The log is over for the day - rejoin us again on Sunday.

1833: Pat Murphy on BBC Radio Five Live
What price Shane Warne getting his Test century maiden in a match when he got his 600th wicket?

1828: Longhandle on TMS message boards
Jones is dropping chances. The one just now was pretty disastrous (off Warne's bat from Flintoff's delivery). He was even singled out on the BBC News.

1817: TheTand on TMS message boards
Anybody know what's up with Harmison? Would have given him one or two of the six overs to be played.

1813: richarevans1 on TMS message boards
What I can never understand is the umpires go out to inspect at a set time and the players then get 10-15 minutes to "prepare themselves". Why aren't the players told that if the umpires think the pitch is fit, play will start immediately?

1804: Commentator Jonathan Agnew on TMS
The umpires are on their way on to the pitch - not the impostors who came out on the first day.

1756: mightyreturns on TMS message boards
Ridiculous decision to resume playing. I really can't understand that.

PLAY TO START AT 1810 BST WITH SIX OVERS TO BE PLAYED

THERE WILL BE AN INSPECTION AT 1750 BST

1715: Nasser's broken digit on TMS message boards
Fletcher and Vaughan don't rate wicketkeeper Chris Read, and Matt Prior is untried at this level. They won't risk him in an Ashes series.

RAIN STOPS PLAY AT 1631 AFTER WARNE SAVES THE FOLLOW-ON

1655: awesomeaggers on TMS message boards
It's a touch unfair to criticise him for one mistake which was not a simple one. Also the next in line Chris Read could quite easily struggle as a batsman against Aussie bowlers.

1645: Former England captain Graham Gooch on TMS
At this level Geraint Jones has to take his chances as wicketkeeper. (Jones failed to stump Warne during England and Australia's short time out on the field of play)

1643: pelikan on TMS message boards
Plenty of time left in this game yet. We just need to take our chances.

1642: Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS
I'm very sorry to say that it's raining heavily at Old Trafford.

1633: Former England captain Graham Gooch on TMS
I think the Warne shot that hit the stumps was worth an appeal.

1622: lancslassinyork on TMS message boards
What a miss for stumping and I think Dizzy might have been out with that straight hit from Warne. (Giles just fails to deflect a straight drive on to the stumps)

1613: Commentator Jonathan Agnew on TMS
The collective noun for a group of monks is an abomination.

1610: Commentator Jonathan Agnew on TMS
When you and I were playing Geoff we replaced a bat every three to four years (comment made after Shane Warne replaces his bat).

1604: Former Australian cricketer Geoff Lawson on TMS
I came through on the Metro train through Manchester and a host of monks came on. Is 'hosts' the collective term?

PLAY STARTS AT 1600 BST - THERE ARE 38 OVERS TO BE PLAYED

1557: TMS
England and Australia come out to the to the sounds of Jerusalem on the loud speakers at Old Trafford.

1541: judderman6 on TMS message boards
I just have this bad feeling England will be skittled if they bat fourth on the fifth day.

1530: SWEDAN1 on TMS message boards
Surely there must be a more effective English qualified new ball bowler than Matthew Hoggard who can also bat?

1442: BBC Five Live reporter Pat Murphy
I'm optimistic we should be playing fairly soon. I hope the umpires don't leave the inspection until 1530 BST.

1434: The covers are coming off at Old Trafford.

UMPIRES ARE SET TO MAKE AN INSPECTION AT 1530 BST

1430: OutForADuckALOrange on TMS message board
Looks like I'm going to have to watch Man Utd give the Toffees a stuffing if Vaughan and company aren't going to be doing any entertaining.

1415: News agencies
Australia's total has been boosted by four runs to 214-7. It's because umpire Steve Bucknor failed to signal four byes when the ball reached the boundary off a Simon Jones no-ball.

1338: Angus Fraser on BBC Radio Five Live
The weather may change England's thought processes. If it's called off today, it makes it a difficult decision.

1329: Very_Agricultural on TMS message boards
Now we've lost most of a day, I think the Aussies (if they don't get to 245) just haven't enough time to force the win.

1307: Israphelpt on TMS message boards
Australia are still the number one team in the world, although I doubt they will be for much longer. England are getting better with every Test.

1256: Jonathan Agnew on TMS
It could be black Sunday for Australia. It looks like they're going down in the rugby as well (playing against New Zealand in the Tri-Nations).

1253: Former Australian cricketer Geoff Lawson on TMS
When there were rain breaks I used to show people my Diseases of the Eye book to scare them.

1245: Andrew Flintoff interviewed by Five Live
We've just been watching television, out of boredom more than anything else. Some of the lads are playing changing room cricket with a stump. It's either that or eat - there's a lot of food in the dressing-room.

1215: AutumnDiver on TMS message boards
I was at Old Trafford on Thursday and the level of Aussie support was woeful. One of the highlights for me is a bit of banter with the opposition crowd. Not a sausage! They looked totally cheesed off, but to be honest I thought day one ended fairly even.

1205: BBC Five Live reporter Pat Murphy
The latest forecast is that the rain should stop around 1300 BST. Groundsman Peter Marron says it's a fast-drying ground and they could play an hour after that. I'm optimistic that we'll get half a day's play.

1148: cam_lon on TMS message boards:
I can't see us [Australia] winning from here, so if it rained for a few days then I see no harm. It would be a cruel irony for the English weather to deny England a Test victory.

1136: akahawkeye on TMS message boards
Kevin Pietersen has the makings of a superstar but he has a while to go yet before he achieves this status - like a few centuries.

1117: Amjidjaved2005 on TMS message boards:
What are they having for lunch?

1114: TMS
Lunch will be taken at 1200 BST

1102: Umpire Billy Bowden on TMS
It's a teasing morning for us. We just have to take a seat and wait for the rain to stop. After it stops the groundsman told me that we will have to wait at least an hour before any play can start.

AFTER A BRIEF DRY SPELL, RAIN RETURNS

1047: BatsmanWarne, TMS message boards
Warney's going to hit a century with Lee in support, pushing Australia on to 350!

1031: BBC Five Live reporter Pat Murphy
I've heard that we might be able to start at 1300 BST.

1029: BBC Five Live reporter Pat Murphy
I do think this is an ageing Australia side and the selectors have got it wrong.

1015: ollieclimber, TMS message boards
I'm about three miles from the ground and its stopped raining where I am, though it looks pretty grim over there.

0931: Maria, mother of third Test England mascot Connor Shaw:
It really touched me after what Michael Vaughan said about my son (the England captain dedicated his century to the six-year-old who has had a heart transplant).

0930: BBC Five Live reporter Pat Murphy
It's a dull, dank drizzly scene. There's not much the ground staff can do at the moment. Hopefully we'll get a start after lunch.

0730: Jonathan Agnew, TMS commentator:
It seems little prospect of England enforcing the follow-on because of the fears of batting last on a wearing pitch.

The Ashes is one of sport's greatest contests.

So over the course of the 2005 series, we'll be doing our best to convey all the colour and banter from the grounds by running a daily log during each of the five Tests.

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