Ashes 2017: Rain and David Warner hold up England victory effort

• Scoreboard from the fourth Test at the MCG

• England all out for 491, a lead of 164

• James Anderson falls to first ball of the day

• Rain sets in with Australia 103/2, trailing by 61

• Alastair Cook's brilliance takes England back to joy of 2010-11

• Nick Hoult: England react angrily to ball-tampering allegations

An uncharacteristically stoic innings from David Warner and a final session that was wiped out by weather means England will have to mount a last-day victory push to restore some pride in Melbourne.

The tourists resumed on 491/9 but James Anderson was dismissed with the very first delivery of the day, fending Pat Cummins to Cameron Bancroft at short leg.

That left Alastair Cook unbeaten on 244, the highest ever score for someone to have carried their bat in a Test match.

England took the field with a lead of 164, and although openers Bancroft and Warner put on 51, the former dragged Chris Woakes onto his stumps for 27.

Usman Khawaja, struggling for form in this series, plundered a six and a four off a single Moeen Ali over.

However, he was promptly caught on the crease by Anderson and edged through to Jonny Bairstow.

That brought Steve Smith together with Warner and the pair combined for an unbroken partnership of 38 from 136 balls, staying put until persistent rain ended the day prematurely on the cusp of tea with Australia on 103/2 in their second innings, 61 runs behind. Warner reached stumps on 40 from 140 balls, Smith - more fluent - on 25 off 67.

Allegations of ball-tampering did emerge before lunch as Anderson was seen to press his thumb into the ball.

Shane Warne, Michael Slater and Michael Hussey highlighted the matter during television commentary, while Mitchell Johnson took to Twitter to question the ball's behaviour.

England head coach Trevor Bayliss wasted no time in refuting these claims, revealing at the close that he had already discussed the matter with umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Sundaram Ravi, who assured him that there was "nothing to worry about".

"If he was trying to rough the ball up, he was trying to rough the wrong side up," Bayliss smiled. "He was doing it wrong."

Joe Root's use of a sweet in the field prior to polishing the ball was also laughed off, Bayliss suggesting that his captain should be watching his diet more carefully.

The final day of the fourth Test will see an earlier start with a maximum of 98 overs.

6:56AM

Trevor Bayliss

England's head coach is given a chance to respond to the ball-tampering allegations that emerged today. He says he has addressed the umpires and been told that there is  "nothing to worry about. You're allowed to clean the ball and that's what we were doing."

As for James Anderson's thumbing of the ball, Bayliss is not concerned.

"If he was trying to rough the ball up, he was trying to rough the wrong side up. He was doing it wrong."

Lastly, to wrap up, Joe Root was seen to polish the ball after sucking on a sweet in the field. Bayliss reckons the only problem might be a nutritional one. "Our trainer might be concerned. Joe has to look after his weight a bit."

6:22AM

CLOSE: AUS 103/2, 43.5 overs (Smith 25* Warner 40*)

David Warner has faced 140 balls for his 40, staving off a determined England and helping to ensure that Australia still have eight wickets intact. Tomorrow will see a maximum of 98 overs as the hosts begin the day 61 runs behind. 

6:18AM

Play abandoned

Nick has the news.

6:13AM

Cats and dogs

When you can't even see the pitch to inspect it... 

6:01AM

Latest on thumbgate

Our man Nick Hoult reports that England are not pleased with some hasty allegations of ball-tampering earlier today. Read his story here.

5:46AM

About that pitch inspection...

It looks as though that will be it for the day, although we await official confirmation. The covers came off briefly but another deluge has set in, seemingly for the night. 

5:16AM

Just in

These puddles do not look too encouraging...

 ...but there is a glimmer:

5:02AM

No change

4:45AM

Damp

Here's Joe Root trudging off earlier. Great gurning. 

4:28AM

As you were

Rob Bagchi takes his live-blogging jumper back from the umpire at the Telegraph offices. Another phenomenal spell from him. Unfortunately, I do not have any cricket to bring you at the moment as the covers have not budged.

BT Sport have played their batting clinic featuring Geoff Boycott, Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan.

Glenn Maxwell, The Big Show himself, has just been interviewed on Test Match Special. That's worth seeking out at some point if you are at all interested in a Twenty20 specialist's mind-set and training methods. Tim Wigmore wrote this for us on the Big Bash. Take a look .

