Manchester weather updates (4th Test)

[Andy]

It’s been raining this Friday morning..the rain was wet.

[Andy]

Woken up this morning by heavy rain. It’s raining less now (9:40) but I doubt there’ll be play before the scheduled lunch break.

[Andy]

No chance of play today. The usual manky weather: starts to brighten up, but keeps raining, then heavier rain returns. Congratulations bazball for throwing away a really great opportunity to regain the Ashes.

Old Trafford should be struck off the international list. Having that, Durham and Cardiff is simply pandering to the minorities (I.e. Welsh and Northerners).

[bwildered]

 No Ashes tests to be played in 2027 at either Old Trafford or Headingley. Although Headingley will have a woman's Test Match and Old Trafford have the other tourist test .
 Most northerly Ashes test to be played at Trent Bridge .

[Andy]

No Ashes tests to be played in 2027 at either Old Trafford or Headingley. Although Headingley will have a woman's Test Match and Old Trafford have the other tourist test .
 Most northerly Ashes test to be played at Trent Bridge .

Good.  Get rid of county teams above the midlands as well.  After all, we need to have fewer sides.

[mawallace]

I don;t understand what happened with the allocation of matches in the next cycle. My understanding was that the grounds put a joint bid to the ECB so spread them out over the cycle between the grounds.

Looking at Test Cricket between 2025 and 2031:

Hampshire - 3
Old Trafford - 5
Lords - 13
Trent Bridge - 6
Oval - 7
Edgbaston - 6
Headignly - 5

I think we can all see what ground (s) has an unfair allocation!

[Slogger]

If the idea is to take the game around the country I would have thought Bristol would make more sense than Southampton. I would guess The Oval would probably be easier to get to from most parts of the south than the Aeges Bowl

[Andy]

Despite producing the sublime Phil Meade, Hampshire cricket has never been a centre of English cricket since the decline of the Hambledon club. The Rose Bowl is only the plaything of a rich man.

[Slogger]

Thinking laterally, surely England should be looking to play tests in the driest part of the country. So a test ground near Gt Wakering? Ashes tests at Garon Park anyone?

[Andy]

Thinking laterally, surely England should be looking to play tests in the driest part of the country. So a test ground near Gt Wakering? Ashes tests at Garon Park anyone?

I’m up for that, if only to enjoy the sight of Tests played in force 8 gales and the Barmy Army sitting on wooden benches and peeing into buckets.

[SirChef26]

If Essex ever found a rich investor to build us a new ground, priority one is to ensure it has a roof. They’ll guarantee us test match status.

[nat]

If Essex ever found a rich investor to build us a new ground, priority one is to ensure it has a roof. They’ll guarantee us test match status.

Yep. Long term professional cricket will only survive in the UK if we build grounds with roofs. A big ask but got to be done.

[Andy]

If Essex ever found a rich investor to build us a new ground, priority one is to ensure it has a roof. They’ll guarantee us test match status.

Yep. Long term professional cricket will only survive in the UK if we build grounds with roofs. A big ask but got to be done.

How many tests have been rained off in recent years? It was worse in the 1980s. If England got through their overs in the previous days we might have won.