FOURTH TEST - DAY FOUR

Meters away - worlds apart. Brad Haddin slumps as England's victorious cricketers celebrate.

Today England retained the Ashes in emphatic style by dominating Australia in virtually every facet of the game.

There, I have said it.

It hurts, but it is the truth. This England team (I dare not call them "English") has been the best prepared, the most focused and collectively, the most in-form I have seen an England touring team in Australia in my life time.

From their opening batsmen to their revolving door seam bowling attack, they have been comfortably ahead of Australia...only Brad Haddin and Mike Hussey could make a case for being better performed than their direct counterparts Prior and Collingwood.

Johnson departed quickly this morning before Haddin and Siddle had a hit and giggle that piled on some low pressure, inconsequential runs that merely delayed the celebrations for a time, but it was all to no avail as England predictably ran out easy winners by an innings and 157 runs...a drubbing in anyone’s language.

To England go my sincere congratulations on a professional job that was clinical in it's execution. Well done, you thoroughly deserve it.

If I may, I wish to examine what has gone wrong with Australian cricket that has seen our national team not merely lose two tests, but the cause and effect of the heavy manner in which those tests were lost and with it any hope of reclaiming the Ashes.

If you are a delighted English cricket supporter, you may stop reading now, as our misery is not your problem. Enjoy yourself, for we Australians are about to enter a period of introspection that will see more casualties than a bloody gangland war.

If you are a despondent Aussie, read on.

If the English football team and the New Zealand All Blacks are the flag ships of their respective nations, then the Australian cricket team is the standard bearer for the Australian nation. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to suggest that there is alot of sadness and indeed anger at how they have performed this summer from across this expansive country.

Everywhere, Australians are asking; why?

My first broad side must go to Cricket Australia who in their previous guise promised that the en-mass retirements of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh and the resultant collapse of our international fortunes in their vortex would never be allowed to happen again. In fact, as Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist etc were reaching the end of their glorious careers, the CA officials smugly informed us that Australian first class cricket was brimming with talent and that all would be OK. Sure, Shane Warne's aren't discovered everyday, but by and large, we would not fall into any kind of trough. We would remain number one, or somewhere close to it.

How embarrassingly wrong were they?

In all their smugness and money counting stupor, they completely misread where everything was inevitably heading. To paraphrase a friend...we aren't falling, we have fallen! The bottom hasn't fallen away, it has disappeared!

My next bake is reserved for the National Selection Panel headed by Andrew Hilditch and his band of merry incompetent buffoons. These slow witted dullards think that "succession planning" is organizing who goes second drop in the batting order.

Andrew Hilditch is delusional at the best of times, but he has proved himself to be a comedian too - "we selected Michael Beer because he has local knowledge of the WACA ground and conditions" when in fact he had just moved over from Victoria only a few months before and in reality had barely any idea of where to find the change rooms.

The criminal negligence displayed by the selection panel will be a topic of heated discussion across the length and breadth of this great country for many years to come. If I were any of messieurs Hilditch, Boon and Cox, I would consider going into some kind of fugitive protection program and go into hiding in the comparative anonymity of the USA living amongst 300 million American Citizens who do not give a hoot about cricket.

The selection panel must all resign post haste. Fall on your sword boys, because if you stay any longer, it will only get ugly. Just go.

The other member of the set up who has flown under the radar has been national coach Tim Nielsen. As respected cricket commentator and journalist Gideon Haigh noted this afternoon in an interview on SEN radio, "Nielsen was handed a three year extension to his contract before this current series! Given that his team's performance of the last few years has been less than satisfactory, this was an amazing decision by those at CA. If Nielsen were an AFL coach with his record over the last couple of years, he simply wouldn't have a job right now".

Or words to that effect.

The selectors must go.

The coach must go.

Many at Cricket Australia who have been dozing at their desks in recent years without noticing the initially imperceptible decline and more recently, the free fall, of Australian cricket must do the honourable thing and resign.

Australian cricket is rotten to the core right now and big changes are needed just to be competitive going forward let alone regaining number one status.

How one Sydney newspaper reported the fans anger.

OK, we have tackled the off field puppeteers who have been guilty of negligence, but what of the dearth of talented young cricketers? The Sheffield Shield was once described as a cricketing conveyor belt producing talent for the test team on demand.

