- Updates from the fourth day of play at Old Trafford
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Slap on the factor 50, knot your hankie, and make sure that portable hand-held plastic fan thingy has a brand new battery in it, today is going to be a belter. Well, comparatively. In the way that The Wiggles occupying the front bench of the House of Commons would be an upgrade on the current state of parliament.
For the first time this Test the Met Office reckons there is practically no chance of rain falling on Old Trafford, and we may even see prolonged spells of sunshine. The scheduled 98 overs will be bowled with a gentle northerly, as opposed to the biting westerley that has turned a few fielders into Michelin men. The top, wait for it, could get as high as 17 (seventeen) degrees! Unfurl the bunting and pre-pour the pints, for today is a day to celebrate.
Day three was nip and tuck Test cricket of the old fashioned variety and Vic Marks has written all about it right here.
Three late-evening wickets from Josh Hazlewood have left England with a mighty struggle to save this game and keep the pursuit of the Ashes alive. In a six-over spell just before the intervention of bad light Hazlewood dispatched two of England’s most adhesive batsmen, Rory Burns and Joe Root, who had assembled a dutiful partnership of 141. Then he clean bowled Jason Roy, who attracts many adjectives which do not, however, include “adhesive”, whether batting or fielding.
Written by Jonathan Howcroft (now), Geoff Lemon and Rob Smyth (later)
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2019/sep/07/ashes-2019-england-v-australia-fourth-test-day-four-live under the title “Ashes 2019: England v Australia fourth Test, day four – live!”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.