Summary

  • Persistent rain on day five ensures fourth Test ends in draw

  • Australia have retained the Ashes

  • Tourists will take 2-1 lead into final Test at The Oval

Live Reporting

Callum Matthews and Timothy Abraham

  1. I'm glad you said it, Matt. I wanted to but said person is sat directly next to me and while it's raining we've got to keep team morale high.

    "Matt has never tasted my mum's trifle," quips back the person.

  2. Matthew Henry
    BBC Sport at Old Trafford

    Surely suggesting trifle as a best dessert is a sackable offence?

  3. This was the scene at Old Trafford a few moments ago.

    Covers at Emirates Old TraffordBBC Sport

  4. While we wait for the rain to stop and any news, let's enjoy some of the great cricket we've seen in this Test.

    Watch the best shots from Crawley's brilliant 189

  5. Get Involved

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Morgan Rees: Genuinely surprised we play any cricket in this country. Play can only start at 11:00 when it's light from 7am, need at least 30 minutes of no rain before a pitch inspection, then 45 minutes no rain before play starts. Then one drop and we start all over again.

  6. Matthew Henry
    BBC Sport at Old Trafford

    I don’t want to be a misery but the clouds are filling in again behind the stands.

  7. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    This is going to cost England.

  8. Alison Mitchell
    Cricket commentator on BBC Test Match Special

    The sheets are coming back on and they are billowing in the big wind.

  9. Matthew Henry
    BBC Sport at Old Trafford

    Don’t get too excited. It’s raining again. The cover is coming back on.

  10. UGHHHHHH.

    It's raining again.

    The hover cover is going back on the pitch.

  11. Play will start at 13:00 BST
    Breaking

    Good news!

    We've just got to hope there's no more rain.

  12. We're now discussing our favourite desserts in the office.

    Warm chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream for me.

    Brownie or sorbet for someone else.

    And then someone else shouts up trifle.

    Interesting range!

  13. Vic Marks has just suggested the players skip pudding so they can get on with it.

    Skip pudding? That is sacrilege.

  14. The umpires are out in the middle.

  15. Not for me that, Tuffers.

    Can't they rustle up some chicken strips and chips?

    I'm happy to field at fine leg after.

  16. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Let's skip lunch today lads. Get yourself a boiled egg and a tomato and let's get on with it.

  17. Get Involved

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Philip Brooks-Weaver: Why lunch at 12.20, why not start it now and get it out the way? If it’s not raining and the ground is OK, they should be playing. Why wait until 1 if they could be out at 10 to.

  18. I've just heard the hover cover being fired up.

    That's a good sign.

    The groundstaff are moving it off the pitch so they can work on that.

  19. We've just seen the super sopper dropping a huge amount of water off the outfield.

    It's very wet out there.

  20. 'Forget lunch, you can survive'

    Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Why do we always have to have lunch in cricket? I've only just had breakfast. There's a game out there to be had. Forget lunch, you can survive.