England pray for rain as Australia sniff Ashes win
Australia moved within six wickets of reclaiming the Ashes at the close of day four of the third Ashes test on Sunday, with England still 127 runs short of making the hosts bat again.
The tourists were 132 for four when rain brought stumps an hour early at the WACA, with Dawid Malan (28 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (14) tasked with an improbable rescue mission.
Australia declared at 662 for nine after lunch, their highest ever Ashes total at home, with captain Steve Smith finally dismissed for 239 from 399 balls.
Trailing 2-0, England must cobble a draw to keep the fivetest series alive to Melbourne and their hopes may rest on the weather, with more showers forecast on day five
Trailing 2-0, England must cobble a draw to keep the five-test series alive to Melbourne and their hopes may rest on the weather, with more showers forecast on day five.
It otherwise looked bleak for the tourists, with cracks opening up on a pitch showing increasing variable bounce.
One large fissure at the southern end of the wicket opened up to swallow England number three James Vince for 55, a Mitchell Starc ball jagging viciously back to rip out his off-stump.
Vince had at least shown determined application, a quality sorely missed in his top order colleagues.
Alastair Cook’s miserable series continued as he threw away his wicket for 14, having managed only seven in the first innings of his 150th test.
Joe Root, his successor as captain, was equally culpable in his own 14, with opener Mark Stoneman out for three, as England staggered to 60 for three.
England’s ‘Barmy Army’ danced in the terraces as rain brought tea five minutes early and eventually abandoned play. Vince and first innings centurion Malan dug in for 40 runs before the pitch claimed the number three. Bairstow and Malan added another 32 in a watchful stand to keep their wickets before the rain fell. -Reuters