10-year-old text exposes sickening England hypocrisy as rain continues

After only 30 overs were bowled on day four, today looks increasingly like being completely washed out as rain continues to fall in Manchester.

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You all know what that means – the urn will be staying in Australian hands. And the Poms are handling it about as well as you’d expect.

12.40am – Puddles forming on the outfield

England will stretch this as long as is reasonable, but surely we’re not too far away from the match being called off as puddles form on the outfield.

Whoever is managing the video board has a sense of humour.

12am – 10-year-old tweet exposes hypocrisy

British media personality and cricket lover Piers Morgan has been, shall we say, rather vocal about how disappointing it would be if England is denied an opportunity to keep the series alive today.

“It will be the greatest travesty in the history of Ashes cricket if the trampled, battered, beleaguered, Bazballed, desperate, white-flag-flying Aussies now avoid inevitable defeat and retain the urn because of bloody rain,” he wrote ahead of day four.

But the internet never forgets.

A 10-year-old Morgan tweet posted during the 2013 Ashes, which England retained via a washout in the Third Test, has been doing the rounds today.

Then England captain Alastair Cook was a little more subdued when he described what he felt like in the dressing room that year.

“It’s obviously a great feeling and a slightly strange feeling,” he said. “It’s been a bit of a strange day – the weather hasn’t been ideal and it hasn’t quite got the atmosphere because of that. But the feeling in the dressing room is a very pleasant one.”

No doubt it will be very pleasant in the Aussie sheds today too if they can secure a draw.

But Morgan isn’t the only one complaining – or calling for change.

Former England captain Michael Atherton said it “would be cruel” for the series to be decided in this fashion.

“You can look back at times in the series where England have missed opportunities with out a doubt … but just looking at this game, England have absolutely hammered Australia up until now,” he said.

“And it would be very cruel if two days of rain – in the middle of July – doesn’t allow them the opportunity to win this game.”

The Barmy Army posted this:

And Joe Root made the suggestion play should continue until 10pm if that’s what it takes to get a result.

“It doesn’t get dark here in England until 10pm in the summer, why can’t we just play until we bowl the overs?” Root said.

“There’s been a lot of chat about not bowling the overs. There are so many different ways of trying to find opportunities to get as much play in as possible. At every opportunity at every stage you should be looking to find ways to get the Test on. We batted in worse conditions at Edgbaston, but that is cricket. You just want consistency in those conditions.”

The BBC’s Henry Moeran backed the call. “What is cricket for if not for entertainment?” he tweeted. “Why does play need to start as late as 11? Why must it always stop at 6.30 when the sun is shining? Will today be the day when long-held frustrations lead to practical changes?”

But instead of clutching at straws perhaps England should be looking at itself.

Why prepare a batting paradise of a pitch for a match where you needed a result and had bad weather forecast?

Three-and-a-half days of cricket have been played, more than enough time if the hosts were good enough.

Perhaps if Jimmy Anderson could improve his strike-rate from a wicket every 37 overs we wouldn’t be having this conversation?

And that’s before we consider the opportunities missed in the first two Tests. And all the other matches and series in cricket history impacted by rain.

Give us a spell, please.

11.15pm – Rain only getting heavier in Manchester

Play won’t be starting anytime soon – if at all – as the rain continues to fall at Old Trafford.

8.59pm – Still raining, another pitch inspection

It’s still raining in Manchester, but another pitch inspection has been scheduled for 9.15pm AEST.

If play can begin with no further rain, then lunch will be taken at 9.20pm with play beginning at 10pm AEST.

7.32pm – Pitch inspection

It isn’t raining currently at Old Trafford, but there is some misty rain hovering around the ground.

A pitch inspection is scheduled for 8pm AEST, but it doesn’t look like we’ll see any cricket anytime soon.

7pm – Rain forecast is England’s worst nightmare

Just when England started to dominate the Ashes, the UK’s pesky rain had to wreak havoc on their hopes of pulling off a remarkable series comeback after turning the screws on Australia in the last two Tests.

All eyes are on Manchester’s weather forecast on Sunday, and it doesn’t make for pretty reading for England.

There is a 90 per cent chance of rain in the Manchester forecast, so we might not see many overs bowled at all.

“Wet morning with heavy and persistent rain. Rain continuing throughout much of the day, turning somewhat lighter and more showery during the afternoon with some brief drier spells,” the Met Office forecast for Sunday.

Marnus Labuschagne said there was “zero chance” Australia would declare to give England a target to chase to win the game.

England’s Stuart Broad said it would be “unjust” for a rain-affected draw to decide the Ashes.

“Sitting in the changing room watching the rain fall on Saturday, there was a feeling it would be unjust if the weather had a decisive say because it’s been such an incredible few weeks to be a part of,” Broad wrote in the Daily Mail.

“It would be such a damp squib, such an unemotional way for a series between two great rivals to be defined.

“We just need another window to open to complete the job on Sunday.”

Originally published as 10-year-old text exposes sickening England hypocrisy as rain continues