Oval washout stumps Aussies hopes of success
The fourth day of the final Investec Ashes Test was washed out without a ball bowled, all but assuring a 3-0 series win for england.
Having poured down at the Kia Oval overnight, rain was present at the scheduled start time of 11am and didn’t let up for any significant period with a final heavy shower leading to an abandonment at 4.05pm.
With England 247 for four in their first innings — responding to Australia’s 492 for nine declared — and mixed weather forecast again on today’s final day the prospects of a result are virtually nil.
That would be a source of frustration to the tourists, who would have welcomed the chance to press for a first win in nine Tests, but will barely bother England.
England coach Graham Gooch defended England’s approach on a turgid day three, with yesterday’s rain sending the game towards an inevitable draw.
“You go out there and do the best you can every day and, at the end of the series, if you are in front then you have played some decent cricket obviously,” he said. “The game doesn’t always go the way you would like it to when you’re sat down in your team meetings.
“The Australian fast bowlers have bowled exceptionally in the last two or three Tests and have really put our top order under pressure so credit to them. But we are the ones with three Test wins and they are the ones with nil.”
Gooch did concede that, despite the series win, England will be looking to improve in all areas heading in to the Ashes series Down Under at the end of the year.
“Our guys need to assess their game at the end of the series and I think one thing for definite is that we will be working very, very hard to make sure we improve when we go down to Australia — we need to improve,” he added.