LIVE: Piers Morgan fumes as Old Trafford Ashes Test finally gets underway

After a lengthy delay, day four of the Old Trafford Ashes Test has finally gotten underway in Manchester.

Australia is currently 4-159, with Marnus Labuschagne (71*) and Mitchell Marsh (19*) unbeaten in the middle

MATCH CENTRE: England vs Australia Old Trafford Ashes Test scorecard

England was left waiting on the rain as their push for an Ashes series-levelling win against Australia in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Saturday was delayed by bad weather.

This is a must-win match for England, currently 2-1 down with two to play, if they are to regain the Ashes.

They headed into the fourth day of five in a commanding position with Australia 113-4 in their second innings, still 162 runs behind England’s imposing first-innings 592.

England are effectively six wickets away from a win that would square the series at 2-2 heading into next week’s fifth Test at The Oval in London.

But persistent rain was still pelting down on Old Trafford, with the pitch and square fully covered, when play should have resumed at the scheduled start time.

There are now fears that rain on both Saturday and Sunday could scupper England’s bid to draw level, with Old Trafford notorious for weather interruptions — the Manchester ground has had 24 complete days rained off in Test cricket, plus an additional two entire Tests abandoned.

Piers Morgan didn’t take the news well as rain saw the start of play delayed, tweeting it would be a “travesty” if Australia retained the urn because of the weather.

England restricted world Test champions Australia to 317 in their first innings at Old Trafford, with Chris Woakes taking 5-52.

Then, scoring rapidly, England passed 500 in a home Ashes innings for the first time since their 1985 series win over Australia.

Opening batsman Zak Crawley’s 189 laid the foundation in an innings where six of England’s top seven all made fifties, with Jonny Bairstow left stranded on 99 not out when last man James Anderson was lbw on his Lancashire home ground.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, a key figure in England’s three-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley, then ripped through Australia’s top order late on Friday with a superb burst of 3-17 as he dismissed Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and Travis Head.

“The weather is the weather,” said Bairstow after Friday’s close.

“What comes will come and we can control what we have done so far in the game which is score at a rate that puts us in a position that hopefully forces a result.”

Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood added: “It would be great to lose a few overs here and there and make our job a bit easier hanging in there.

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“We’re well behind and it’s easy to see that.”

England are bidding to become just the second side in Ashes history to win a series from 2-0 down.

The Australia team of 1936/37, inspired by batting great Don Bradman, overturned that deficit to win 3-2.

If the weather does condemn the fourth Test to a draw, England may be left to rue a couple of key moments in the opening two matches of the series.

In the first Test at Edgbaston, England captain Ben Stokes declared on 393-8 on the first day when star batsman Joe Root was 118 not out and in a position to take the hosts to an impregnable total.

Australia went on to win a thrilling match by two wickets.

And in the second Test at Lord’s, England were well-placed at 188-1 in their first innings only to collapse to 325 all out.

Australia then completed a 43-run win despite Stokes’s stunning second-innings 155.

Forecast for the north west, according to the Met Office:

“Wet and gloomy for much of Saturday with outbreaks of rain throughout, heavy at times. A fresh breeze developing. Feeling cool under the persistent rain, though humidity building into the evening. Maximum temperature 17 °C. A wet morning with occasionally heavy rain. The rain may turn a little more showery during the afternoon but any drier spells will be brief. Maximum temperature 18 °C.”

BAIRSTOW BITES BACK AT CRITICS

Earlier, Jonny Bairstow said he had been subjected to “out of order” criticism following a whirlwind innings that cemented England’s hold on the fourth Test.

Bairstow’s 99 not out off just 81 balls helped England to a mammoth 592 all out in their first innings.

The wicketkeeper then held two catches off fast bowler Mark Wood as Australia reached 113-4 in their second innings at stumps on the third day — still 162 runs behind in a match England, at 2-1 down with two to play, must win if they are to regain the Ashes.

Bairstow broke his left leg in three places and suffered a dislocated ankle following a freak accident on a golf course in August last year.

While his outstanding form with the bat at the start of England’s ‘Bazball’ era meant a Test recall was all but assured when he regained fitness, many pundits questioned whether Bairstow was being asked to do too much in keeping wicket as well.

Those concerns intensified as Bairstow dropped seven catches and missed a stumping during the opening three Ashes Tests.

England, however, resisted calls to restore Ben Foakes as their wicketkeeper and Bairstow said much of the commentary regarding his glovework had been overblown.

“You’ve got to have a bit of perspective on it,” Bairstow told the BBC.

“I’ve not played in months and I’ve not kept properly in three years.

“There’s obviously been a lot of talk and things like that, some of which I think has been a bit out of order to be honest but that’s part and parcel of people having an opinion.” – ‘Tiresome’ – The 33-year-old Yorkshireman, who hammered Australia’s bowlers for 10 fours and four sixes on Friday, was equally dismissive of suggestions he is at his best when he has a point to prove.

“Everyone thinks I play better when people have a go at me,” said Bairstow, who became the seventh batsman in Test history to be stranded on 99 not out when last man James Anderson was lbw to Cameron Green.

“It gets a bit tiresome, to be honest. I’ve played a lot of cricket now. To keep being told you’re rubbish — if I was that rubbish I wouldn’t have played 94 Tests.”

Match position: Australia are 162 runs behind with six wickets standing

Toss: England

Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Nitin Menon (IND)

TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)