Australia have admitted they are desperately hoping for a weekend of rain in order to retain the Ashes at Old Trafford, after finishing Day 3 on 4-113 and needing 162 more to make England bat again.
Australia’s top order again let them down on Friday afternoon, following a morning spent being pulverised by Jonny Bairstow as the hosts piled on 592 runs for their first innings.
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The situation has left Australia with no hope of winning the fourth Test, instead left trying to protect their 2-1 lead and retain the urn with one more Test to play.
Following the day’s play, Australian captain Pat Cummins was slammed on social media, as former Victorian cricket captain Darren Berry called for him to ‘resign from the captaincy after the Ashes series.’
Marnus Labuschagne will be the man asked to lead the resistance, left not out on 44 with Mitch Marsh at the other end after Mark Wood ran through Steve Smith (17) and Travis Head (one) in the last hour.
Usman Khawaja (18) was also caught behind to the quick, who now has figures of 3-17 and again looms as England’s main destroyer.
David Warner’s frustrating series also continued amid the doom and gloom, out for 28 when he chopped on to Chris Woakes in a moment of indecisiveness outside off stump.
Heavy downpours are forecast for Manchester on Saturday, while showers are also predicted on day five.
But even if the rain does arrive, there is a very real risk it may not be enough to save Australia.
“I’d be very pleased (if it rained),” Josh Hazlewood said.
“It’s obviously forecast and forecasts can change all the time. Obviously rain and light plays a big part in cricket and has done forever.
“So yeah, it’d be great to lose a few overs here and there and make our job a little easier of hanging in there. That’s pretty obvious.”
The comments immediately raised eyebrows in England’s camp, with Jonny Bairstow suggesting it is not the way he would go about things.
“Obviously the way in which we have played the game and have played the way over the past 18 months is something we are very proud of,” Bairstow said.
“If that’s the comments that are coming through, well the weather is the weather. I’m not (veteran British weatherman) Michael Fish.”
Up 2-0 in the series a little less than a fortnight ago, Pat Cummins’ men are now staring down the barrel of heading to the series finale at The Oval on Thursday at 2-2.
And if they needed any reminder of the momentum England will take into a decider, it was presented to them during a confronting post-lunch session on Friday.
After Zak Crawley’s 189 from 182 balls set the game up for England on day two, Bairstow was the hero on day three with an unbeaten 99 from 81 balls.
With his form questioned in recent weeks, Bairstow launched a brutal assault on Australia’s quicks as he smashed 10 boundaries and hit four sixes in 24 overs of mayhem.
His innings included a 66-run last-wicket stand with James Anderson, before Anderson left him one short of a century when trapped lbw by Cameron Green for five.
Bairstow’s innings ensured six of England’s top seven would pass 50, perhaps offering the greatest contrast between the two sides after Australia’s missed opportunities with the bat on day one.
Josh Hazlewood finished with 5-126 for Australia, but this will be one of the least memorable of his 10 five-wicket hauls.
Cummins bowled better on Friday than Thursday but still finished with the most expensive figures of his career with 1-129, while Mitchell Starc was also taken for 2-137.
“Definitely we could have been better in patches in the innings,” Hazlewood said.
“With the state of the game, they were well ahead and took full advantage.”
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