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Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: 10.00 (GMT)
Watch live: Click here to watch on NowTV with Sky!
The more important player on day five of the third Ashes Test between England and Australia does not play for either side.
It’s Mother Nature.
The elements look set to have the biggest say in who wins, what could be the deciding Test match of the series.
All the Three Lions need is for it to rain for much of the day and all chances of an Australian victory will evaporate, handing them back the coveted urn until the return series.
Heavy rain has fallen overnight in Manchester, coupled with the precipitation late on day four that saw an more than an hour lost.
When the umpires called an end to the day’s play at Old Trafford, Australia were still pushing to make quick runs, with their second innings score of 172-7 giving them an overall lead of 331.
The biggest successful chase fourth innings at Old Trafford is 294 by England against New Zealand in 2008.
However, with the pitch still playing well, Aussie captain Michael Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann were forced to play a delicate game of setting England a target worthy of their attention and desire to chase, while at the same time giving their tiring attack time to bowl out their opponents.
Given the gloomy forecast the biggest question to be answered early on day five is if Clarke will have declared overnight and hoping he has enough runs and time to keep their heads afloat in the series.
If that is the case, the game plan for Alastair Cook and his top-order will be simple – play normally.
Put the fact they are on the threshold of retaining the prize they currently hold in the back of their minds and play every ball on its merits.
If they are able to do this then there are too many in-form players in the Three Lions’ top six for Australia to get through given the likely reduced time available to them.
However, Test cricket can be a strange beast and even more unpredictable than its younger and more hyperactive cousin, Twenty20.
If Clarke and his attack are able to get rid of Cook, Pietersen and Bell, realising they bat in very different positions, they will have a chance of causing one of biggest upsets in recent Test cricket history.
Cook, Pietersen and Bell loom as the vital wickets, with the skipper, the dangerous swashbuckler and the classy accumulator all possessing the ability to kill off the chance of victory for the away side.
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