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Ashes 2013: Rain set to disrupt final day of third Test

By Sam SheringhamBBC Sport at Old Trafford

Last updated on .From the section Cricketcomments336

Old Trafford

England could retain the Ashes with the help of the weather on Monday, as rain is forecast to hit Australia's hopes of winning the third Test at Old Trafford.

Australia, leading by 331 and expected to declare on 172-7 overnight, must win to keep their hopes alive but a draw looks most likely.

Heavy rain has fallen in Manchester and is forecast to continue during the day.

England only need to draw the series to retain the Ashes, and they lead 2-0 with two Tests to come after this one.

The hosts have been in charge of the series until Old Trafford, winning the first Test by 14 runs before thrashing Australia by 347 runs in the second.

And even if the rain does not affect proceedings on Monday keeper Matt Prior says England have "a lot of confidence" they can save the third Test.

Prior admitted England would be "more than happy" with a washout, but added: "Forecasts in England are pretty good at being wrong and it would be very dangerous for us to rely on rain or forecasts."

The rain is not forecast to clear until 18:00 BST on Monday.

If the weather did clear up earlier, England could be required to bat for as many as 98 overs to preserve their 2-0 lead in the series, but Prior is undaunted by the prospect.

"The one thing about this England team is that we have become tough to beat," he explained on Sunday. "We've been in this position a few times in the recent past. We'll have a lot of confidence going into tomorrow that we can save the Test.

"It's a good batting wicket - there is the odd ball that bounces and turns, but you'd expect that from a good Test pitch on the fifth day.

BBC weather forecast for Old Trafford

"The key will be getting through the new ball. When the ball gets softer it will still spin, but not as quickly, and it becomes harder work for the seamers as well."

Sunday's play, which saw England avoid the follow-on by scoring 368 all out, featured the latest in a string of controversies over the decision review system (DRS) as England claimed a catch behind after David Warner missed a pull at Stuart Broad.

Umpire Tony Hill's not out verdict was upheld by the third umpire when Hot Spot failed to show a mark on Warner's blade, only for the Snickometer - a technology aid not available to the officials - to indicate contact between bat and ball.

Prior said: "There was disbelief because he hit it and that was why we referred it. When you are that sure of it and it is still given not out that is quite frustrating.

"Whether the technology needs to be looked at, or how they use the technology, I don't know but I think that for the players at the moment it is the biggest frustration."

Listen to the Test Match Special podcast as Geoffrey Boycott and Jonathan Agnew review each day's play.

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336 comments

  • Comment posted by U15574597, at 09:16 5 Aug 2013

    What you need to remember is that Australians genuinely believe they control the weather over in Aus.

    Seriously as a Brit if you have ever met an Aussie they will almost certainly, within 5 minutes, start banging on about the brilliant weather over there - as if it was some sort of personal achievement, that they choose to have good weather.

    Thus they believe us Brits have chosen rain today.

  • Comment posted by Mian, at 08:14 5 Aug 2013

    Michael Clarke blaming the umpires, when he's to blame. Either declare early or get 650. Great bat, poor captain.

  • Comment posted by RetroGirl, at 08:16 5 Aug 2013

    England HAVE retained the Ashes by their performances on the pitch. They turned up and won two Tests with skill, hard work and commitment. The forecast for this Test was always iffy at best, so why did Australia bat so long in the first innings? Well played England.

  • Comment posted by tonep, at 07:57 5 Aug 2013

    England don't control the umpires, or the rain, or the rules of the game. If we did, we'd change the lot.

    Those with memories longer than a gnat will recall England are already 2-0 up in this series.

  • Comment posted by U15712565, at 08:10 5 Aug 2013

    5. treetop91

    Winning by default? Don't forget that bad light/rain deprives both sides....Australia would have had to declare at some point yesterday given England a chase. True it would have been a stern test, but there are no guarantees Australia would have bowled us out.

    A couple of bowlers might not have performed and a batsmen scored out of his skin. With rain, there are no definites

  • Comment posted by U15268088, at 08:05 5 Aug 2013

    I am not blind to the fact that Australia have outplayed England over the first part of this match.
    But I do think England would have liked to have 25 overs yesterday and all day today to have gone for the win.
    It is not just Austrlaia who lose out with this rain. England had every chance of scoring 60 odd last evening and having around 270 to get today.

  • Comment posted by Robbo, at 08:25 5 Aug 2013

    A load of tosh written in this HYS by people who obviously dont know their cricket. England did nothing that any other side would have done in the same circumstances. They deserve to win the series by a long chalk and hopefully they will. They are the much better side.