4:15AM

The covers are on

And it continues to rain. Australia, at 103 for two, are 61 in arrears. I'm going to hand over to Charlie Morgan now. Thanks for your company. England have lost eight successive Ashes Tests in Australia. I'm sure it won't be nine but how marvellous it would be to halt that sorry run with victory tomorrow but they're going to have to get rid of Moby Smith fairly soon to have any hope. 

4:05AM

Rain stops play: Aus 103/2

Off they troop. Australia are 61 behind with this crucial third-wicket partnership seemingly off its hard tack diet and starting to savour better fare. 

4:04AM

OVER 43.5: AUS 103/2 (Smith 25* Warner 40*)

Lovely from Smith, creaming an off-drive for four. It was tailing in to Smith but he crashed it off his stumps past the bowler. England are peeved that the ball is getting wet but the umpires, who haven't been on their side on crunch decisions - Vince, Malan, the Khawaja catch and ticking them off for trying to scuff the ball while not stopping Australia doing it - tell them to go hang. Earlier Smith had exchanged singles with Warner, both through the off-side and fairly square. Here come the Eurythmics lazy references again. Now the umpires are taking the players off as the shower intensifies and Broad gives the kind of eye-roll well known to parents of tweens and teens. 

4:00AM

OVER 43: AUS 97/2 (Smith 20* Warner 39*)

Another false stroke from Warner, shaping to pull and bottom-edging Curran's slower ball yay close to the stumps. A maiden for Curran. Warner looks more jittery after starting to score again than during the long drought. England are 67 ahead

3:57AM

OVER 42: AUS 97/2 (Smith 20* Warner 39*)

So close! Warner is diddled by the low bounce and shovel-spoons a hoick just past Jimmy Anderson at short midwicket. He dives but can't reach it, it's inches past his grasp. Warner runs three flukey runs. Smith drives two through the covers. 

3:49AM

OVER 41: AUS 91/2 (Smith 17* Warner 36*)

Malan makes two sharp saves at point, one stops any run, the next saves three. Warner follows Smith by making the scoreboard move, pulling hard for four when Curran digs it in from round the wicket. This batting - it's the perfect approach that England should have adopted in the previous three Tests. 

3:46AM

OVER 40: AUS 86/2 (Smith 16* Warner 32*)

Woakes serves up another inswinging yorker to Warner who plays it with a bat piinting to midwicket but manages to chisel it out on to his pad and towards safety. That's maiden No6 from Woakes. Warner has 32 off 128 balls, a strike rate of 25 compared with his career Test s/r of 76.22.  

3:42AM

OVER 39: AUS 86/2 (Smith 16* Warner 32*)

Graeme Swann's moving into full-on chilled-out entertainer mode now with his accents. Curran continues to Smith and keeps him tied up with a very tight line outside off, mixing up slower balls and changes of length.  Seventeen dot balls  from England now. This partnership is 21 off 106 balls now. 

3:37AM

OVER 38: AUS 86/2 (Smith 16* Warner 32*)

A sumptuous inducker from Woakes almost diddles Warner but he digs it out and spoons it via the blockhole over the bowler. Malan's diving stop at cover keeps Warner scoreless off the over. He's bowling superbly now. 

3:32AM

OVER 37: AUS 86/2 (Smith 16* Warner 32*)

Smith defends Curran's resumption delivery with a loose bottom hand that pushes the ball square where it's fielded. He jabs down on the next couple and prods them into the offside. Curran is straining for pads, looking for the late reverse swing into the ankles. 

3:28AM

England have a conspicuous last word

Four balls left of Tom Curran's eighth over.

3:24AM

The covers are off 

And play will resume at 3.30am. 

3:10AM

The covers are still on

But the rain has eased and the blue is now overwhelming the clouds above. It won't be long, yeah, yeah, yeah, it won't be long yeah, yeah, yeah. 

3:01AM

Rain stops play: AUS 86/2 (Smith 16* Warner 32*)

Off they go as the shower intensifies. They won't be off for long. It's quite gloomy out there. Australia are 79 behind. This partnership is now 21 off 91 balls. 

2:59AM

OVER 36: AUS 85/2 (Smith 16* Warner 31*)

Excellent from Woakes to secure his fourth maiden. Michael Vaughan is telling us that the Barmy Army are both passionate and knowledgeable. They're singing now because they can sense the team needs a lift. Wisdom of the crowd and all that ...

2:55AM

OVER 35: AUS 85/2 (Smith 16* Warner 31*)

Smith thickens the square leg spoke of his wagon wheel with a single off Curran. Not so much One Wheel on my Wagon as One Spoke on my Wagon Wheel. Curran has five balls at Warner who cannot score. It's the world staring championships between Warner and England right now.

