Step 1 out of 2

The first step = don't lose the Ashes. Tick.

The rain in Manchester for 5 of the last 6 scheduled sessions has meant that the Aussies have retimed Ashes. The situation was far from ideal. However, cricket has been hampered by rain for many years in the past, and will continue to be in the future.

England played great cricket for much of this test, and it's unfortunate that this result has removed some of the incentive for well-played, hard-nosed test cricket in the final test at The Oval - named like it would be if an Aussie was in charge - "We've got a green space in the shape of an oval. What should we call it?"

There's not a lot to cover from Day 5 at Manchester. Not a ball was bowled. There were prayers for rain from southern hemisphere spectators, prayers for sun from those in the north, and prayers for a draw from sports betting agencies, who were taking the draw at $4 just before the toss. Either way, 70 years ago, in a football game between Duke and Navy, coach of the latter, Eddie Erdelatz, said that a tie is like kissing your sister. And for the English, that might be the case. For the Aussies, perhaps its more like kissing your second cousin - not ideal, hey, it's a bit of action!

And while the draw in Manchester seems a little hollow to many test cricket fans, I think the Bison is the perfect person to sum it up: Aussie Fans, click here.

The fifth and final test is looming large for both teams. Will both teams go into a short rest unchanged, or will there be a shock selection or two? If England win, they'll claim a moral victory in this series. If Australia win, it will be the first series win on English soil for 22 years. Whatever happens, it will be enthralling.

JT