At the fourth Test at Old Trafford, rain ends England’s hopes of keeping the series going. England hoped to win back the Ashes, but bad weather kept returning. They didn’t let a single ball be thrown on the fifth and most important day. There was a short glimmer of hope when the game was set to start at 13:00 BST. The rain returned quickly, making it impossible for England to get the last five wickets they needed to win.
The Ashes | Rain ends England’s hopes of continuing the series
Australia’s second innings score stayed at 214-5, putting them 61 runs behind the home team. With just one match left and a 2-1 lead, Australia kept the Ashes, which they have owned since 2017-18. They are now trying to win their first series in the UK in over 20 years. England was distraught, especially since Ben Stokes had been their captain and Brendon McCullum had been their coach, and they had been playing exciting cricket.
Their goal of winning the Ashes for the first time since 2015 would have to wait. Even though England lost the first two Tests, they fought hard, but winning the series from a 2-0 hole was too hard. The draw also made it longer since 1981 that England hasn’t won an Ashes Test at Old Trafford. The next Ashes Test there isn’t set to happen until 2031. The final Test starts on Thursday and will take place at The Oval. The games were exciting throughout the series, but the fourth Test was a massive letdown because the home team won from the first day on.
England played well
In this Test, England played very well. They showed their skill by keeping Australia from scoring more than 317 runs and by scoring an impressive 592 runs. But the fact that it rained most of the last day made it harder for them to win. The weather was a big reason this Test ended in a tie. England should also consider the chances they wasted in the first Test at Edgbaston and the poor opening performance in the second Test at Lord’s.
As the teams prepare for the last Test at The Oval, England may need to change its bowling attack because of illness and tired players. However, Australia can be happy that they kept the Ashes, even though they know the weather immensely helped them. Marnus Labuschagne’s important century in the second innings was a big part of why England didn’t win and ended in a tie. Australia’s main goal was to win the Ashes outright, not just keep them. They will have done this fantastic thing if the final Test ends in a tie.
