Australia retained the Ashes after rain prevented any play on the final day of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, leaving the tourists with an insurmountable 2-1 lead with one Test left. England needed to win the five-match series to take the urn off holders Australia.
The fifth-day washout in Manchester handed the urn to Australia as the most pessimistic forecasts came to pass and relentless rain meant the players never made it to the middle.
Australia captain Pat Cummins said his team was ‘proud’ but admitted they would have rather won the series outright. England captain Ben Stokes said the result was ‘a tough pill to swallow’.
Australia retain Ashes after rain douses England’s hopes in fourth Test draw
One of the greatest modern Ashes series ends in a splash of puddles
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