Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Manchester weather, brought to you in association with desperation and hope. Ben Stokes can bend almost anything to his will, but at this moment in time not even he cannot control the elements. England’s chances of winning the fourth Test, and squaring the series, are in the balance because of a very poor forecast. Tomorrow looks a write-off, and days three and five are likely to be stop-start.
It’s been raining at Old Trafford this morning, though it’s dry at the moment play should start on time. Light rain is forecast from 12-1 and 3-4pm, but that aside it looks okay. At some stage England will resume on 384/4, a lead of 67, after the most extraordinary second day.Â
Zak Crawley pounded 189 from 182 balls, with Joe Root pulling, sweeping and reverse-ramping a 95-ball 84 that was both mischievous and sadistic. By the close Pat Cummins looked less like a man who had played five Tests in seven weeks and more like somebody who had been on a five-day bender: confused, sunken-eyed and in urgent need of the nearest mattress.
It’s hard to reconcile all this with the series score. Australia are 2-1 ahead, lest we forget, and yesterday will count for little if they save this game and retain the Ashes. Apart from some uneven bounce – Root fell to a vile grubber – the pitch looks fine, so if Australia bat properly they should save this game.Â
‘If’ and ‘should’ are doing the work here, if in particular, because CricViz don’t yet do stats on mental disintegration. Yesterday’s chasing must have taken a toll on Australia’s collective morale. We’re about to find out just how much, weather permitting.
