Day 5 preview: England will be busy praying rain doesn’t come in their way of pulling off a series-leveling win against Australia on the fifth and final day of the fourth Ashes Test in Manchester.
The fourth day of the penultimate Ashes Test witnessed rain wreak havoc at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground for a large portion of the day, as a result of which only 30 overs were bowled.
Australia are set to resume from their overnight score of 214/5, trailing England by 61 runs, with the hosts aiming to grab the remaining five wickets quickly to level the five-Test series 2-2 and take their quest to regain the urn to the decider at The Oval.
Australia, seeking their first Test series win on English soil in over two decades, resumed from their overnight score of 113/4 with Marnus Labuschagne tasked with the responsibility of steering his team towards safety. With the possibility of an Aussie victory quite low due to England’s massive first innings lead, the visitors were playing for a draw hoping the inclement weather would aid their cause.
Labuschagne, who was batting on 44 at the close of play on Day 3, would go on to bring up his 11th Test hundred while steering his team past the 200-mark. The South African-born No 3 batter steadied the Aussie ship with a 103-run fifth-wicket stand with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, and was looking to bat out till tea when he was dismissed by part-time spinner Joe Root shortly before the end of the second session.
Rain then made its way back to the venue right after the players went back to their respective dressing rooms, and ensured the evening session was washed out without a single delivery bowled. At the close of play, Marsh was batting on 31 with fellow seam-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green unbeaten on 3.
Earlier, opener Zak Crawley smashed a blazing 189 off just 182 deliveries — his maiden Ashes ton and his fourth in Tests overall — while five others struck half-centuries. Wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow later smashed an unbeaten 99 off just 81 deliveries to get England within touching distance of 600, and was left stranded on that score by the time James Anderson, the last batter in, was trapped leg-before-wicket by Cameron Green.
Australia won the first two Tests in Edgbaston and Lord’s by two wickets and 43 runs respectively to go 2-0 up before England halved the deficit with a three-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley.
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