Table of contents for 2023-07-26 in Post

FEEDING bottles are essential tools for nourishing infants. These become indispensable companions throughout early childhood. Available in plastic, glass and stainless steel and packed with features ranging from anti-colic nipples to feeding spoons, selecting the right feeding bottle can often be a challenge for new parents. Mylo, a full-stack pregnancy and parenting platform, recently conducted an online survey to ascertain parents' preferences when selecting feeding bottles for their infants. The survey sought responses from 725 parents and provided insights into their preferences and the factors influencing their choice. According to the findings, 42.5% of parents prefer plastic bottles over other materials for feeding their babies. The participants pinpointed easy availability, safety to use, convenience to wash, and simplicity to carry as different utility-driven advantages of plastic bottles. Moreover, durability, cost-efficiency,…

1 onion 1 tsp jeera seeds 2 tsp whole soomph 4 cinnamon sticks 2 star anise 2 bay leaves. 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp dhania-jeera powder 1 tsp soomph powder 3 tbs masala 2 tbs Dasari’s Best Blend Masala and Chilli Powder handful of curry leaves 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste 2 culls (washed and cut) 1 cup gadra beans 1 tomato, chopped 6 potatoes, quartered 1 tsp garam masala Fry the onion in the oil with the jeera seeds, soomph, cinnamon sticks, star anise and bay leaves. Add the turmeric, dhania-jeera powder, soomph powder, masala, chilli powder. Braise for about 5 minutes. Add the curry leaves, ginger and garlic paste and culls. Mix well with the spices and cook on medium heat for an hour. Add the gadra…

1 onion a tsp each of jeera and soomph seeds 2 star anise 2 bay leaves 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp dhania-jeera powder 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste 3 tbs Dasari’s Best Blend Masala and Chilli Powder 2 tbs Kashmiri chilli powder 2 sheep heads (cleaned, cut and washed. I used lamb heads because it cooks quicker) handful of curry leaves salt to taste 1 tomato (finely chopped or grated) 4 quartered potatoes Fry the onion in the oil with the jeera and soomph seeds, star anise and bay leaves. Add the turmeric, dhania-jeera powder, ginger and garlic paste, masala and chilli powder. Braise for about 15 minutes. Add the sheep heads, curry leaves and salt to taste. Mix well with spices and cook on high for about 5…

1 cup basmati/jasmine rice 2 cups milk 1 can coconut cream 5 elachi (roasted and ground) 2 cinnamon sticks 1 star anise 1 can condensed milk ½ cup nibbed almonds ½ cup desiccated coconut ½ tsp salt Boil the rice for 10 minutes. Wash and return the rice to stove. Add the milk and spices, bring to the boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Once the rice is soft, add the coconut cream and condensed milk. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Roast the coconut and almonds. Toss through the sweet rice with ¼ tsp grated nutmeg. fried kudla: 4 tbs butter 1 sliced onion ¼ tsp jeera seeds ¼ tsp hing ¼ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp dhania jeera powder a few dried chillies 1 cinnamon stick 1 can…

Aurets is a healer, psychic medium, intuitive mentor, masseuse and regression therapist. She also teaches meditation and breath work. She is passionate about holistic care and offers a small range of holistic products. Aurets practises in the Upper Highway KZN. ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Release your worries to the Divine. Discard heavy loads that are no longer needed. Feel the blessings, love and support from loved ones in heavens. Be grateful, for everything is going well. You are going to be fine. Magic number: 8. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Nurturing and patience will help your dreams arrive. Discard despair, keep focusing positively, and place intention on what you desire rather than anything else. It’s easier than you think. Magic number: 6. GEMINI (May 21 –…

Mathew Naidoo and Rabia Ally had planned to get married in September, but fate had other plans. Naidoo, 29, from Orient Hills in Isipingo, was stabbed in the chest during a robbery on the N2 pedestrian bridge near uMhlanga on July 18. He was employed at a call centre in the area and had been waiting for transport to get home when the incident happened. Naidoo died at the scene. Ally said she was in a relationship with Naidoo for seven years, and they had two children together, Isabella, 3, and Mathew, 11 months old. “I called him just before 6pm to find out if he was waiting for his transportation. He replied yes. Our baby was fussing, and he calmed him down by speaking to him. Isabella heard his…

