10-year-old text exposes sickening England hypocrisy as Australia retains Ashes

England’s biggest whinger has been exposed as a hypocrite as the Poms launch a full-scale moral offensive after Australia retained the Ashes.

Manchester’s rain robbed England of a chance to keep the Ashes alive. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The urn is coming home - and there’s nothing the whingeing Poms can do about it.

Australia has retained the Ashes after day five of the Fourth Test at Old Trafford was lost to rain.

After only 30 overs were bowled on day four, England was left unable to convert its dominant position in the game into a series-extending victory as the visitors second innings remained 5/214.

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The draw means the urn will be staying in Australian hands - and the Poms are handling it about as well as you’d expect.

British media personality and cricket lover Piers Morgan had been, shall we say, rather vocal about how disappointing it would be if England was denied an opportunity to keep the series alive.

“It will be the greatest travesty in the history of Ashes cricket if the trampled, battered, beleaguered, Bazballed, desperate, white-flag-flying Aussies now avoid inevitable defeat and retain the urn because of bloody rain,” he wrote ahead of day four.

But the internet never forgets.

A 10-year-old Morgan tweet posted during the 2013 Ashes, which England retained via a washout in the Third Test, was doing the rounds as the rain fell.

BOOM! #Rain#Ashes

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 5, 2013

But Morgan wasn’t the only one complaining - or calling for change.

Former England captain Michael Atherton said it was “cruel” for the series to be decided in this fashion.

“You can look back at times in the series where England have missed opportunities with out a doubt ... but just looking at this game, England have absolutely hammered Australia up until now,” he said.

Fellow ex-skipper Michael Vaughan said England was the better team.

“I always say in a five-match series the best team always wins ... it’s such a long process you always end up with the best team winning,” Vaughan said.

“I honestly think England have been the better team for the four matches ...

“It’s the wrong way to decide a Test match, let alone an Ashes-defining Test match.

“I know we’ve beaten Australia a few times over the last 20 years but I don’t remember a Test match where England have completely dominated and bullied Australia.”

The Barmy Army also posted this:

pic.twitter.com/5eftHjVo51

— England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) July 23, 2023

And Joe Root made the suggestion play should be allowed to continue until 10pm in the future if that’s what it takes to get a result.

“It doesn’t get dark here in England until 10pm in the summer, why can’t we just play until we bowl the overs?” Root said.

“There’s been a lot of chat about not bowling the overs. There are so many different ways of trying to find opportunities to get as much play in as possible. At every opportunity at every stage you should be looking to find ways to get the Test on. We batted in worse conditions at Edgbaston, but that is cricket. You just want consistency in those conditions.”

The BBC’s Henry Moeran backed the call. “What is cricket for if not for entertainment?” he tweeted. “Why does play need to start as late as 11? Why must it always stop at 6.30 when the sun is shining? Will today be the day when long-held frustrations lead to practical changes?”

But instead of clutching at straws perhaps England should be looking at itself.

Why prepare a batting paradise of a pitch for a match where you needed a result and had bad weather forecast?

Three-and-a-bit days of cricket have been played, enough time if the hosts were good enough.

Perhaps if Jimmy Anderson could improve his strike-rate from a wicket every 37 overs we wouldn’t be having this conversation?

And that’s before we consider the opportunities missed in the first two Tests. And all the other matches and series in cricket history impacted by rain. Give us a spell, please.

Live scenes of the giant tissue being delivered to Piers Morgan right now…🥲 #Ashespic.twitter.com/kTUi1aehQE

— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) July 23, 2023

2.25am - Match officially called off

The umpires have just visited the Aussie rooms and shaken hands with Pat Cummins.

It’s over. The Ashes have been retained.

1.20am - No sign of respite in the weather

Rain, rain and more rain at Old Trafford.

12.40am - Puddles forming on the outfield

England will stretch this as long as is reasonable, but surely we’re not too far away from the match being called off as puddles form on the outfield.

Whoever is managing the video board has a sense of humour.

Think we’re okay for water fountains lads pic.twitter.com/7CwvuzmACX

— Rory Dollard (@thervd) July 23, 2023

11.15pm - Rain only getting heavier in Manchester

Play won’t be starting anytime soon - if at all - as the rain continues to fall at Old Trafford.

SpiderCam is now getting wrapped up as the rain gets heavier around Old Trafford #Ashespic.twitter.com/1IcFPsEsLL

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) July 23, 2023

8.59pm - Still raining, another pitch inspection

It’s still raining in Manchester, but another pitch inspection has been scheduled for 9.15pm AEST.

If play can begin with no further rain, then lunch will be taken at 9.20pm with play beginning at 10pm AEST.

7.32pm - Pitch inspection

It isn’t raining currently at Old Trafford, but there is some misty rain hovering around the ground.

A pitch inspection is scheduled for 8pm AEST, but it doesn’t look like we’ll see any cricket anytime soon.

7pm - Rain forecast is England’s worst nightmare

Just when England started to dominate the Ashes, the UK’s pesky rain had to wreak havoc on their hopes of pulling off a remarkable series comeback after turning the screws on Australia in the last two Tests.

All eyes are on Manchester’s weather forecast on Sunday, and it doesn’t make for pretty reading for England.

There is a 90 per cent chance of rain in the Manchester forecast, so we might not see many overs bowled at all.

“Wet morning with heavy and persistent rain. Rain continuing throughout much of the day, turning somewhat lighter and more showery during the afternoon with some brief drier spells,” the Met Office forecast for Sunday.

Marnus Labuschagne said there was “zero chance” Australia would declare to give England a target to chase to win the game.

England’s Stuart Broad said it would be “unjust” for a rain-affected draw to decide the Ashes.

“Sitting in the changing room watching the rain fall on Saturday, there was a feeling it would be unjust if the weather had a decisive say because it’s been such an incredible few weeks to be a part of,” Broad wrote in the Daily Mail.

“It would be such a damp squib, such an unemotional way for a series between two great rivals to be defined.

“We just need another window to open to complete the job on Sunday.”