Ashes 2019: Australia wrestle back control after Joe Root and Rory Burns give England hope in fourth Test
Re-live all the action from the fourth Test at Old Trafford
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Your support makes all the difference.England face a fight to the keep their Ashes campaign afloat after Josh Hazlewood squashed a brave resistance from Rory Burns and Joe Root on day three of the fourth Test.
Responding to Australia's formidable declaration mark of 497 for eight, England closed on 200 for five, still 98 short of the follow-on target at Old Trafford.
Their hopes of saving the game and the urn were aided by conditions in Manchester, with morning rain and bad light in the evening allowing just 64 overs possible out a planned 98, while for long periods Burns (81) and Root (71) appeared in control of matters.
In the end the pair shared a defiant stand of 141 in nearly 53 overs - their second-century partnership and England's biggest of the series - only for Hazlewood to intervene with a late, decisive spell. Re-live the action live:
When is the fourth Ashes Test?
The fourth Test takes place on 4-8 September at Old Trafford.
What time does it start?
The toss will take place at 10:30am on Wednesday 4 September, with play due to get underway each day at 11am.
Where can I watch it?
The Test will be shown live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am.
Teams
England: Burns, Denly, Root, Roy, Stokes, Bairstow, Buttler, Overton, Archer, Broad, Leach.
Australia: Warner, Harris, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Wade, Paine, Cummins, Starc, Lyon, Hazlewood.
Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are the Australian seamers tasked to keep England under lock and key.
Cummins and Hazlewood have proven throughout the series that they are more than up to the task.
Cummins in particular has been causing trouble for England's batsmen with the short ball. Rory Burns has fallen to Cummins three times and will need to find a way to counter that method of attack.
Starc is playing in his first test match of the series. He plundered a very tidy England bowling attack around last night to make an entertaining fifty.
Speaking about getting his chance to play in the series he said:
"It was nice to be out with the boys. Steve Smith, what a player he is. We are very fortunate he's on our side of the fence. He''s been on fire through the series so far.
"It's always frustrating not playing. The great thing about this group of players and fast bowlers in particular is we've sort of grown up together, we're really close off the field.
"As much as you want to play, you're backing your mate to do the job as well. That's the great thing, its all about the squad mentality.
"It's taken a few of us a bit of persuading to get on board with being rested and rotated. Having six guys fit and ready to go, that's the great thing about this group."
It isn't looking great out there. The covers did go off but they're now back on the pitch.
Rob Bailey, the fourth umpire, is out in the middle assessing the conditions, he keeps looking up at the dark, grey sky hoping to see a slither of blue.
No luck so far.
England snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the previous test match at Headingley. At Old Trafford they have to repeat the performance.
England's first innings will be crucial. They need to bat and bat long.
England's middle order is their engine room. The form of Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler are where this match can tilt.
For England to have the best chance of rescuing this test match, Rory Burns, Joe Root and possibly Craig Overton have to set the platform and do their best to run down the Australian bowlers.
There's no update on a start time. The covers are still secure over the pitch and the super soakers are mopping up the outfield.
The realistic view here is that the players will probably take an early lunch while the groundstaff continue to make the ground playable.
There's going to be an official inspection at 1pm. Lunch will be taken early at 12:30pm, the rain has stopped so we should get some play this afternoon.
In preparation for the inspection at 1pm , the covers are being taken off the pitch. Blue skies have appeared over Old Trafford.
Over on TMS right now, Freddie Flintoff is being interviewed by Aggers.
He's talking about his aspirations to coach the England cricket at some point further down the line.
Trevor Bayliss is leaving at the end of the summer, could Freddie be the next in line?
In cricket adjacent news, Australian cricket journalist Peter Lalor was charged £55,000 for a beer in a Manchester hotel last night.
£55,000?!
Signs are pretty good for the start of play happening pretty soon. The covers have all been removed, including the hover cover that protects the wicket.
The inspection will be happening at 1pm. Lunch is due to finish at 1.10pm so an optimistic start time to day three will be in about 20-25 minutes.
It was an optimistic guess but we won't have to wait much longer. The official start time is 1:30pm.
35 minutes until the start of play.
Looking up at the sky and based on the weather forecast there should no more interruptions due to inclement weather today.
Play will go on until about 7:30pm so there'll still be quite a lot of cricket.
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