DR ANSHU Padayachee will be remembered for her advocacy work and pivotal role in the women’s rights movement in South Africa. The 69-year-old activist died last Wednesday, after a long illness. At the time of her death, Padayachee was CEO of the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (Thensa), which represents a consortium of technology-focused universities and institutions. Before that, she was CEO of the South Africa–Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (Sanpad), a bilateral research programme between South Africa and the Netherlands. She also served as academic deputy vice-chancellor at the then ML Sultan Technikon (now DUT) and acting vice-chancellor of the same institution. She had been involved in management, teaching and research at universities for three decades. She obtained her Master’s degree cum laude, a D.Phil in…

WE HAVE a crisis. Trucks are going up in flames again. More than 20 trucks have been torched recently on our national roads. And again, like the 2021 July riots, the government dithered. Instead of immediately deploying all available police and troops to the trouble spots on the highways, it was sitting around and deliberating about the causes of the mayhem and what to call it. An emergency requires a quick response. You have to cut out the red tape and take extraordinary measures in a crisis. When a man is lying on the ground wounded, you don’t stand around and debate the causes of his wound but act immediately to stop the bleeding and save his life. What is our government’s response? It has an obsession for procedure: a…

IN A conference with municipal officials recently, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, the premier in KwaZulu-Natal, cracked the whip about poor governance and service delivery. But in reality, the shambles in local government is a result of the adage – reaping what you sow. Admonishing municipal officials for “thinking municipalities belong to them or their families” is a bit late when cadre deployment is official ANC policy. Former ANC heavyweight Smuts Ngonyama’s declaration that he “did not join the struggle to remain poor” is evident in the lifestyles of ANC holders of public office. It was recently reported that there are 300 councillors in KZN who cannot read or write. How were these people ever considered fit for public office, Madam Premier? How can they be expected to hold officials to account? In…

I AM forced to respond to the blazing debate regarding the folly of cadre development and its impact on our economy. For health reasons, I was content to be and remain a spectator. Until now. I share these thoughts and insights for the record. It’s widely held that the once glorious ANC has been captured by a criminal enterprise sponsored and shielded by self-serving, corrupt leaders and their imbecile punting of the policy of cadre deployment. The oppressive burden on the citizenry through non-service delivery, higher food prices, and an ever increasing tax burden following such plundering and corruption is straining the patience of the ordinary voting public to breaking point. The DA’s idiotic racist foreign policy is not helping either. The SA ship is sailing with a captain with…

IN THE era of presstitutes and media control, biased writings easily distort historical narratives in the expectation that, as per the Nazi, Joseph Goebbels, that “if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it”. In recent times, we describe this as factoid. Azad Essa’s Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel is replete with factoids as Islamists, India and Hindu baiters and haters coalesce to peddle a distorted history of Kashmir. It is appropriate to enlighten the readership of the pre-Islamic history of Kashmir and the exposure of the Islamic settler colonialism mindset motivated by religious and greed. This was not the classic settler colonialism that involved large-scale immigration aimed to replace a population – as in Australia, Canada,…

KARAMCHAND Ramdeen needs help to find his brother. Ramdeen, 68, from Greytown, is a retired supervisor. He lost contact with his younger brother Pramanand Ramdeen 28 years ago. Ramdeen said he grew up on Regina Road in Bombay Heights, Pietermaritzburg, with Pramanand and their parents. Ramdeen said he recently heard from another relative that his brother was seen in Durban. “The relative had seen my brother but did not approach him. Pramanand must be about 65 years old now. I knew he had a daughter. “We are getting older. He is my only sibling, and I want to rekindle our relationship. I have four children, and I want them to know their uncle. Growing up, we had such a strong bond. It was always just the two of us. I…

