Rain forecast to hit Ashes Test

There is a mixed bag of weather forecast for Trent Bridge

The weather could play a big part in the fourth Ashes Test with rain a possibility on the opening day.

There will be showers in the Midlands on Thursday but should Trent Bridge escape, fans will enjoy a predominantly sunny first and second day's play.

Saturday will be punctuated by light showers, while sunny intervals breaking the cloud cover on Sunday and Monday should aid England's swing bowlers.

The wicket is said to be a good hard wicket with little grass.

Notts' head groundsman Steve Birks has promised a surface offering little help to Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.

That has already tweaked the temperature up on an already heated contest, with Warne advising Birks to "keep his mouth quiet" after the Notts groundsman said: "There shouldn't be anything in it for that spinner of theirs until the fifth day, and then not very much."

Birks has prepared a surface with little grass, but which he hopes will hold together and not open up the sort of cracks that Warne can exploit.

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England are keen to maximise home advantage and hope Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard can cash in on Nottingham's swing-friendly conditions.

But the firm Trent Bridge track, with good bounce and carry, will also be to the liking of Australian pacemen Brett Lee and Shaun Tait, who is making his Test debut.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting said: "The wicket looks particularly good. It looked like it was ready to play on Tuesday.

"I'm not sure if it's going to favour anyone in particular."

His England counterpart Michael Vaughan said: "Trent Bridge is usually a good wicket for batting but conditions can change with the overhead cover.

"I've not seen a weather forecast but I'm sure over five days there will be enough cricket to get a result. The teams play positive cricket."

The first two Tests hardly suffered from weather interruptions but almost a day was lost to rain in the drawn third Test at Old Trafford.