2:50AM

OVER 34: AUS 84/2 (Smith 15* Warner 31*)

Feed Smith in middle and he'll whip you to fine leg - which he does to take a single off Woake's first ball. It has started to rain and England don't want a damp ball. Warner slaps a short one through point for a single and then Woakes finds his range with three dot balls. Smith defends them comfortably and ends the over with another single off his pads.

1:20AM

OVER 22: AUS 65/2 (Smith 0* Warner 27*)

Excellent from Anderson who is hiding the ball in his delivery stride. He squared Khawaja up and now has Smith in his sights. Two down by lunch is the perfect start even if it's Australia's two struggling batsmen who have gone. Wicket maiden for Anderson who has Smith defending back up the pitch.

1:14AM

Wicket!

Khawaja c Bairstow b Anderson 11Caught him on the crease with his lead boots on. Let his hands instinctively follow the ball that moved slightly away and feathered it through to the keeper. FOW 65/2 England are still 99 ahead. 

1:14AM

OVER 21: AUS 65/1 (Khawaja 11* Warner 27*)

Broad has only one slip for Khawaja and is bowling round the wicket despite his first-innings success from over the wicket. He beats him prodding forward with no foot movement but the ball after strays on to his pads to let him get away with a single. One of the BT Sport commentators just said 'Humpty Dumpty' off mic with a muical lilt in the delivery. I have no clue why. Warner defends positively and stoutly with a Cookesque firm push to mid-off which runs too quickly to the fielder for a single. 

1:09AM

OVER 20: AUS 64/1 (Khawaja 10* Warner 27*)

Warner tries to flat bat Anderson through cover but can't penetrate the ring. Anderson continues round the wicket to the left-hander who plays him well to see out the rest of the maiden though he looked a little squared up by the final ball that he bunts up the pitch. Broad will replace Moeen. 

1:05AM

OVER 19: AUS 64/1 (Khawaja 10* Warner 27*)

Khawaja gets off the mark with a six over long off then ends the over with another sortie down the track to drill four through extra cover. Who knew he could dance? 

1:03AM

OVER 18: AUS 53/1 (Khawaja 0* Warner 26*)

Anderson replaces Woakes after his wicket-taking over. Harsh but fair etc. 'Get the big fish and the whale out,' says Geoffrey Boycott apropos of Warner and Smith. Anderson is round the wicket to Warner who defends a couple, leaves a couple then cuffs a single off his pad. England call up a second slip for Khawaja who they clearly don't rate. 

12:58AM

OVER 17: AUS 52/1 (Khawaja 0* Warner 25*)

Moeen gets one to leap under Warner's nose when he found the rough outside off-stump and concedes a single to an off-drive. Khawaja is a poor player of spin but this pitch should not have any terrors in it but Moeen, his juices lowing, bowls four testing deliveries to him with flight. The arm ball causes Khawaja some consternation before he digs it out. 

12:55AM

OVER 16: AUS 51/1 (Khawaja 0* Warner 24*)

Woakes has bowled very well this morning and recovers from a floaty half volley that swerves on to leg stump and was drilled for four by adjusting his line and exploiting Bancroft's dodgy bat swing. 

12:51AM

Wicket!!

Bancroft b Woakes 27Played on again. Propping forward with an angled bat he chips it on to middle-stump via his thigh pad. FOW 51/1

12:50AM

OVER 15: AUS 47/0 (Bancroft 23* Warner 24*)

Moeen begins with a delivery of pure filth, angling down the legside but Bancroft doesn't cash in. He takes the single with an on-drive as Moeen finds his line but no dip or turn. Warner milks a single with a tapped off-drive then Bancroft uses his feet to bunt a third off the over. 

12:45AM

OVER 14: AUS 44/0 (Bancroft 21* Warner 23*)

Graeme Swann is arguing that throwing the ball into the ground may be against the spirit of the laws but it's something more honored in the breach than the observance. Even educated fleas do it etc. Root at drinks was talking to Sundaram Ravi about it with the look of someone claiming injustice in the headmaster's study. Woakes begins the post-drinks half-session with a maiden of testing wobblers to Warner. Moeen is coming on to bowl. 