EXPERTS say there is limited evidence of the health risks of aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in various products as a substitute for sugar. The sweetener is widely used in the production of various food and beverage products. These include diet drinks, chewing gum, sugar-free chocolates, sweets and baked goods, dairy products and breakfast cereals. The sugar substitute has been a talking point in recent weeks after confusing media reports, some suggesting that it had been deemed a cancer-causing agent. But a joint statement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) joint expert committee on food additives (JECFA) has provided some clarity. The IARC is an intergovernmental agency forming part of the WHO. It categorised aspartame…

We live in the age of perfection. Perfectionism is a personality trait that involves demanding a flawless standard of performance and harshly evaluating ourselves and others. Our culture is obsessed: the perfect body, job, partner, holiday… the perfect life. Nowhere is this more obvious than weddings. After 25 years researching this topic, I take particular interest in cultural trends that encourage perfectionism –and weddings take the cake. Pursuing perfection Most weddings have some common elements: two people, often dressed in some combination of white dress and/or nice suit, exchange vows and rings. But now, in the age of social media and the wedding industry, the wedding must have an aesthetic. The reception must be themed, the ceremony colour co-ordinated, and above all: It. Must. Be. Perfect. Pinterest inspiration boards set…

2 dozen trotters (I used lamb trotters) 1 onion a little oil 1 tsp jeera seeds 1 star anise ¼ tsp hing (counteracts gassy foods) 2 bay leaves 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp dhania-jeera powder 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste 2 tbs Dasari’s Best Blend Masala and Chilli Powder 2 tbs Kashmiri chilli powder 1 chopped tomato salt to taste handful of curry leaves 2 cans of sugar beans 1 stock cube ½ cup tomato paste water (to add when necessary to the gravy) 1 tsp garam masala Clean, wash and boil the trotters until soft. I discard the boiling liquid, but use it in the curry if you like. Fry the onion in the oil with the jeera seeds, star anise, hing and bay leaves. Add the turmeric,…

2 cups rice 1 tomato 1 onion 4 chillies (depending on taste) 1 tsp crushed garlic (depending on taste) a few curry leaves 2 tsp tamarind paste in 1 cup water. 1 tsp each of freshly ground mustard seeds, jeera seeds and freshly ground black peppercorns 2 dried chillies 1 level tsp of turmeric in a little coconut oil. ½ tsp Marandhu Sellu (birth masala – optional) 1 cup water salt to taste Cook the rice for 5 minutes less than you normally cook it. Keep it aside. Liquidise the tomato, onion, chillies, garlic, curry leaves and tamarind paste in the water. Fry the spices, dried chillies and turmeric powder in a little coconut oil. Once fried, add the liquidised mixture and Marandhu Sellu. Boil on medium heat for 10…

4 tbs oil 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp black peppercorns 10 curry leaves 2 tsp mustard seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbs crushed ginger and garlic 10 garlic cloves 1 large onion, finely chopped 5 green chillies 1 tsp turmeric 1 tbs Dasari’s Best Blend Masala and Chilli Powder (add more if you like) 1 tsp dhania-jeera powder ½ tsp fenugreek powder 1 x 410g can chopped tomatoes 1 x 410g can tomato purée 2kg fish of your choice (I used Cape Salmon) 3-4 tbs tamarind paste dissolved in 1 cup of water Heat the oil in a large pot and add the roasted and ground fennel seeds, mustard seeds, black pepper and cumin. Add the ginger and garlic paste, and onion. Fry on medium heat until the…

Step 1: Boil 500g giblets with ½ tsp bicarb for a few minutes, discard the water, rinse giblets and place back on stove. Step 2: Add the ingredients below and bring to a boil. Then lower heat to and allow to simmer until giblets are almost cooked. 1 cup water 1 finely chopped onion 1 tbs dhania jeera powder 1 tsp soomph powder 1 level tsp turmeric 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp Dasari's Best Blend Masala and Chilli Powder (more if you prefer) 1 tbs ginger and garlic 1 chicken stock cube 2 bay leaves 2 star anise Step 3: Remove the whole spice, then mix in the ingredients below. Simmer until the giblets are cooked. ½ bottle hot sauce 2 tbs tomato paste ½ cup water 1 tbs…

