England, Australia T20I Series Tied: The venue of Old Trafford in Manchester has once again played a spoilsport in an England Vs Australia fixture, as the 3rd and final T20I of the three-match T20I series gets abandoned. With the last T20I ending up in a washout, both sides now share the series trophy as it ends 1-1.
How Has Manchester Played A Spoilsport In England Vs Australia 'AGAIN'?
For cricketing fans who are not aware with 'The Shades of Manchester 2023' incident, it dates back to last year in July, when both sides were playing one of the most memorable Ashes series of all-time.
The Pat Cummins-led side, who were recently crowned the World Test Champions, won the first two Tests in dramatic fashion, and England needed a miracle to pull off the improbable Ashes victory.
The English Lions were on-song in the third Test at Headingley, Leeds, as they defeated Australia by 3 wickets to win a thriller. The Ben Stokes-led side were in a commanding position in the 4th Test as well, and Australia were heavily struggling on all fronts.
However, the Cricketing Gods held a different script and they opened the floodgates of heaven in Manchester, as constant rain washed out the play on last two days, and with that, the match was drawn, but Australia were the much-relieved side with the result, as not only they avoided a humiliating defeat, but also retained the Ashes in the process.
The entire crowd present at the venue with umbrellas and raincoats, alongside the entire dressing room of England were left heart-broken, as even a victory in the final Test won't result in retention of Ashes.
This is so because the rulebook of Ashes clearly states that the trailing team will not retain the 'Urn' upon levelling the series, and will rather have to take the lead in-order to get their hands on the Ashes.
Liam Livingstone Gets Awarded Player Of The Series
The England batting all-rounder single-handedly influenced the entire game in the 2nd T20I, as his heroics denied Australia the series victory, and his stellar knock of 87 gifted England a famous win at the Sophia Gardens.
"Just been a bit more involved. Getting a chance with both bat and ball with a few boys been away. So, yeah I am just back enjoying my cricket. I have had a lot of fun, it has been great. Different environment with a few younger faces and stuff so I have just really enjoyed my cricket," said Liam Livingstone in the aftermath of 3rd T20I getting abandoned.
"Look I want to try and be involved as much as I can. I haven't been always to do that lower down the order. I want to do whatever role comes my way, to the best of my ability. I want to play for England for as long as I can. A little bit higher up the order is good for me," he added.