Sloppy fielding adds to England's woes

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, JULY 22. England was a team without a heart or a soul today as it allowed Australia to build up a first innings lead of 214, dropped Adam Gilchrist four times in the two hours before lunch and set Australia hurtling towards victory and an unassailable 2- 0 lead in the Ashes series.

Geoff Boycott has said that England is not good enough to come back and win three Tests in a row and at the moment its heart is on the floor and its mind is elsewhere.

England's miserable performance was watched by 30,000 spectators, who thought, when they bought their over-priced tickets last autumn, that England might win back the old trophy. How disappointed are they as they leave the ground tonight? After all, England began the Tests undefeated in five series, victories over Zimbabwe, West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Ever since its unexpected gift of a win against South Africa at Centurion Park 18 months ago it has played with spirit and determination and increasing confidence; its captain Nasser Hussain and coach Duncan Fletcher seemed to have formed a partnership of complementary parts that brought the best out of a side without many stars.

With Hussain injured England is a rudderless ship. Fletcher could be seen, impassive as Buddha behind dark glasses on the players' balcony. Whatever message he had for his team was as hidden as his face.

England proved how much it needs Hussain today when, while the stand-in leader Michael Atherton stood at first slips with his arms crossed on his chest, England raised its total of missed chances for the innings to nine, its aggregate of no-balls to 23 and let its ground fielding plunge to a new low. Gilchrist was dropped by Mark Butcher at slip on 13, by Ian Ward at point at 33 and by Butcher at point on 49. All off Gough.

Finally, Gilchrist was dropped by Atherton, still at first slip and snatching at a chance that would have hit him in the chest had he not knocked it to the floor. Once again the bowler was Darren Gough, by now clearly exasperated. Gough eventually had Gilchrist caught by Alec Stewart - taking five catches in an innings for the fourth time - for 90 just after lunch as Australia reached 401.

Gilchrist did not deserve a century but in the five innings England gave him he lapped up the opportunity to hit a dozen fours through fields that betrayed an optimism beyond belief against the batsman, who made 152 in the first Test. Australia scored 123 in 28 overs before lunch, as Gilchrist put on 65 with Brett Lee and as 18 boundaries were struck. It was not so much that Australia continued to attack even when Damien Martyn and Shane Warne were out to Caddick with the new ball but that England bowled short and wide. It was England's worst session - including the final two hours against Pakistan at Old Trafford when eight wickets went down - since its notorious defeat to New Zealand in 1999.

The low team morale came to the surface last night when Caddick told a press conference that bad luck with injuries and the toss were entirely responsible for England's woes.

The Australian dressing room was filled with laughter when they read his words. Ill-fortune did not produce 23 no- balls, nor a first innings total of 187, nor a defeatist attitude and a storm about press coverage.

England was batting again 25 minutes after lunch and 23 minutes later, as the sun burst through for the first time in this third day, Marcus Trescothick edged a ball from Jason Gillespie to Gilchrist, a replay of his first innings dismissal. A three-day defeat loomed - Glenn McGrath forecast last night that ``if we get a lead of 150 we won't have to bat again'' - but Butcher began to play his strokes freely and Atherton smashed two hook shots for four and seemed to exchange heated words with Lee.

In the next over Shane Warne, at the pavilion end for the first time, bowled Atherton round his legs and the press box scorer groaned: ``Oh, dear!'' Graham Thorpe was lbw to his seventh ball - England 50 for three - and if ever a match was finished this Test was at that moment.

* * *

England 108 for 3

LORD'S, JULY 21. England had made 108 for three in the second innings an hour after tea on the third day of the second Test against Australia, here on Saturday. Mark Butcher (52) and Mark Ramprakash (22) were at the crease.

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