THE family of a father and son who were stabbed and killed in an alleged home invasion have called for justice. Ismail Loonat, 86, and his son Moosa Loonat, 46, were found bound and stabbed in their home in Dalton, KwaZulu-Natal, last Monday. They owned a convenience store in the CBD. Mohammed Safla, a relative, said it was alleged the robbers got into their home in Cool Air Suburb and held them up. “They were found with their hands bound and they had been stabbed several times. The house was ransacked and an undisclosed amount of money was stolen.” Safla said Moosa was not married and lived with Ismail in the home. “Ismail lived in the community for more than 40 years and had the store for the same amount…

SERIOUS crime in South Africa has reached unacceptable levels. Serious crime includes killing, rape, hijacking, drug dealing, bank robberies, fraud, etc. I think the death penalty for serious crimes should be reintroduced. Back then, when we had the death penalty for serious crimes, crime was controlled. The police have failed miserably. But they are also human. They have families and want to protect themselves. There is so much crime and we do not have sufficient policing or the money to employ more police. There may be many firearms in the hands of the public from pre-apartheid years. Guns were smuggled from other countries. Police also report their guns as being stolen. If we reintroduce the death penalty, investors will flock to the country, business will boom and unemployment will be…

EVERYWHERE he goes, he is adored and sought after by roving global audiences as people, especially of the Indian diaspora, are drawn to him like filings to a magnet. He is considered a true defender of the faith of democracy and one of the world’s last bastions. With the glowing eyes of a patriot’s zeal, he could charm the venom out of a snake and has the uncanny ability of getting people to listen to him. He is none other than the world revered Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. On a recent visit to Australia, he was treated like a celebrity with the Aussie prime minister, Anthony Albanese, referring to him as “The Boss” in reference to rock star Bruce Springsteen. Albanese told the crowd that their response to Modi’s…

AZAD Essa’s book, Hostile Homelands: An Alliance Between India and Israel, was launched worldwide recently. It has received mostly accolades for its intensity of research but, as expected, some brickbats as well. Criticism has come from local Indians, most probably Hindus. Many counter-arguments used against the book utilise the fact that most of the Muslim states – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and others – have strong ties with Israel, so what’s the reason to point daggers only at India for doing so? Every line in Azad’s book has been checked for authenticity. But we Indian South Africans need to also do simple soul-searching. All those so-called Islamic states referred to by counter-writers, unfortunately, have the same ideals as the rest of the world – only wealth and power. There…

Pick n Pay (PnP) chairperson Gareth Ackerman recently lambasted the government’s legislative changes to the Employment Equity Amendment Act, which he said threatened private employers if they failed to employ a workforce mirroring the country’s racial demographics. Speaking at the group’s annual general meeting last week, Ackerman said: “It’s been hard to stay positive about the future of SA for a long time now”. He said the act would have the effect of making large numbers of qualified people unemployed and substituting them with unqualified people. “It is probably very unconstitutional and could ruin many productive companies and foreign investments on which the economy depends. I cannot understand why our government has not caught up with the times.” Ackmerman said the act tried to force on business by decree,…

INDIA women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been criticised for being a bad example after she smashed the stumps and took a verbal swipe at umpires in a match against Bangladesh. Media reports said Kaur could be fined 75% of her match fee and is also in danger of a two-game suspension for her behaviour in the One-Day International, which ended in a rare draw, on Saturday. Kaur hit the stumps after being given out on 14 and later said the umpiring was “pathetic”. She was then heard telling her opposite number Nigar Sultana to invite the umpires on stage after the post-match presentation, forcing the Bangladesh players to opt out of a joint photo session. “I have been watching cricket for a long time, but have never seen anyone…

With just a few days before the Netball World Cup begins on African soil for the first time, Netball SA CEO Blanche de la Guerre says the Proteas are in their element ahead of the tournament. There are bound to be nerves for any team ahead of a World Cup, and it seems the Proteas are taking it all in their stride ahead of the netball showpiece in Cape Town. South Africa are hard at work preparing for the start of the tournament on Friday, when they will take on ninth-ranked Wales (6pm). They then face Sri Lanka on the Saturday (4pm). The Proteas are the favourites in their group, but they also take on dark horses Jamaica (No 4) in their last pool match on Sunday (6pm). De La…

