finish things off. Everyone was glued to the weather saying there was no chance of play yesterday. What you have to understand with weather forecasts, is all those percentages are over an area. sure it said 90% and then actually rained in the area, but the forecast is not for the ground, specifically. There will be another gap today and Australia will rightfully lose.

Somehow Australia didn't lose yesterday. They've had their moment of resistance, but now it's Englands turn for fortune again. Australia are rattled and they wont last another spell.

 

[Victor Ian]

Fairly resigned to a draw here, still feel like drawing the series will mean more than in 2019. Maybe I’m just telling myself that, but still feel more up for The Oval than I did four years ago

After 0-2 a draw is a win. After 2-0 a draw is a loss.

 

[halba]

Around one hour of play today max- today is worse than yesterday

 

[GIMH]

After 0-2 a draw is a win. After 2-0 a draw is a loss.

Agreed. If it’s a draw England should get the urn

 

[loterry1994]

Absolutely no side is happy with a drawn series here. Aus being 2-0 and drawing is disappointing. With England it could of been 2-0 to them but they also came in with a lot hype having beating previous teams with their new style.