12:39AM

OVER 13: AUS 44/0 (Bancroft 21* Warner 23*)

Ah, that's a glorious shot from Warner but it wasn't Curran's finest delivery to the left-hander, hanging it out wide enough to let Warner cream it through the covers for four. The opener's larcenous legs allow him to steal a single with an elongated forward defensive that whizzed past the stumps. Bancroft has a short midwicket stationed for him but Curran strays from attacking his pads and gives him a wide one to crunch through cover for two. Bancroft ends the over by tucking into Curran's too-full length with a perfect off-drive for four.  That'll be drinks. Australia have cut the deficit to 120. 

12:34AM

OVER 12: AUS 33/0 (Bancroft 15* Warner 18*)

Anderson, under the gaze of the umpire, is authorised to remove a spur of leather sticking up from the ball. A soft three after Woakes overpitches to Warner. Stoneman runs across from cover then doesn't bend down to pick it up. It was a dummy run to try to gull the batsmen into not running but fooled Stuart Broad at mid-off too and the ball skated past him. Mitchell Johnson is not impressed by England's ball worrying.

12:30AM

OVER 11: AUS 30/0 (Bancroft 15* Warner 15*)

Bancroft breaks the stranglehold with a back-foot punch in front of point for three. Curran had two slips in for Bancroft and a gully but removes the second slip for Warner. He goes for the yorker again and Warner digs it out then defends into the off-side. Alison Mitchell has joined Vaughan in talking about Curran's energy as if he's some kind of Duracell Bunny. Warner ends the over by punching a drive between the bowler and mid-off. Broad dives to save three as the batsmen run a single. The umpires are mithering about England scuffing up the ball by throwing it into the ground. Australia did it yesterday without censure. 

12:24AM

OVER 10: AUS 26/0 (Bancroft 12* Warner 14*)

Woakes changes his pace to play with Warner's timing, which works to the extent that Warner has to jab down hurriedly to block a wobbly full one. England have a slip, a gully,  cover point, shortish extra and mid-off in the ring. They're suffocating Warner. 

12:20AM

OVER 9: AUS 26/0 (Bancroft 12* Warner 14*)

Blimey! Bancroft has fortune on his side today. He is late on his defensive with an angled bat and the ball bounces down behind it and just goes over the top of the stumps. Almost the fourth played-on. Then he leaves one that whistles past his off-stump, more judgment than jam I think and next ball chisels out a yorker before pushing a sharp single to mid-on. Warner ends the over with a pull but the ball didn't get up and he bottom edged it hideously down to long leg for a single. Dangerous stroke. 

12:16AM

OVER 8: AUS 24/0 (Bancroft 11* Warner 13*)

Maiden from Woakes to Warner as England try to scuff the ball by throwing it at the stumps into the footholds superfluously but effectively. Good, testing over. 

12:13AM

OVER 7: AUS 24/0 (Bancroft 11* Warner 13*)

Operation save your two gun bowlers for when the ball starts to reverse, not a very catchy name for it, goes into early effect as Curran replaces Anderson after only three overs. Vaughan likes Curran's energy, his youthful, er, spunk. Warner whips a single down to fine leg giving Curran a dart at Bancroft. England set the field as if they can see a bullseye on his knee roll but think they get him down the corridor. Root is the main cheerleader for the review. Curran didn't seem at all interested and he was right.

12:09AM

England review

Bancroft c Bairstow b CurranThere was a noise. Nothing on Hotspot, though. Nothing on Snicko either. England have lost a review. What was the noise - his spikes scraping the hard crease?

12:06AM

OVER 6: AUS 23/0 (Bancroft 11* Warner 12*)

Joe Root hooks Broad and brings Chris Woakes on. Bancroft plays a forcing back foot drive that whooshes through the air past cover and they run a single as England whoop to emphasise how chancy it was. After two balls Root moves second slip to short cover but Warner waits for an error in length and gets on top of his short-arm pull to cuff it for a single to backward square. 

12:03AM

OVER 5: AUS 21/0 (Bancroft 10* Warner 11*)

Anderson calls up a short mid-off, not silly but not sensible either. Warner defends the first two then controls an edge between  slip and gully which, Vaughan says, is too conservative. England need to attack with at least another slip. The ball races away through third man for four then Warner punches two through cover point and tucks two more off his hip. Australia have started like a train. No heavy legs and heavy minds evident at all after five sessions in the field. 

11:58PM

OVER 4: AUS 13/0 (Bancroft 10* Warner 3*)

Moeen is too far back at point and England let Warner have an easy single with a defensive push. Bancroft looks all at sea for a moment, ducking then improvising a hasty defensive when the ball doesn't get up but then shows his class with a rapid pirouette to pull crisply for four and tops it next ball with a Pontingesque on-drive for another. He's under some pressure but playing very positively now, clipping a single off his pads and Warner does the same to pinch the strike off the last ball. 