Just place your order gents.

Now, there seems to be either journeymen who are in their early to mid thirties plying their trade, or young tyros with potential who are either in their teens or early twenties and are not yet ready for higher honours. In between there is a "donut". The critical age group where most test players are typically drawn from.

How the hell did this happen?

Leaving aside the negligence of those in charge that I have already touched upon, there is a simpler reason why the above has occurred. Back in the late 1990's the Australian test players threatened strike action in order to obtain a better deal for the ordinary Australian first class cricketer who was a poor relation compared to his fully professional English County Cricket cousin.

After the new deal was struck, Australian first class players were placed on annual contracts and guaranteed minimum annual salaries. I think the minimum salary was about $80,000 AUSD per annum, thus making first class cricket a professional occupation compared to it's pauper past.

The effects of this were far reaching, but not all the outcomes were positive as we are about to see. On the one hand, first class cricketers could concentrate on their cricket without having to worry about how they were going to pay the rent or concerning themselves with getting a mundane disposable job in the off season. That was the positive and the hoped for outcome by the idealistic test cricketers who fought for their comrades in arms.

But there was a side effect that no one anticipated from this landmark change in Australian domestic cricket. The unforeseen result was a kind of upsetting of the equilibrium of the Australian First Class scene on a few fronts.

1/ Because playing first class cricket had become an occupation, players were not abandoning mediocre careers in their mid twenties to "get a real job" as their cricketing ancestors had done before them in Australia. Instead they became journeymen and continued plying their trade for their state teams well into their thirties and even into their mid to late thirties in extreme cases.

2/As a result of the above situation, the tradition of the teenaged first class cricketer had started to almost disappear. State selectors and administrators obsessed with winning the Sheffield Shield were more inclined to stick with late twenties or thirty something journeymen rather than punting on extreme youth and waiting for a pay off. In recent times NSW has been the exception to this rule, but other states have barely registered that they have contributed to the killing of Australian test cricket.

3/ The net result of the above two points has lead to the fact that the Australian test team which had started to reach it's use by date by 2008 at the latest was not able to be effectively topped up with exciting young talent, simply because there was very little young talent in the Sheffield Shield that was of the quality required to take the next step.

To illustrate my point, the all conquering Victorian bowling line up of Dirk Nannes (35), Shane Harwood (37), Bryce McGain (39) and Peter Siddle (26) which swept all before them in spearheading Victoria's assault on the Sheffield Shield, One Day titles etc. were decidedly lopsided in one critical area.

The numbers in brackets are their ages.

Unsurprisingly, Peter Siddle is the only one of that quartet who is in the correct age to become a regular test performer, even though it could be argued that Nannes was and still is the better bowler. Dirk Nannes did not make his first class debut until he was twenty nine - what future is there in selecting rookies at such an advanced age?

Sure, Nannes was a pro skier in his twenties traversing the slopes of the world, so he may be an exception to the rule, but Harwood was twenty eight when he made his first class debut and McGain was thirty - what was holding them back from being selected earlier?

Throw in Clint McKay who made his debut at the "youthful" age of twenty four and you have a bowling group that have largely missed the bus. Only Siddle was blooded young and only Siddle has gone onto a remotely sustainable test career.

Australian cricket fans have long envied the ability of Pakistan and India to pluck a teenaged pace bowling prodigy from obscurity who looks at home playing test cricket immediately. In recent summers, names such as Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Amir have dazzled the Australian cricket watching public with their precocious talents.

If these lads were Australian, they would not have played for their respective states yet much less have sparkled in the test arena.

Dale Steyn, arguably the best fast bowler in the world at present is a twenty seven year old who made his test debut at twenty one and his first class debut at twenty. If Steyn were an Australian, would he have been given such opportunities so early? It is doubtful.

Therein lies the problem.

Australian first class cricket has gone from being the yard stick to something approaching an over thirties league.

My simple solution to re-establish the delicate ecology of young promising cricketers pressuring the more established players for a place in first class and test line ups is to introduce a compulsory minimum component of youth in each state team. This would be in the form of five of the eleven must be twenty three or under.

Radical? Maybe.

Necessary? Absolutely.

It is not the only way of ensuring that Australia climbs back up the rankings, but it will certainly go a long way towards restoring some kind of parity in talent identification. With the compulsory component of youth, state administrators will be forced to locate, nurture and develop promising young players instead of hoping to cherry pick from other states or find a mature workhorse capable of "doing a job".

