Ashes 2013: Day Four washed out at the Oval in final Test

But the day memorable for one happy couple

Dismal conditions ruined play at the Oval on the Day Four (GETTY IMAGES)

Day Four of the final Ashes Test at the Oval has been abandoned without a ball being bowled.

England were set to resume on 247/4, with Warwickshire duo Ian Bell and Chris Woakes at the crease, but near-constant rain all day made that proposition increasingly unlikely as the day wore on.

In the end as the most torrential downpour of the day swept in, covering much of the outfield in giant puddles, play was finally called off just after 4pm.

As a result, the match will go into Day Five with essentially only one possible outcome, the draw that will see England finish the series as 3-0 victors – the first time Australia have not won a Test in an Ashes series since 1977.

While a rather sodden crowd will go home fully refunded, but disappointed not to have seen any cricket, for two spectators the day will always be memorable.

One man proposed to his girlfriend on the big screen and much to his relief, as well as that of a crowd increasingly desperate to cheer something, she accepted.

Both sides return tomorrow for the slightly anti-climactic end to this series.