England are on top at Old Trafford but rain could yet save Australia (Picture: Getty)

Michael Vaughan believes England will beat Australia in the fourth Test at Old Trafford and force an Ashes decider despite fears over the weather in Manchester.

Ben Stokes’ side, who need to win to prevent Australia from retaining the Ashes with one game remaining, are well on top but rain could yet save the tourists.

England piled on 592 in reply to Australia’s 317 with Zak Crawley hitting a brilliant 189 and Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali all making fifties.

Jonny Bairstow also smashed ten fours and four sixes before he was stranded on 99 not out as Australia dismissed No. 11 James Anderson to wrap up the innings.

Faced with a huge first-innings deficit, Australia were reduced to 113-4 by the close of play on day three as Mark Wood, bowling with pace and hostility, took 3-17.

In normal circumstances England would be expected to take the six remaining wickets they need to level the Ashes series, but rain threatens to wash out day four and disrupt day five.

Vaughan has questioned whether the hosts batted too long given the weather forecast but still expects England to find enough time to win back-to-back Tests and force an Ashes decider at The Oval.

Michael Vaughan has been impressed by Ben Stokes’ side (Picture: Getty)

‘That pitch is flat and they have Australia on the ropes. Did England bat on too long? I was crying for them to declare it,’ he said on BBC’s Test Match Special.

‘England have played a brilliant kind of cricket. Bairstow was a great spectacle but for all the time that was spent on it, was it worth it? I do still back this England side to get all 10 wickets.

‘Bairstow has had such an up and down series and Stokes was probably thinking he needs to look after him a bit. When a team plays so dominatingly, they deserve to win.’

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Vaughan, who captained England to victory in the iconic 2005 Ashes series, believes Australia are ‘on the ropes’ and doubts they will be able to recover in next week’s fifth and final Test.

Australia took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series with narrow victories at Edgbaston and Lord’s, but England clinched a three-wicket win at Headingley and have dominated at Old Trafford.

‘Australia are on the ropes and whatever happens here, I don’t see anything but an England dominant performance at the Oval,’ Vaughan added. ‘England have got them.

England piled on the runs on day three before taking four wickets (Picture: Getty)

‘This is a flat wicket and this Australian side has been out to the short stuff so consistently. It’s a big ask for Australia to come back and do something at the Oval.’

Glenn McGrath, meanwhile, admits Australia will be ‘praying for rain’ as they look to secure an unlikely draw and retain the Ashes.

‘It’s down to the weather gods at the minute,’ the former pace bowler said. ‘We’ll have to wait and see but I think the Australians are probably praying for some rain which isn’t the normal Aussie mentality.’

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England are well on top but rain could yet save Australia.