11:54PM

OVER 3: AUS 2/0 (Bancroft 1* Warner 1*)

Warner is off the mark, bunny hopping up to tuck a riser off his chest to midwicket. More drop and run than tip and run. He is so quick. Bancroft's bat swing is so far off the perpendicular that he is prone to edging it and Anderson finds the perfect length and line to expose what Slater calls his 'swipe'. He has got away with it so far.  Here's the Anderson dismissal:

11:50PM

OVER 2: AUS 1/0 (Bancroft 1* Warner 0*)

Two slips and a gully for Broad as well as a short leg. Bancroft pushes timidly outside off and plays and misses. England are very enthused by that and their aggressive shouts of encouragement must spook Bancroft further. He jabs down quickly on one that veers into him and pushes it to mid on then plays outside the line slightly and toes it off the bottom left corner of his bat back up the pitch. Broad decides to give him a couple of short ones. The first he flicks at and misses as it passes his hip, the next he ducks and he ends the over letting one by down the corridor. Michael Slater says he has a 'very heavy head'. Maiden. 

11:44PM

OVER 1: AUS 1/0 (Bancroft 1* Warner 0*)

The England supporters had been stalled by Anderson's dismissal on 'those fee...' so begin Jerusalem again now he has the ball in his hand and runs in to Bancroft. He is much fuller after starting with two back of a length Anderstock balls. Bancroft defends up the pitch with the outside half of the bat but gets off strike with a flick off the hip for a single. The ring field suggests England are going to starve Warner of offside bounty and Anderson ends the over by squaring him up as he prods a defensive down the pitch. 

11:38PM

Anderson extra keen to put on his bowling boots

11:35PM

Cook's English predecessors

11:33PM

England: 491 all out

Alastair Cook has carried his bat for 244, the highest ever score for someone to have accomplished the feat. England lead by 164. 

11:31PM

Wicket!!

Anderson c Bancroft b Cummins 0 Out first ball of the day, fending a bouncer off his heart to short leg. 

11:30PM

Out come the players

And we will start on the dot. James Anderson is on strike. 

11:20PM

We should start on time

11:18PM

There's a shower passing over the MCG

The commentators are huddling under umbrellas but it ought to liven up the pitch and the storm clouds may prove as helpful to Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes as they habitually are. 

11:16PM

Swings and roundabouts?

The old saying about bowling being hard enough without having to take 12 wickets (Australia dropping Cook twice) is rather leavened by two England batsmen - James Vince and Dawid Malan - not technically being out and a third, Stuart Broad, the victim of the soft signal protocol for a catch that was impossible to say had not touched the ground. And that's not to question Usman Khawaja's propriety because he was as uncertain as he could be. But Kumar Dharmasena should have known better. 

10:59PM

An extraordinary sight

In preparation for commemorating Alastair Cook's innings as the highest by an overseas player in Tests at the MCG in the Percy Beames Bar, Viv Richards' 208 in the drawn 1984 Test has been taken down.

10:54PM

Good morning

I don't think I can add anything by way of introduction to what was published here on Christmas morning:

10:50PM

Cook's reflections on day three

Alastair Cook will resume on 244 for the fourth day's play at the MCG with England 491-9 with a lead of 164.

His 10-hour vigil has brought him the highest individual score for any overseas batsman at this famous venue, superseding Viv Richards' 208 in 1984/85, and also taken him above Brian Lara into sixth in the list of all-time top Test run-scorers.

It all makes a mockery of the opener's struggles since his 243 in the day-night Test in Birmingham four months ago.

Asked whether he was worried he could be dropped because of them, he said: "You don't know, do you?

"I would have been entitled to be...just because I literally hadn't scored a run since Edgbaston.

"It was very frustrating."

Cook has returned to form, belatedly but with a vengeance, in time at least to end any realistic prospect of a third 5-0 whitewash in England's last four Ashes tours.

Telegraph columnist Michael Vaughan has never understood why people were questioning Cook's desire.

"I had seen enough in terms of his dedication to practice that he was trying to find a way out of his poor run of form and that he was not far out with his timing," he writes in his column.

"This week he got his timing spot on. There are a lot of facets to his batting with all the movements he makes at the crease, his trigger movement and the high backlift. It means  everything has to be in sync if he is to be successful and any little fault can cause it all to go wrong."