Due to the rain, only 30 overs of play were possible on Saturday, during which England managed to take just one wicket when Joe Root, a part-time off-spinner, had Marnus Labuschagne caught behind.
In a disappointing turn of events for England, Australia has retained the Ashes after the fourth Test at Old Trafford ended in a rain-affected draw. The bad weather prevented any play on the final day, Sunday.
This result ensures that Australia, as the current holders, will keep the Ashes with a 2-1 lead, regardless of the outcome of the fifth Test at The Oval next week.
Heavy overnight rain left the outfield soaked, causing a delay in the scheduled start time of 3:30 PM in Manchester. Even when it was announced that play would resume at 5:30 PM, provided there was no further rain, the ground was hit by another downpour that lasted for several hours. The umpires officially declared the match a draw at 9:54 PM.
Australia finished their second innings on 214-5, trailing England's first-innings total of 592 by 61 runs. Due to the rain, only 30 overs of play were possible on Saturday, during which England managed to take just one wicket when Joe Root, a part-time off-spinner, had Marnus Labuschagne caught behind. However, Labuschagne had already frustrated the hosts with his impressive knock of 111.
Old Trafford has a notorious history of weather delays, with 25 complete days rained off in Test cricket and two entire Tests abandoned.
England initially restricted the world Test champions, Australia, to 317 in their first innings. However, England's batsmen dominated, reaching a total of 592 all out, thanks to an outstanding innings of 189 by opener Zak Crawley and an unbeaten 99 by Jonny Bairstow.
Fast bowler Mark Wood made an impact on Friday, taking three wickets and breaking through Australia's top order. However, Australia managed to hold off England on Saturday, thanks to a partnership of 103 runs between Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh (31 not out).
Sunday's result ended England's bid to become only the second team in Ashes history to win a series after being 2-0 down. The Australian team of 1936/37, led by the legendary batsman Don Bradman, managed to overcome this deficit and emerged victorious with a score of 3-2.
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