After the rain in Manchester saved their team in the fourth test, cricket fans in Australia woke up on Monday morning with a sense of relief rather than excitement at the news that Australia had maintained the Ashes.
The news came after their side had drawn the fourth test in Manchester.
As a result of the rain on day five at Old Trafford, no play was able to take place, and Australia was able to keep the urn. As a result of this, England is now behind the series 2-1 going into the final test match at The Oval, which will begin on Thursday.
“Rarely could the Ashes have been secured in more hollow circumstances,” said Malcolm Conn in the Sydney Morning Herald. “With almost two days of rain saving Australia from what appeared to be certain defeat,”
Conn, along with other Australian cricket reporters, was not ready to let England off the hook for being down in the series coming into the third test in Manchester after losing the first two matches at Edgbaston and Lords. This was the case notwithstanding the conditions of the draw.
“Despite being robbed of victory by the weather, England have only themselves to blame for being on the wrong side of history,” Conn continued. “The wrong side of history” refers to England’s position on the losing side of historical events.
“Before the cult of Bazball led to an overly optimistic declaration and reckless batting, England were in control of the first test match at Edgbaston.”Gideon Haigh, writing in the Australian, was nicer to the English but equally skeptical of any form of celebrations over the retaining of the Ashes. This was due to the fact that Gideon Haigh was writing in the Australian.
He said that “the fantasy of two-all going to The Oval had been enchanting to both sets of fans; only the dimmest partisans so crave trophies as to be gratified by non-results.” Both sets of fans had been enchanted by the idea of travelling to The Oval tied at two.
“Unfortunately for the English, a slight advantage in experience held by the Australians had already served them well through two nail-biting finishes…”
Haigh went on to join other people in saying that the advantage held by the holders of the urn in an Ashes series should be reconsidered. This advantage allows the holders to keep the urn if the series is drawn.
“How can I explain to the uninitiated the weird hybrid character of the Oval test, of it being ‘live’ where the outcome of the series is concerned, but ‘dead’ in the context of the Ashes?” he questioned. “How can I explain to the uninitiated the weird hybrid character of the Oval test?”
“I am aware that cricket is not supposed to make any sense. However, there is a possibility that it will at least attempt to do so on occasion.