Saturday’s Rain Might Be England’s Gain

With Saturday being a complete washout at Edgbaston, chances of a result, with England in the early stages of their first innings are pretty remote.

If indeed we get two successive days without a break then with 18 England wickets to take Australia are almost certainly without any chance of levelling the series in Birmingham.

For a team who have yet to take 20 wickets in the series hopes of taking two short of that in two days yet alone over five are rather ambitious, but for England however they might have more than a sniff of doubling their advantage this summer.

It may be conditional on the remaining 196 overs being completed, but England could well bat throughout tomorrow, and then stick Australia in on the final day with a 200-odd run deficit still to be recovered.

It’s a long shot I admit, but given how little play we’ve had to have even a glimmer of hope that we might have a result is testament to the rollercoaster nature this Ashes series has produced to date.

Andy Flower however has already poured cold water over any hope of having a full day tomorrow due to the dampness of the outfield.

"(Groundsman) Steve Rouse has said we might get 70 overs in, and that would be a godsend if we did.

"To put them (Australia) under pressure, we need to bat well all day tomorrow, get a lead and then put them in on the final day."

It’s positive to hear the England team director talking up a result at this stage, after what has been a relative cautious approach from the backroom staff in recent matches, in particular on the tour to the West Indies.

Obviously a draw still gives England a huge advantage with jus two tests remaining after Edgbaston.

Australia need to at least draw the series to retain the Ashes, and could look ahead to Headingley next week as a way of getting back into the series.

The tourists have beaten their Ashe counterparts eight times at Leeds including in three of the last four series’, but as England showed at Lords’ history means very little when your in an Ashes series.