ENGLAND’S dreams of regaining the Ashes were washed away as the Fourth Test was abandoned as a draw.
No play was possible on the fifth day and that means Australia take a 2-1 lead into the Fifth Test at the Oval on Thursday.
The Aussies already hold the fabled little urn courtesy of their 4-0 triumph Down Under in 2021-22.
The result leaves captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum frustrated because they dominated the match - but were denied by the Manchester weather.
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Stokes said: "It is a tough one to take. Playing the cricket we managed to play over the first three days and get on the wrong side of the weather it is tough to take but it is all part of the journey.
"It was another do or die game for us. We couldn't have done too much more. It will be tough to look back on but there is one more game to go and we'll be trying to tie the series and a lot of pride to play for.
"The injury to Ollie Pope made us think about the structure of our team and bringing in Chris Woakes helps so much."
And he emphasised England will stick to their attacking approach by adding: "As much as I want us to win the Ashes I want this team to be a legacy team."
Stokes' men should have won the First Test at Edgbaston last month but will rue dropped catches and some soft dismissals with the bat.
He and McCullum will not divert from their aggressive Bazball style in their attempt to make Test cricket more entertaining and relevant.
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Their attacking mantra has allowed some memorable moments during the first four Tests.
A victory at the Oval would tie the series 2-2 and that would not be a disaster against an Australian team who won the World Test Championship final just a couple of weeks before the Ashes series started.
However, there will still be feelings of what might have been.
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England need to win at the Oval to prevent Australia winning an Ashes series in this country for the first time since 2001.
The rain relented sufficiently on Saturday for 30 overs to be bowled but England could manage just one wicket as Marnus Labuschagne scored a century and Mitchell Marsh batted obdurately for 31 not out.
England’s only wicket came when Labuschagne edged an attempted cut shot against Joe Root’s off-spinners.
Root was bowling only because the umpires ruled that it was too gloomy for Stokes to use his fast bowlers.
Stokes and his players were anxiously checking weather apps on their phones overnight but the predictions were unanimously gloomy.
Sure enough, after a brief dry spell which allowed the umpires to instruct a 1pm start, it rained for much of the day.
The start never happened and by mid-afternoon large puddles formed on the Old Trafford outfield.
Play was officially called off at 5.25pm, leavng the England team wondering what might have been.