This all should have been started a decade ago, or at the very latest in the wake of the 2005 Ashes defeat which was the first sign of Australian Cricketing mortality. However, nothing was done and now we are paying the heavy price of complacency.

We must start right now as this is year zero.

FOURTH TEST - DAY THREE

Trott finished on 168 not out in a marvellous display of concentration.

Trott and Prior strode to the wicket this morning with no other instructions but to grind Australia into the turf and set the Aussies an impossible task to save the game. As it was, there was little prospect of that.

Prior was the first to go when he holed out to Ponting on eighty five from the bowling of Siddle. Tim Bresnan then departed rather quickly for four when he was caught behind by Haddin off the same bowler.

Graeme Swann then combined with Trott for an entertaining partnership of fifty three, before he fell for twenty two when he was caught behind by Haddin off the bowling of the luckless Hilfenhaus.

Tremlett was then dismissed for four after being bowled by Hilfenhaus and Anderson was bowled for one by Peter Siddle who was the pick of the bowlers with a haul of 6 for 75. Jonathan Trott finished unbeaten on 168, but one wonders if it could have been so much more if he only had farmed the strike and shepherded the tail. It seemed as if he was playing purely for himself and was batting for the red ink - but we digress, as the lead is so great that it will all be purely academic.

So Australia were set the task of having to make 415 just to make England bat again. Short of a miracle, this test was fast going down the gurgler.

Watson and Hughes set about the task of trying to restore some semblance of Australian respectability when they burst of the blocks with a stand of fifty three off eleven and a half overs of pulsating batting when disaster struck. England had run out of ideas by this stage as both batsmen looked comfortable, when from nowhere, Watson called the hapless Hughes through for a suicidal single when the former pushed a delivery from Swann straight to Trott at short cover who had no trouble gathering and firing the return to Prior who removed the bails with Hughes at least a foot short.

Phil Hughes got off to his usual galloping start before disaster struck.

This was utter madness. With nearly two and half days to bat to save the game, where was there the urgency to take such a risky single? Phil Hughes was finally looking comfortable and set for a meaningful score when his innings was ended by Watson's bizarre brand of running for twenty three off thirty balls.

This brought Ricky Ponting to the crease, who with the exception of his last session cameo at the Gabba, has been out of sorts all summer. Ponting and Watson then settled into a more docile and watchful partnership compared to the opening frenzy of Watson and Hughes, preferring to leave most deliveries outside off and only playing what was absolutely necessary. They brought the score up to ninety nine when with the introduction of the portly Bresnan into the attack, Watson was dismissed for fifty four when he padded up to the same bowler and was adjudged LBW. Yet again Watson had failed to convert a fifty into a century and questions must be asked as to his suitability to the top of the order.

Ponting followed soon after when he was bowled by Bresnan off an inside edge from a less than straight bat jamming down away from his body for twenty. An ungainly dismissal from a fast fading hero who looks to be suffering from a tortured soul brought about by the pressure of having to constantly be the go to man in a sub par Australian team that is not even a shadow of it's former great self.

After his superhuman heroics in the first three tests, even the unflappable Hussey succumbed to the pressure of finding himself yet again at the crease with Australia three wickets down for not many. Hussey was caught driving at short cover by Bell off the suddenly dangerous Bresnan who had captured three wickets in less than twenty minutes.

Michael Clarke and Steve Smith attempted to tough it out as best as they could, but Clarke was eventually caught at second slip by Strauss off Swann in a trap that had just been set for him the ball before - so obvious, but, so predictable and Clarke was on his way for a disappointing thirteen.

Steve Smith chopped on ending an entertaining knock of 38.

Steve Smith played some fine attacking strokes in his enthusiastic innings, but it was almost inevitable that his enterprise would also lead to his dismissal when Smith chopped a short ball outside off stump onto his stumps attempting to play an extravagant pull shot. Smith's cameo of thirty eight had many parallels with his innings of thirty six in Perth in that it showcased his obvious abilities as an unorthodox stroke player, but also highlighted his lack of preparedness to be a test number six batsman. It would be far wiser to ease Smith in at number seven or eight where the responsibility is lesser and where he can work on also improving his leg spinners which will come in more than useful over the next decade if his potential can be harnessed.

