The Ashes 2023: Australia retain the urn after rain ensures fourth Test ends in draw

Play was called disconnected astatine 17:25 BST pursuing persistent rainfall each time astatine Old Trafford

England's hopes of an Ashes comeback were heartbreakingly ended by rainfall that near the 4th Test arsenic a gully and ensured Australia clasp the urn.

There was a little spread that allowed a commencement to beryllium scheduled for 13:00 BST, lone for the rainfall to return.

It meant England did not get a accidental to propulsion for the last 5 wickets they needed to unit a win. Australia remained connected 214-5 successful their 2nd innings, 61 runs down the location side.

At 2-1 up with lone 1 lucifer to play, holders Australia volition astatine slightest bent connected to the Ashes they person possessed since 2017-18 and volition present look to implicit a archetypal bid triumph successful the UK since 2001.

For an England squad playing specified a thrilling benignant of cricket nether skipper Ben Stokes and manager Brendon McCullum, the hold for a archetypal Ashes triumph since 2015 goes on.

After losing the archetypal 2 Tests they were attempting to go the archetypal England squad to travel from 2-0 down to triumph an Ashes series, but it was excessively large an ask.

This effect besides extends an England winless tally successful Ashes Tests astatine Old Trafford that dates backmost to 1981, with the adjacent Ashes Test present not scheduled until 2031.

The last Test of the bid astatine The Oval begins connected Thursday.

• Reaction to Australia retaining the Ashes

England beaten by the weather

In a bid that has delivered thrilling, gripping conclusions to each of the archetypal 3 Tests, this was a colossal anti-climax.

The astir one-sided contention to day - the hosts person been successful complaint of this Test from the archetypal greeting - has ended successful a gully shaped by the elements. It is the archetypal gully successful 17 Tests since Stokes and McCullum took complaint of the England team.

With that, the fitting imaginable of a bid decider astatine The Oval and England's changeable astatine the historical accomplishment of coming from 2-0 down to triumph the Ashes was washed away.

Knowing that atrocious upwind for the play was ever likely, Stokes' broadside were superb successful this match, making the moving from the infinitesimal the skipper won his 4th consecutive toss.

They were fantabulous to trim Australia to 317 each out, awesome successful piling up 592 and had triumph successful their sights connected Friday evening, erstwhile the tourists closed connected 113-4. Since then, lone 30 overs person been bowled.

Despite the grim forecast, expectant fans inactive turned up astatine Old Trafford connected Sunday greeting arsenic groundstaff worked to wide dense overnight rainfall from the outfield.

Not agelong aft the delayed commencement was announced, it started to rainfall erstwhile more. Some of the England players emerged to play football, but yet adjacent they had to admit decision and returned to the dressing country soaked to the skin.

While it is close to accidental England person been beaten present by the rain, it is besides close to bespeak connected the errors that led to them being 2-0 down.

England person been the amended broadside crossed the series, but paid a dense terms for missed chances successful the archetypal Test astatine Edgbaston and a sloppy first-innings batting show successful the 2nd Test astatine Lord's.

They took the momentum from triumph successful the 3rd Test astatine Headingley into an awesome show present and present indispensable prime themselves up from this disappointment to support the agelong unbeaten grounds successful location Ashes series.

England whitethorn request to refresh their bowling onslaught for The Oval. Chris Woakes is struggling with a quad occupation and Stuart Broad has played each 5 Tests this summer. Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue would beryllium the candidates to travel in.

Australia cling on

Australia tin observe retaining the Ashes but volition cognize they were fixed a immense helping manus by the weather.

They omitted off-spinner Todd Murphy successful this Test successful favour of packing their batting and it has yet paid dividends.

The tourists are besides indebted to Marnus Labuschagne, who made a captious period successful the 2nd innings to support England astatine bay, peculiarly successful the abbreviated transition of play that was imaginable connected Saturday.

Labuschagne is 1 of the fewer Australia batters improving crossed the series. David Warner's struggles successful England are continuing, portion the returns of Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Travis Head and Alex Carey are diminishing.

But possibly the biggest interest for the visitors volition beryllium the mode they crumbled successful the look of England's batting battle connected the 2nd day astatine Old Trafford. Their 3 frontline gait bowlers went for a full of 392 runs from a combined 75 overs, portion skipper Pat Cummins looked devoid of energy, ideas and authority.

Still, Australia volition beryllium leaving this state with the Ashes and the World Test Championship they won by defeating India successful the last astatine The Oval successful June.

After a drawn bid present successful 2019, Australia's stated purpose this clip has ever been to triumph the Ashes outright, alternatively than conscionable clasp them.

Thanks to the Manchester rain, they inactive person that chance.