Should test match cricket have a reserve day? England legend Steve Harmison gives his verdict

While it is sure to be another exciting encounter between England and Australia, the fact the Aussies have already retained the urn is making the upcoming game feel like a damp squib. 

Last week's fourth test at Old Trafford was reaching a thrilling climax before rain on days four and five took the game away from England's grasp and instead ruled it draw leaving the series 2-1 to Australia going into the final match. 

While there is still pride on the line for England as they look to level the series, that has not stopped fans from thinking about what might have been had the fourth test been able to reach a conclusion which has now led to calls for a reserve day to be used in test matches if a whole day's play cannot take place within the scheduled five days. 

However, while reserve days would be welcomed by some fans, cricket is a game which is at the mercy of Mother Nature regardless of the magnitude of the game.

When the question of using reserve days was put to former England bowler Steve Harmison, it was pretty clear what his views on the subject were. 

"No in capital letters," Harmison told OnlineCricketBetting when asked about the possibility of bringing reserve days into test cricket. 

“I get abused for hammering the Hundred and this is not me hammering the Hundred, it's far from it but if you cram five Test matches into six and a half weeks, in England, you are going to be lucky to get through the whole lot without any weather interruptions, it's just not possible. It's England, even in the summer, it rains and most of the time it rains in Manchester. 

“It's inevitable that at some point in the five Test matches you're going to have rain and it's unfortunate that it's fallen for two days in the Test match which would have gone 2-2 in the series.

"It would have been a fitting end in what's been a magnificent series but unfortunately it rained and England have got to take it on the chin, there's nothing they can do about it.

"They've played brilliantly in these last two Test matches, they've played some great cricket in the first two Test matches but made mistakes and those mistakes have cost them unfortunately and that's why they're in the position they're in."