Haddin and Johnson saw things through until the end of play where the stumps score was a dismal 6 for 169 and a heavy defeat imminent.

Tomorrow England will wrap up the test and the Ashes by about lunch, if not earlier. With the Ashes irretrievably lost for yet another two and half years, the post mortem's will begin in earnest and it is fair to say that the blood letting will follow. The Australian cricket watching public does not tolerate failure, much less the timid performances served up this series which have brought shame on a once great cricketing nation. Heads will roll, reputations forever tarnished and new blood must be injected.

It may take three or four years of pain, but the test side must be decimated and the kids must be introduced now a la South Africa 2004 who introduced young kids who were trounced by England and Australia in their own backyard in successive summers, but the young tyros of Amla, De Villiers etc grew into men after their inauspicious beginnings. Boys like Maddinson, Copeland, Pattinson, Paine, Hughes, Smith, Hazelwood, Khawaja, Ferguson and O'Keefe must be blooded and persisted with to build a new machine to dominate world cricket. There are no short cuts.

It is year zero.

FOURTH TEST - DAY TWO

Ponting arguing against logic with Dar on a day to forget.

Today was the day that Ricky Ponting jumped the shark. Let me preface this by saying that I have no problem with a captain questioning an umpires decision in a diplomatic manner, but Ponting's badgering of Aleem Dar was churlish to the extreme and unbecoming of the post of Australian Captain.

I don't wish to pontificate on the rights and wrongs of the NRS/third umpire process, but Aleem Dar got the decision right in the flesh. Dar has been pretty good with his decision making all series, so it was no surprise that the review showed that Pietersen had not edged the ball. What was the point of Ponting berating Dar after the fact?

Ponting has been a wonderful batsman and has achieved everything that the game offers, but this outburst will only give his detractors ammunition that could so easily have been avoided.

Australia was on a hiding to nothing today. The early conditions were helpful, but the ball was old and battered, so conventional swing was hardly going to be possible as it was for the English seamers yesterday morning. In spite of this impediment, Peter Siddle produced a marvellous cameo whereby he had both Cook and Strauss removed with little addition to their overnight totals.

Peter Siddle was on fire early with the wicket of Strauss.

Alistair Cook edged to Watson at slip for a well made eighty two and Andrew Strauss was defeated by one that jagged off the pitch and flew off the edge high to gully where Mike Hussey took a wonderful leaping one handed catch. Strauss compiled sixty nine and like Cook he would have been disappointed with himself for not going on to register yet another Ashes hundred when there was one there for the taking.

Jonathon Trott and Kevin Pietersen then consolidated with a partnership of ninety two before Pietersen was dismissed for fifty one when he was LBW to Siddle who had picked up his third wicket in a quality spell of fast bowling.

Paul Collingwood continued his recent run of outs when he gifted Johnson his wicket when he picked out Siddle at fine leg with a pull shot that was played uppishly. This brought the inform Ian Bell to the wicket, but he too seemed to have caught Collingwood's malady when he attempted to hook a bouncer outside off stump and merely ballooned the ball via a generous top edge to that man Peter Siddle who held a splendid catch to be involved in all five wickets to have fallen to that time.

At 5 for 286, Australia were not back in the game per se, but the deficit they were going to face was looking more manageable with only Trott and the out of sorts Prior standing between them and the brittle English tail.

Trott had some early scares, with a couple french cuts past his leg stump and a near run out when on forty eight. Prior also was all but dismissed by Johnson when he edged behind to Haddin when he was on six, but for the small fact that Dar had a sneaking suspicion that Johnson had overstepped and referred his own decision, and low and behold - Dar's suspicion was correct as Johnson had indeed overstepped the popping crease.

Thereafter Prior played with the abandon of a man who was bullet proof, regularly top edging over the keeper or the slips cordon, catches flying just out the fieldsmen's reach. In time he settled to play some marvellous strokes and supported Trott's vigil which ultimately yielded a well deserved century.

By stumps England total had reached an imposing 5 for 444 with an overall lead of 346. Trott trooped off unbeaten on 141 and Prior 75 with an opportunity for both to add many more tomorrow.

Jonothan Trott celebrates yet another Ashes century.

