Whisper it quietly, but there is a bit of blue sky peeking from behind the clouds and the hover cover has moved off the square.

We should be on for a 11:00 BST start.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

Amid the crowds of mid-morning beer drinkers I’ve just spotted a guy with a wicker basket, containing a flask, rain coat and various tin foil-wrapped goods. The Joe Root in a sea of Bazballers, if you will.

Here some key stats from our friends at Cricviz:

• Zak Crawley played 25% false shots on route to his century yesterday, the sixth highest false shot percentage for a Test ton since records began in 2006
• Australia came in for some criticism around the lengths they bowled to Crawley, perhaps bowling too full. However, he punished them when they did pitch up, scoring 45 off 30 full deliveries.
• Pat Cummins has struggled to find movement in this Test, with just 0.9 degrees of lateral movement - no bowler in the Test has found less.

Great to hear, Leanne. Welcome to the weird and wonderful word of Test cricket!

BBC Test Match Special

Test Match Special is now live. You can listen by clicking the link at the top of this page or via BBC Sounds.

For those of you outside the UK, you can listen to Test Match Special via our Youtube link., external (with some restrictions).

Andy Zaltzman
Cricket statistician on Test Match Special

ANSWER: 101 for 3.

In home Ashes matches from the first Test in 1989 up to the Headingley game this month, England had added on average 32.4 for the first wicket, 32.6 for the second, and 36.1 for the third.

In the same games, Australia lost their third wicket, on average, with 132 runs on the board (156 for 3 in their period of dominance from 1989 to 2001; a less imposing 114 for 3 in the series since 2005).

In 1985, England reached 300 with two wickets down in the 3rd Test at Trent Bridge, and with one wicket down in both the 5th Test at Edgbaston and the 6th Test at The Oval.

The Crawley-Root stand, of 206 at 6.94 per over, was the fastest-scoring Test partnership of 200 or more ever recorded. It was also England's first double-century stand in a home men's Ashes Test this millennium. The previous one was in 1997, by Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe, who put on 288 for the fourth wicket in the first Test at Edgbaston.

Thank you for all your ZaltzQuiz guesses. Time for the answer...

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport chief cricket writer at Old Trafford

The mayors of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire have urged the England and Wales Cricket Board to rethink the venues for the 2027 men's Ashes.

Neither Old Trafford or Headingley will host a Test in four years' time.

Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham and West Yorkshire's Tracy Brabin have expressed their "disappointment" in a letter to ECB chair Richard Thompson.

Southampton will host its first men's Ashes Test in 2027, along with Lord's, The Oval, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge.

It will be the first time since 2015 that the Nottinghamshire ground has staged a men's Ashes Test.

As it stands, the ongoing Test at Old Trafford will be the final men's Ashes Test held north of Nottingham until 2031.

Read more here.

Callum (9:51) has delivered.

No brand names of course (this is the BBC) but this is a great start to the day.

Phil Tufnell
Former England spinner on 5 Live Breakfast

I’m drawing breath after another sensational day of cricket. What's not to like? Zak Crawley with one of the most exciting innings I've seen in an Ashes series. For me it was just spectacular.

There is some rain expected tomorrow and a little bit on Sunday as well, so they’ve got to get a bit of a move on if they want level the series. But at the moment they're in a fantastic position.

They are 60-odd ahead at the moment. They are going to probably look to come out this morning, play positively, get up to perhaps a lead of 150, 200 and then get bowling. It’s so difficult with weather around you, you can't expect it to rain, but it does sort of play on the back of your mind. And it's always there. So, they're just going to go out there, play positively and try and turn them over and get it done as soon as possible.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

Ben Stokes is bowling off-spin in the warm-ups. It looks tidy.

So many Daily ZaltzQuiz answers coming in, I'm doing my best to get as many as possible into the live feed.

No-one has got the answer spot on yet but some of you have come very, very close. That's all I can say.

Answer at 10:30 BST.

I've asked the question, Joe. Let's see what Callum comes back with.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

There has been quite a bit of rain this morning but it's dry now the super sopper is out doing its thing.

One or two players are starting to emerge from the dressing rooms.

It is even more exciting than that, Joe. The super soppers are out now too!

In the latest submission from our friends in Australia, The Grade Cricketers, Ian and Sam reflect of a sobering day where 'all their fears were realised'.

My colleague Callum is going to the shop on his way to the office and has just text asking what choice of biscuits I would like.

What. A. Guy.