  • Comment posted by U14971557, at 08:02 5 Aug 2013

    It's a shame that the weather looks set to be the factor that keeps the Ashes in England's hands, but that's the way the game goes. If you read some of the comments on the Sydney morning heralds user section, the Aussies seem to feel that England have cheated by time wasting. Would they have done anything differently in the same situation ? Sour grapes methinks.

  • Comment posted by U14971557, at 08:13 5 Aug 2013

    Assuming England win one of the two remaining test matches at least and take the series either 3 - 1 or 3 - 0, that's a pretty comprehensive series win. So why all the outrage from the Aussies about being "cheated" out of this test? They put up a great fight, but weather was always going to be a factor at some stage.

  • Comment posted by Icarus21, at 09:02 5 Aug 2013

    I don't buy this whole 'empty way to win'.
    Australia where never going to win the last 3 tests of the series and England have already played well by winning the first 2 tests. An unfortunate way to win yes, but well deserved.
    I also agree Clarke has lacked courage and has clearly tried to avoid a whitewash buy playing for the draw, or don't they have weather forecasts down under?

  • Comment posted by tonep, at 08:38 5 Aug 2013

    NW Europe has been in the path of Atlantic fronts since at least the end of the last Ice Age. Not sure how it takes the average Aussie to get a clue, but I would have thought 10,000 years would be long enough.

  • Comment posted by BrunoDante, at 08:19 5 Aug 2013

    Michael Clarke would have known the forecast and he could've declared earlier but he chose to bat on, in the process he pretty much guaranteed the match would be a draw. Obviously the weather makes getting a win difficult but his only real chance was to have England 2 or 3 down by the close last night and hope for a couple of hours play today. Maybe he played it a bit too safe.

  • Comment posted by U15430877, at 09:16 5 Aug 2013

    Oh Barbara et al - you poor, polite and deluded souls. England played their hands superbly in this game. Clarke declared too early and can only blame himself. Do you think the Aussie's would care how they won the Ashes? Or care for us losing? It's supporters like you guys that would drag us back to the 'Plucky Underdogs' of the 90s. You can keep your fair play and remorse, I prefer England winning

  • Comment posted by tonep, at 08:14 5 Aug 2013

    5 treetop

    Eh? The series is 2-0 England, if this ends in a draw its still 2-0 England. How is that winning "by default"? Its winning by getting 20 wickets twice . Right?

    7 jack

    There's a lesson there jack, dont read the SMH user section. Bong eyed and bent out of shape since the First Fleet that lot.

    13 barbara

    Oh you're pretending to be English this week? Back to American next week then eh?

  • Comment posted by The Great BfB, at 08:07 5 Aug 2013

    Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

    No series in England goes unaffected by the weather; this is England!

    Shame Australia didn't put a score on the board before rainy Manchester. Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

  • Comment posted by Stuart, at 14:51 5 Aug 2013

    Funniest thing in the world and better entertainment than watching England bat the day out, is reading all the comments from the bitter Aussies and even more bitter Indians (some pretending to be English),grasping at every straw and whining like world whinger champions.

  • Comment posted by U12490138, at 10:10 5 Aug 2013

    Credit to the Aussies for being on top in this game, but England are a tough side to beat, as shown by the Aussies taking 139 overs to bowl England out in their 1st innings. The English batting has again stood firm under pressure, and that's the difference between the sides. Rain or no rain, the Aussies missed their chance by failing to make England follow-on.

  • Comment posted by U5605654, at 09:18 5 Aug 2013

    @ 73

    "Erasmus confirmed play would have continued had England bowled spin."

    --

    Are you having a laugh? Which or our part timers should we have introduced? Trott, Pieterson? Root? Maybe we should have just gifted aus an extra 200 runs in the 'spirit of the game'.

    Unfortunately, they don't like it up em.

  • Comment posted by U15398562, at 08:59 5 Aug 2013

    i see the aussies moan machine is in overdrive, sigh...........we would have batted out a draw today, harris is knackered, kp's first innings knock ensured we would get a draw

    welll done england for retaining the ashes!! \o/

  • Comment posted by U15268088, at 08:58 5 Aug 2013

    pretty clear that Clarke has no faith in his team.
    They say that he is an aggressive attacking captain. but was petrified of going 3-0 down (and almost more importantly matching all time 7-0) so he held off declaring about 50 runs too many to guarrantee the draw. We, (as did he) all knew it would rain most of Monday.

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