England’s luck may have run out as rain delays play at Old Trafford for second day

OLD TRAFFORD — Whatever Stuart Broad says, England may have pushed their luck too far as rain has delayed play at Old Trafford ahead of the crucial final day.

Ben Stokes’ side must win this game to retain hope of winning the Ashes ahead of the fifth Test at the Oval next week.

Despite a commanding lead built up over the first three days, England struggled to break Australia’s resolute defence in the singular session of Saturday play, although Joe Root bagged the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne.

Yet the home side are not giving up hope yet, however bleak the weather forecast. In his Mail on Sunday column, Broad wrote: “Brendon McCullum has come up with a phrase this week to keep us calm. We were due to play a bit of golf on Tuesday and in the afternoon the forecast was horrendous, but he said to me: ‘Boss, we’re too lucky to get wet.’

“Guess what. There was much less rain than we thought. Saturday lunchtime, he was lying down doing the crossword and said: ‘Boss, we’re too lucky for it to rain all day.’

“He was right again. Now we just need another window to open to complete the job on Sunday.”

Whether it will open is an entirely different question. The most positive weather forecasts indicate there may be a gap for play before 2pm, but other indicate a total wash out.

Root argued the game should continue later than the current cut off point of 6pm: “It doesn’t get dark here in England until 10pm in the summer, why can’t we just play until we bowl the overs?

“There’s been a lot of chat about not bowling the overs. There are so many different ways of trying to find opportunities to get as much play in as possible.

“At every opportunity at every stage you should be looking to find ways to get the Test on. We batted in worse conditions at Edgbaston, but that is cricket. You just want consistency in those conditions.”

Former England captain Michael Atherton said it would be “cruel” if the conditions scupper England’s chances of winning the 4th Test.

“You can look back at times within this series they have missed opportunities,” he said on Sky Sports. “All the missed chances that have been talked about in that opening Test match which England could easily have won at Edgbaston.

“But looking at this game, England have absolutely hammered Australia up until now and it would be very cruel if two days of rain in the middle of July doesn’t allow them the opportunity to win this game.”