Aussies makes short work of England

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, JUNE 21. The Australians won the final preliminary match of the triangular series when they overwhelmed England by eight wickets with 19 overs in hand today.

A frightening exhibition of power batting by Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting produced the 177 needed for victory with a stand of 124 in 22 overs but just as important was the signpost to the Ashes.

We may have to wave them goodbye once again. The Englishmen, defeated in every match, were no more a team than the Pakistani mobs who have wrecked three of the nine matches in this tournament.

Everything at the Oval was typical of the English summer. The sun shone, the pitch had bounce and pace and carry and runs for the brave; and the Australians once again bowled out England's top batsmen for a pittance and forced the capacity crowd to cheer a ninth-wicket stand of 38 and a 10th-wicket partnership of 33.

England managed to accumulate only 176 in 43.2 overs as fears that the fight for the Ashes might produce the first Ashes whitewash in 80 years began to seep round the country. A month ago the cricket fan base thought a tight scrap for the little urn was the least they could expect. Now you might search the length and breadth of the land and not find a follower with enough faith to part with a pound of his pocket money to invest in England's ability to win back the trophy that has been Australia's since 1989.

It was clear from the first moment that the Aussies were not about to give the game away as part of their training for the final of the tri-series, now just 48 hours away against a Pakistan side which must be having a quiet giggle at the way their fans have upset the British public. A rowdy, undisciplined crowd is their idea of cricket heaven.

The last ball of Glenn McGrath's first over forced Marcus Trescothick to play such a nervous back shot that the ball slipped on to his stumps, and although Alec Stewart and Nick Knight then took the score to 51 the sight of Stewart mistiming his shots on his home pitch led to the thought that he would not last forever.

Two runs later Owais Shah, the best of the young batsmen was caught behind, and at 59 Alistair Brown edged away from a Brett Lee bouncer and gloved the ball to third slip. Paul Collingwood survived uncomfortably until 81 when he was caught at slip and Knight was caught behind trying to run the ball through the slips.

At 109 for six we wondered if the match might be over before the London rush hour but Robert Croft made 20 powerfully, Ben Hollioake, still driving on stiff legs, hit 22 before he was unluckily run out off a rebound from the bowler's hand and Andrew Caddick smote six 4s in 36.

When Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist set off in search of 177, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere promised to be England's shortest defeat as well as its sixth of the tournament and the 11th in succession. Six came off Darren Gough's first over, three wides off Caddick's first and 47 off six. Hayden was caught mishitting a pull to mid-on off Caddick, but Ricky Ponting began with a sweet on-drive for three and sent the fifty up with a six off Caddick.

Of course the Aussies had nothing to lose, England is a feeble one-day side without three of its stars and the pitch and outfield invited dashing batsmanship. But as they headed for victory on-field - 87 off 12 and another Ponting six to bring up 100 as the fielding restrictions came off, the 100 stand in 90 balls - the Aussies must have been more pleased to know they had won the battle of minds as well. The Ashes are now a mirage to most English folk and likely to remain so.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : New scoring system: shuttle in IBF's court
Next     : A DSP who issues marching orders to the best of
           batsmen