Ashes 2019: Rain delays start of day three of fourth Test at Old Trafford

Persistent rain delayed the beginning of day three and abandoned Australia waiting in their efforts to push for an Ashes-retaining success.
SCORECARD | TEXT COMMENTARY
England – who must avoid defeat to be able to maintain his hopes of regaining the urn living – shut day two on 23-1, a colossal 474 runs behind Australia’s Steve Smith-inspired 497-8 announced.
Joe Denly (4), having swapped places at the order with Jason Roy, has been dismissed via a super short-leg grab from Matthew Wade off Pat Cummins, leaving Rory Burns (15no) and nightwatchman Craig Overton (3no) in the crease following the first 10 overs of both England’s innings.
The forecast is more intelligent for Friday day and the weekend, which means Australia will fancy their odds of maintaining their grip on the Ashes having been scuppered by Ben Stokes’s heroics in Headingley in the next Test as England chased down 359 to level the series at 1-1.
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow, though, has backed his side to dig with the bat, as they did in Leeds time around with been steamrolled in their first innings for 67.
“There’s three innings nevertheless to move in the match, three times of cricket left,” said the 29-year-old, who is due to bat at Number 6.
“When we can go out and employ ourselves, set our stall out for a lengthy time period like we did at Headingley, there is no reason why [we all now cannot get back in the Test].”
Smith Ashes century – and next bunch in four innings in the series – underpinned the notching 211 within his first Test knock, Australia’s complete since returning from concussion.
Smith has notched 589 runs in the show, at an average of 147.25 and with a lowest score 92, together with his overall batting average in Test cricket currently standing at 64.64 after his 26th trillion at the arrangement.
However, the batsman says England frequently filming brief assisted in his most recent huge score him.
“I’ve faced a great deal of short-pitched bowling in my life and have not had too many issues with this,” explained Smith, who suffered his concussion when he was struck on the throat by a Jofra Archer bouncer at the next Test at Lord’s.
“I said it before the match – bowling there means they can not hit me to the pad or nick off me. Their ball softens .
“It played in our hands, I think, and enabled the ball to acquire soft fairly quickly and for us to score big first-innings runs.”
See every day three of the fourth Ashes Test reside on Sky Sports The Ashes. You might even follow over-by-over commentary and in-play clips on our rolling site on skysports.com and the Sky Sports program.
Read more: https://bdbma.com/