Aspartame, the artificial sweetener used in products from Coca-Cola’s diet sodas to extra sugar-free chewing gum, is the latest substance to be declared a possible carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Carcinogens are substances that have the potential to cause cancer to humans. According to the IARC, there are four different levels of classifications – carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, possibly carcinogenic and not classifiable. The levels are based on the strength of the evidence, rather than how dangerous a substance is. Some of the top agents that are carcinogenic to humans based on their classifications: Category 1: when an agent is considered ‘carcinogenic to humans’: As per the IARC, this classification is used when there is enough proof that the agent causes cancer in people. Typically, the…

The make-up and volume of gut bacteria in toddlers when they are 3.5 years old is predictive of body mass index (BMI) at age 5, irrespective of whether they are born prematurely or not, according to new research. The findings, presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (Eco) in Dublin, Ireland, also identified differences in the bacteria that colonise the gut seen in adults living with obesity, suggesting that changes in the gut microbiota that predispose to adult obesity begin in early childhood. “The gut microbiota is emerging as an important early-life factor able to influence weight gain in childhood and later life,” said Gael Toubon from Inserm, France. “Our findings reveal how an imbalance in distinct bacterial groups may play an important role in the development of obesity.”…

2kg tripe 1 onion a tsp of jeera seeds 1 star anise ¼ tsp hing (counteracts gassy foods) 2 bay leaves 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp dhania-jeera powder 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste 2 tbs Dasari’s Best Blend Masala and Chilli Powder 2 tbs chilli powder 1 chopped tomato handful of curry leaves 2 cans butter beans 1 stock cube 1 tsp garam masala Clean, wash and boil the tripe until softened. Fry the onion in the oil with the jeera seeds, star anise, hing and bay leaves. Add the turmeric, dhania-jeera powder, ginger and garlic paste, masala, chilli powder. Braise for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato, tripe and curry leaves. Mix well with spices and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the butter beans,…

marinade: 500g fish roes 1 tbs chicken tikka masala 1 tbs lemon juice 1 tbs ginger and garlic paste ¼ tsp turmeric powder ¼ cup oil gravy: ¼ cup oil 1 chopped onion 5 green chillies ½ tsp jeera seed a sprig of curry leaves 1 bay leaf 1 tsp chopped garlic clove 1 heaped tbs Dasari's Best Blend Masala & Chilli Powder ½ tsp turmeric 1 tsp dhania and jeera powder 1 can chopped tomatoes half cup tomato purée Rinse and steam the fish roes in a little water for about 20 minutes in a pan. Drop off excess water from the pan and add tikka masala, lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric powder and the oil. Mix well with the fish roes and marinate for a few…

¼ cup olive oil 6 ripe lemons, washed, wiped dry and sliced to your liking 1-2 tbs salt (or according to taste) 2 tbs Dasari’s Best Blend Masala and Chilli Powder (or according to taste) 1 tbs fenugreek powder (methi) ½ tsp asafoetida (hing) 1 tsp dhania jeera powder 1 tsp crushed garlic 1 tsp turmeric powder ½-1 cup brown sugar (or according to your taste) Heat the oil. Add the lemons with juices. Fry for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients besides sugar and cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar gently until dissolved. Cool and store in a clean airtight jar. The pickle is ready to eat immediately, and gets softer and more flavoursome over time.…

Former Reservoir Hills resident, Farzana Alvarado, known as Chef Zana, has won the BRM National Burger Challenge 2023, held at Gallagher Estate, Johannesburg. The BRM National Burger Challenge is a culinary competition where judges look for the best burger in the country. The competition ran over three days, and had various criteria the burgers were judged on. Currently residing in Johannesburg, Alvarado grew up in Durban and was introduced to cooking by her late grandfather, Ebrahim Roshee, but chose a different path before becoming a chef. She studied public relations and marketing and spent many years as a marketing strategist in the film and media industry, working in South Africa and also abroad until she changed her career. “My late grandfather was a very well known self-taught cook, who grew…