For Australia, it was a sad day of cricket to go with many other sad days this series, but the saddest episode of all was Ponting's demented debate with a cool headed Dar and the fool proof hot spot. This surely signifies the end of the line for Ponting who has not looked himself all series.

There comes a time, and sadly for one of the great batsmen of our era, that time might well be now.

FOURTH ASHES TEST - DAY ONE

Phil Hughes started brightly before self destructing.

In summing up the catastrophic (if you are an Aussie) first day of the Boxing Day test, I must borrow the words of a friend of mine when he surmised with a quip via sms that while Perth was the exception, today was back to the rule.

It may have been a fortunate toss for Andrew Strauss to win in order to ask Australia to bat on a pitch showing signs of seam movement under cloudy skies, but this in no way absolves the shambolic batting display by the Australian batsman who showed no aptitude for the task at hand.

Australia remarkably went in unchanged despite the fact that it is suicidal to enter a match at the MCG without a front line spinner. England substituted Steven Finn with Tim Bresnan in order to put a clamp on the Australian scoring and for Bresnan to also lengthen the batting order.

Shane Watson and Phil Hughes strode out purposefully in front of a crowd that was close to 85,000, but short of the record 90,800. Watson took strike first up to Anderson and then proceeded over the next few overs to make the luckiest five he will ever make. Dropped twice, unconvincing, tentative, it came as no surprise when Watson eventually edged off the shoulder of his bat a kicker from Tremlett that ballooned to Pietersen in the gully who much relieved after earlier putting down a chance, accepted the simplest of catches.

In the mean time, Phil Hughes looked in very good touch as he played some positive strokes to advance to sixteen with two boundaries, when he too perished by slicing a catch off the corpulent Bresnan to Pietersen in the gully from an airy square drive to a delivery that was a shade too short and wide to be played in such a manner.

After the first day drama in all the test matches this summer, this was starting to follow a familiar script and nothing surprised any longer, such was the calamitous effort of the Australians with the bat.

After a brace of sparkling boundaries, Ponting joined the procession when he too edged to the slips cordon a delivery from Tremlett that kicked off a length. Swann took the catch and England knew they had Australia back peddling in the overcast conditions.

The next to go was the big wicket of Mike Hussey who had looked the most comfortable of all the Australian batsmen in relative terms. Hussey was defeated by a superb Anderson delivery that took the edge of the bat and flew through to Prior. No sooner had Hussey's replacement Smith made his way out to the middle to join Michael Clarke than the heaven's opened up and play was halted and an early lunch was called. All the more galling for Hussey who would have felt that had he survived that delivery, he would have been in pole position to reboot after lunch and carry the fight to the Englishmen.

Upon the resumption of play Steve Smith, who never looked at ease was dismissed when he hung the bat away from the body and duly offered a snicked catch to Prior off the probing Anderson to leave the Australian innings in tatters at 5 for 66. Smith's innings of six yet again called into question whether this promising young lad is ready to take on the responsibility of batting at number six.

Anderson and Tremlett embrace after their four wicket hauls.

Battling away at the other end all this time was Michael Clarke who along with the in coming Brad Haddin represented the last of the recognised batting in the Australian line up. If any kind of Australian revival was going to occur, it had to take place with these two men doing the bulk of the work many in the crowd would have suspected. Clarke perished however, when he too parried at a ball outside off stump from Anderson to present Prior with yet another catch behind the wicket to be dismissed for twenty.

There was to be no rescue act from Haddin as well today when he flashed outside off stump to Bresnan and edged to Strauss at slip to be dismissed for five. Australia had now plummeted to 7 for 77, but worse was to follow.

Mitchell Johnson followed immediately for a duck when he edged to that man Prior off Anderson. Soon after Siddle and then Hilfenhaus were both dismissed by Tremlett, both edging to Prior to give the latter six catches in the innings.

Australia had been dismissed for ninety eight - an Ashes record low at the MCG by an Australian team. Surely an unwanted record.

This was utterly embarrassing even after you factored in the less than ideal conditions. Simply unacceptable.

The scoreboard tells a sorry tale for Australia.

So Australia took the new ball hoping to wreak as much carnage as England had inflicted, but two things happened. One, Strauss had the pitch flattened out by the roller between the innings as he is entitled to do, and two, the sun had suddenly burst out and the clouds cleared away thus handing England more or less perfect batting conditions.

