Pitch 'embarrassment' causes huge Ashes drama

The final day of the third Ashes Test was rocked by a drama surrounding the state of the WACA pitch.

The WACA was lashed with rain on Sunday evening and again on Monday morning, with grounds staff discovering a wet patch on the pitch when they removed the covers prior to the scheduled start time on Day 5.

THE URN RETURNS: Aussies win third Test to regain the Ashes

BALL OF THE CENTURY: Starc stuns cricket world with unplayable delivery

Water had soaked through the covers overnight, with England players and officials raising their concerns with umpires over the state of the pitch.

"There was a bit of leakage overnight so they're doing a bit of a drying job with the blowers," umpire Marais Erasmus told BT Sport.

His umpiring colleague Chris Gaffaney said the damp patch was on a good length at one end of the pitch.

"I guess it was from where the covers join," Gaffaney told BT Sport.

Wet and wild conditions on Monday saw the covers blown off the pitch at one stage, with groundsmen being cleaned up by the fly-away tarps, as you can see in the video above.

Ground staff were trying to dry the wet patch with blower vacuums, with play finally getting underway after the lunch break.

Hampering efforts to dry the pitch, showers fell frequently at the ground with the covers taken off, then replaced, five times in just over an hour.

Under ICC rules, umpires could not start play if the pitch conditions changed prior to the last ball being bowled the day before.

Australian legend Shane Warne even suggested England could try to have the match abandoned over the farcical mishap.

“Maybe there is something there for play to be abandoned,” Warne said in commentary.

“I’d be kicking up a big stink if I was Joe Root.

“All I’m saying is that Joe Root could throw up an argument to say, ‘Has there been enough rain that’s got through the hessian, through the covers, that’s got onto the pitch and changed the nature of the pitch’."

England coach Trevor Bayliss said the ground wasn't fit for cricket.

"If the wicket isn't in the same place as it was yesterday, it makes batting more difficult and maybe a bit more dangerous," Bayliss told ABC radio.

"A few of those (wet) spots are right on a length."

English great Geoff Boycott said groundsmen had "cocked up".

"It's their job to make sure it's secure, it's as simple as that. They have made a big, big error."

Former English spinner Graeme Swann said the England camp were not happy.

"They're not happy at all," Swann told BT Sport.

"There are wet, soft spots. The problem is some bits of the wicket are still fairly hard and some are soft, so it's the inconsistency that they're trying to dry out now."

Swann said using blower vacuums in a bid to dry the pitch was "like trying to defrost a turkey under the hot tap - I don't see it's going to work at all".

Cricket pundits also took to social media to express their frustrations over the delay.

with AAP