In Greek mythology, Helios was the god of the sun. Legend goes that many moons ago, he rode daily in a golden chariot, travelling from the east to the west, bringing the sun across the skies. Helios was a father to several children, and one day his youngest-born, Phaethon, asked for a gift. Helios agreed to give him whatever he wanted, and the youngster asked to drive the chariot across the sky. Helios had his doubts, but since he had agreed to give his son anything the boy wanted, he could not go back on his word. His fears proved to be true when Phaethon could not control the horses of the sun chariot. It came too close to Earth and set fire to the planet. The story goes that…

THE civil rights organisation, Afri- Forum, has submitted comprehensive comments on the controversial draft regulations on water use licences, published in the Government Gazette on May 19 for public comment. The most notable change that these proposed amendments to water legislation envisage is the requirement that an applicant for a water use license will need up to 75% black ownership. AfriForum’s biggest concern is several provisions that point to Senzo Mchunu, the Minister of Water and Sanitation’s intention to issue regulations that contradict the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (Act 3 of 2000). A good example of this is the attempt to circumvent requirements set by the National Water Act for water licence applications and the introduction of unlawful requirements regarding…

THE DA notes the latest inflation figure of 5.4% as reported by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). This figure, while marginally below the South African Reserve Bank's (SARB) 6% upper target limit, should not be mistaken for a sign of economic resilience. It is important to recognise that a single dip below the upper range does not erase the government-induced cost of living crisis. Our economy remains in serious trouble with no sign of growth. Crucially, beneath the headline figure, the devastating imprint of inflated living costs becomes apparent. A surge of 11.1% in food prices, with the cost of bread – a staple food – escalating by a devastating 15.5%, belies the inflation story. Increases of 9.7% in public transportation costs coupled with persistently high fuel prices, further amplify…

DR Farooq Meer, a Struggle icon, has died. He was an extraordinary person, who defied racism. His death is a loss for South Africa. Meer inculcated in the masses the idea that we have to be free to choose our destiny. He dared to dream the greatest dream of all – a non-racial South Africa. Meer chose liberty and democracy when darkness enveloped our geographical landscape. He was one of the most influential people of our era, who proved that courage is like wildfire and can spark the flames of hope. Courage also has the ability to move millions. He embodied the dignity and strength of those in the Struggle to end racial segregation. Hamba Kahle to a man of fortitude. Your contributions will be your legacy to our country.…

SOUTH Africans are struggling financially. A total of 33% of home loan holders find it difficult to meet their monthly repayments or are falling behind on payments. Furthermore, a total of 70% of South Africans have not seen any improvement in their income since 2020, while 45% describe themselves as financially stressed. This is according to the Old Mutual Savings and Investment Monitor (Omsim). The research report also found that 50% were “poly-jobbers”, having more than one stream of income. The report looked at everyday financial challenges faced by South Africans. It involved interviews with just over 1 500 employed South Africans with monthly incomes ranging from R8 000 to R99 000. Interviewees spoke of their challenges as well as coping mechanisms. Vuyokazi Mabude, the head of knowledge and insights…

Cold ... that pretty much sums up the last week. In terms of fishing though it has been rather hot! Kob, garrick and even some inedibles! Top tip: Sliding on braid. This is a question we get asked a lot in the shop. Yes, it is possible to slide on braid … BUT you have to keep the line tight and use much smaller shakes than you would with nylon. All of these methods are used to prevent the clip from getting tangled in the braid. With the lack of stretch in the braid, if you give it slack, the clip will hang up and you will get burnt off. With all of that in mind, it is a better idea to keep sliding of baits to nylon and braid…

ENGLAND batter Zak Crawley has insisted the hosts will have no trouble motivating themselves for this week’s fifth Test against Australia even though they can no longer regain the Ashes. What had looked like being a thrilling series-decider at The Oval has had some of the edge removed after England’s quest to draw level in the fourth Test at Old Trafford was thwarted by rain, with only 30 overs possible across the final two days. England dominated proceedings in Manchester, with Crawley’s superb 189 the standout individual performance. “We’re massively up for it,” said Crawley, the series' leading run-scorer with 385. He added: “As Ben Stokes says, we’re building as a team, this isn’t the end just because it’s the end of the Ashes.” Prior to this series, a run…