Live Coverage: England vs. Australia: The final day of the fourth Ashes Test

16th over – Eng 37/2 Here’s Lyon. He’s wicketless in this match so far but he was the match-winner at Edgbaston with six second-innings wickets. He’ll have a huge role today. But his first over costs five runs after Denly sweeps well for four and then for a single.

15th over – Eng 32/2 A bowling change for Australia but it’s not Lyon yet. Mitchell Starc bowls his first over of the day and is immediately clipped away to square leg by Roy, who takes another single. Denly then gets a huge slice of luck as he swings at a wide one and edges over the top of third slip for four. That will give Australia plenty of encouragement. Denly then looks much more assured with a single into the off side from the final ball of the over.

14th over – Eng 26/2 Hazlewood gets one to keep low but Roy manages to dig it out. Roy then flicks one off his hip for a single and moves to 15.

13th over – Eng 25/2 A Cummins inswinger beats Roy but misses the inside of the bat and off stump. Roy then gets his sixth run of the morning by pushing into the leg side.

— TIM CAHILL (@Tim_Cahill) September 8, 2019

12th over – Eng 24/2 Roy clips one into the leg side for a single in an otherwise uneventful Hazlewood over. Australia will surely be thinking about bringing on spinner Nathan Lyon soon.

11th over – Eng 23/2 Denly is early on a drive and the ball bounces just short of mid off. He’s then rapped on the pads by Cummins and the Australians call for lbw, but umpire Marais Erasmus isn’t interested. That one was comfortably missing leg. Australia have had some early encouragement but are still awaiting their first wicket.

10th over – Eng 23/2 Hazlewood beats Denly but again the ball misses the edge. Denly then grabs his first run of the day with a single to cover. England have taken five runs from the opening three overs.

Ninth over – Eng 22/2 Jason Roy is beaten by Pat Cummins’ second delivery but it avoids the edge and flies straight through to the wicketkeeper. And Roy responds by flicking the next ball through midwicket for four.

Eighth over – Eng 18/2 A maiden over! Josh Hazlewood starts off for Australia with Jason Denly on strike. A big cheer welcomes the first block from the England opener, before Hazlewood has a half-hearted lbw appeal turned down. It was heading well down leg side. One over down, 97 to go..

10.55am We’re five minutes away from the start of play. How England could do with Steve Smith in their battling line-up today…

10.45am The Manchester weather won’t be helping England today, so we’re set for an uninterrupted 98 overs. It’s a big day for Australia, who can retain the Ashes on English soil for the first time since 2001. They can’t win the series today, but a 2-1 lead with one Test to play will be enough to keep hold of the urn.

10.35am England’s hopes of batting through the day will be that much more difficult considering Joe Root and Rory Burns – the two highest scorers in the first innings – were both dismissed for ducks by Pat Cummins last night. Joe Denly and Jason Roy, neither of which have had a series to remember, will start the day in the middle.

10.30am England are left needing another miraculous recovery if they are to keep alive their hopes of regaining the Ashes. The hosts head into the final day at Old Trafford 18 for two, needing another 365 runs to pull off their highest Test run chase.

Their record run chase? That happened to come at Headingley two weeks ago as Ben Stokes’ heroics dragged them to victory. Surely lightning can’t strike twice? England would settle for just surviving the day and setting up a winner-takes-all fifth Test at the Oval.