'What's going on': Tempers flare in ugly moment in fourth Ashes Test

Stuart Broad and Steve Smith had a momentary disagreement in the fourth Ashes Test on Wednesday, as wild weather wreaked havoc and led to much frustration.

Manchester - a city synonymous with football, music and wet weather - didn't disappoint with the latter on a bizarre opening day at Old Trafford.

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Conditions were dry when Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat, however rain never seemed far away and play was delayed for two hours after lunch as the 12-strong ground staff battled to keep the covers on the square.

When play did finally resume it was stopped once again, this time due to a rogue chip packet - much to the chagrin of Broad - who was halted twice in his run-up by a distracted Marnus Labuschagne.

Broad was clearly fuming, leading to some words with Smith and umpire Marais Erasmus.

“He’s getting a real strop on out there Stuart Broad,” English great David Lloyd said in commentary.

“What is going on?”

Play continues without bails

The Poms were left fuming when Labuschagne pulled away a third time not long after, explaining to Joe Root that he thought he heard the bails fall off.

The bails did actually fall foul to the howling wind after umpires Erasmus and Kumar Dharmasena admitted defeat in their numerous efforts to keep them on top of the stumps.

This brought fourth umpire Rob Bailey onto the field, but not with heavier bails as expected but a replacement cap for Erasmus who evidently had no interest in chasing his white floppy number across the square.

Uncovered stumps were then in play for 15 minutes while new bails were being hastily made courtesy of a hammer and four nails.

"It was frustrating for everyone, I pulled away because I thought the bails had come off," Labuschagne said of his cross words with Broad.

"Then the chips packets came on. It was frustrating for the game in general. When they put the bails on you could see the stumps shake it was just a matter of time until they came off.

"I have never played without bails before so it was a bit different, but overall it was pretty tough conditions for bowling."

with AAP