Ashes to Ashes, England to dust

Despite a resilient and recently resurgent team that is officially rated the third best in the world, England are no closer to regaining the Ashes than they have been at any other time in the last 12 years after being thrashed by an innings and 118 runs well inside four days by a rampaging Australia in the first Test.

Trailing by 234 runs with 9 wickets in hand and needing to both bat out time and overcome the deficit entering the fourth day, England enjoyed a productive first hour for only the loss of Butcher before a sudden collapse against the irrepressible pace bowling of Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie saw Australia wrap up the match and go 1-0 up in the series twenty minutes after lunch. From a score of 142/2, England lost 7/22 and also had captain Nasser Hussain retire hurt with a finger injury after being stuck on the glove by Gillespie's first ball of the day.

Brett Lee made the first breakthrough and finished with 2/37 after going for 0/71 from 12 overs in the first innings and Gillespie collected 3/52 in another hostile display before Warne, chief destroyer in the first innings with 5/71, finished off the work of the pace bowlers with 3/29. The even spread of wickets on the last day epitomised the all-round team effort by Australia that lead to the innings triumph.

Although vice-captain Adam Gilchrist was named man of the match for his dynamic 152 in the first innings, Steve Waugh and Damien Martyn both contributed centuries while Michael Slater paved the way for Australia's total of 576 with a blistering 77. Warne also turned the match when England were in their strongest position of the match at 106/1 after being sent in on the first day, while McGrath and Lee found bowling form in the second innings.

The match lasted a total of 237 overs, the equivalent of less than two days and two sessions had the weather not intervened. Such was the frenetic pace of the contest and positive cricket from both teams that the interruptions never threatened a result.

Marcus Trescothick made an excellent 76 and Mark Butcher 41, but they were the only two batsmen to reach double figures in an inadequate second innings English batting effort.

McGrath and Warne began proceedings and were met affirmatively by Trescothick and Butcher in a promising first half hour for England. Warne extracted considerable turn on the wearing wicket without success and was replaced by Lee, who struck in his second over. After England had safely reached 99/1, Butcher (41) received an unplayable delivery from Lee that bounced excessively from just short of a length and took the shoulder of the bat through to Gilchrist. There was little Butcher could do, as he swayed back and removed his bottom hand from the bat to no avail.

Lee's first wicket encouraged him, as he increased pace and found rhythm but could not prevent Trescothick crashing him through the covers to reach fifty. Gillespie relieved McGrath and immediately did damage of a physical sort when he struck Hussain on the little finger of his top hand with a nasty rising delivery. After a delay for treatment, Hussain was forced to retire hurt for 9 and did not return.

Lee struck again when he dismissed Ian Ward for 3, bowled defending awkwardly onto pad then stumps. It was one of five wickets in the session, as Gillespie then had Alec Stewart caught at slip from a leading edge for 5, attempting to turn a shorter ball behind square.

With Australia suddenly on the road to victory, Usman Afzaal completed a disappointing debut when he was trapped leg-before by Gillespie for 2 to go with his four in the first innings. Afzaal was stuck on the crease and simply beaten for pace on leg stump. Gillespie finished the session magnificently in the last over when he bowled Craig White for 0. White was comprehensively beaten by a fast delivery on the line of off stump, having it knocked back as he failed to cover the ball.

Ashley Giles was dropped by Mark Waugh first ball after lunch but it made no difference as Trescothick was then held at slip to give Warne his first. He followed up by trapping Darren Gough leg-before first ball to complete a pair for the fast bowler and put himself on a hat-trick, which Andrew Caddick saw off.

Soon after it was all over when Giles edged a drifting Warne leg-spinner to slip, where this time he was held by Waugh as England were bowled out for 164.

Did England "compete" with the mighty Australians, as desired by Nasser Hussain? Judging from his reaction one wouldn't think so, as Hussain's dark mood reflected the increasingly bleak nature of England's prospects this summer.

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