This summer’s ongoing Ashes series has been one of the history books. It seems like every single day of cricket played thus far has been filled with drama and excitement in abundance, reminding the fans the world over why they love test match cricket. The Australians were the ones who came flying out of the blocks, winning the first two test matches despite Ben Stokes’ usual heroics.
With their backs against the wall at 2-0 down, England needed to bounce back and fast. And that is exactly what they did at Headingley. More heroics from captain Stokes as well as a blistering display of fast bowling from Mark Wood were enough to secure a three-wicket victory and keep the series alive. Or so we thought.
The sporting world has come a long way in recent years. Sports science, the use of AI in sports, and player development have all seen athletes perform at a higher level than ever before. However, old problems have curtailed England’s hopes of regaining the tiny urn.
In the fourth test at Old Trafford, the good old-fashioned English weather reared its ugly head once more. With the hosts on the cusp of victory, the heavens opened, and torrential downpours prevented them from tying the series up at two wins apiece. As such, Australia will now head back down under with the urn, but will they do so with a first series victory on enemy territory in 22 years?
It remains to be seen as to who wins the final test at The Oval however, this isn’t the first time that the weather has come to the rescue in the Ashes. Here are three other times when the weather saved someone’s bacon in the Ashes.
Old Trafford 2005
In the summer of 2005, the third Ashes test at Old Trafford between Australia and England was finely poised as was the series itself. The series was tied at 1-1 following Australia’s victory at Lord’s and England’s nail-biting victory at Edgbaston. The third test would follow in a similar fashion.
In the second innings of the match, England had set Australia a target of 423 runs to win, a total that seemed impossible to achieve in the remaining time. However, as fate would have it, the weather gods smiled upon the tourists as persistent rain washed out an entire day’s play on day four, leaving only Australia knowing that they had to bat out the final day in Manchester to secure a draw and keep their hopes of victory alive.
Aussie captain Ricky Ponting did exactly that, staying at the crease for almost an entire day as he racked up a whopping 156 runs. However, he was dismissed late in the day and English hopes were reignited. With the game hanging in the balance, the Australians pulled off the impossible ensuring that they finished the action with one wicket in hand and rescuing the draw, with tailenders Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath being the heroes of the hour.
Cardiff 2009
When England faced off against Australia in the first Ashes test at Cardiff in 2009, the weather once more played a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the match. The unpredictable weather conditions in the Welsh capital meant that the players were frequently taken off the pitch due to rain interruptions. Although these delays meant that the match was shortened by several hours, they also gave England a crucial advantage.
That is because the Aussies scored a whopping 674/6d in their first innings, racking up an imposing 239-run lead. They then proceeded to tear through the English batting lineup, leaving them 233/9 with twelve overs of play remaining. But they hadn’t banked on the staunch defense of tailenders Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar.
The English heroes managed to stave off all twelve overs, narrowly nudging England into the lead. With time ticking down, the umpires decided that no result would be possible and ended the match as a draw, a draw that was crucial as England would go on to regain the Ashes, eventually winning by a score of two tests to one.
Old Trafford 2013
The third Ashes test at Old Trafford in 2013 was another thriller. After being completely outplayed in the first two tests, Australia was in desperate need of a victory if they were to cling to the urn. However, the weather had other plans. Persistent rain and gray skies played a significant role in the outcome of the match, much to the relief of the English team.
On day four of the test, the Aussies declared their second innings on 172, and the hosts were left with a mammoth task of chasing down a score in unfavorable conditions. However, the weather kept deteriorating, and the play was called off for the day. On day five, England’s top order was skittled, and they were 37/3 and defeat seemed inevitable. However, the heavens opened once more, and no further play was possible, allowing them to escape with a draw.