All that does not account for the insipid bowling performance doled out by the Australians who reverted to their pre-Perth form. No bowler encapsulated this form reversal more so than Mitchell Johnson who just as suddenly as he had rediscovered his ability to swing the ball at alarming speeds with laser beam accuracy, suddenly lost the skill just as quickly.

Strauss and Cook batted with a minimum of discomfort to reach a magnificent 0 for 157 at stumps to walk off the ground with broad smiles and a lead of fifty nine runs over the surely demoralized Australian outfit. Strauss was unbeaten on sixty four and Cook on eighty.

If the direction of the Ashes had been in any doubt before the start of play, they surely aren't now. Only the inspired efforts of Hussey, Haddin and Watson had thus far prevented a complete white wash, but on a day like today when they all failed together for the first time in the series, Australian inadequacies were laid bare.

Tomorrow England will amass a lead in the vicinity 500 and Australia will be put to the sword as a potent reminder of the shameful lack of planning and preparation that was put in by all involved in the Australian camp for this series.

THIRD TEST - DAY FOUR

Anderson's off stump is cart wheeling as he is dismissed by Harris for 3.

The end when it came, it came quickly.

The hoped for fight back by Ian Bell and Matt Prior for the English cause didn't materialize as the remainder of the English middle order and tail were mopped up in fifty minutes of play in a blink-and-you-miss-it morning session.

Anderson was the first wicket to fall for the day when he had his off stump uprooted by an inspired Ryan Harris. Anderson survived fourteen balls for his three runs, but the recriminations as to just why he refused the single that would have taken Collingwood off strike the evening before will continue for some time yet. It was - at best - a strange decision.

Bell was the next to go when he fell to the same bowler - LBW for sixteen. Harris was warming up now and was searching for his maiden five wicket haul in test cricket. To do so in an Ashes test would be even sweeter.

Harris did not have to wait long as he captured the wicket of Prior for ten when Hussey took a fantastic diving catch in the gully. Harris held the ball aloft to the generous applause of those present at the WACA and from appreciative team mates.

Mitchell Johnson then chimed in with the wicket of Graeme Swann for nine when he had that player bowled off the inside edge to claim his third wicket of the innings and his ninth for the match. A welcome return to form for the enigmatic Johnson.

Ryan Harris claims a maiden five wicket haul.

Harris deservedly finished off proceedings when he had Steven Finn caught by Smith at slip for two to wrap up the English innings at a barely believable 123. Ryan Harris innings analysis of 6 for 47 was just reward for some quality bowling in this test and in the heavy defeat in Adelaide.

After the crushing defeat in Adelaide, Australia did not look capable of winning a game this summer such was the apparent hopelessness of their plight. However, something clicked this test match - that something being Mitchell Johnson. It cannot be underestimated that Johnson's change of fortunes contributes much to the esprit de corps of the Australian team and that was shown to be the case in this test. When Johnson fires - Australia usually wins.

Much has already been said about Mike Hussey and his epic contributions in this series, but Shane Watson also deserves high praise for batting consistently, but without breaking through for a century in this series. Hussey and Watson along with Haddin have been the mainstays of the Australian batting line up.

At the other end of the spectrum, Phil Hughes is in lamentable form which accentuates his technical foibles, so getting selected at this point of time may not have been the best step for his long term development. Like Matthew Hayden before him, Hughes needs to spend time playing first class cricket and tightening his technique under the watchful eye of someone like Greg Chappell who helped Shane Watson no end.

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke are also both in the batting doldrums and must arrest the slide immediately for Australia to have any chance of wresting back the Ashes. Ponting needs to see out the remainder of his illustrious career from the less demanding confines of number four or five. Clarke on the other hand seems to be in a slump that is harder to put a finger on. It may be that he simply does not enjoy batting at number four as much as he did at number five?

The reliance on Hussey, Watson and Haddin is rather unhealthy and cannot continue if Australia hopes to prosper.

In the English camp, the sudden decline in reliability of Paul Collingwood who has hitherto given Yeoman service to the English cause is a great concern. So confident in the batting line up have been the tourists, that a plan B has barely crossed their minds. It might have to now.

What of Steven Finn? There are many English supporters who have lost faith in the young tyro and are calling for the steady Tim Bresnan to replace him. Strange really, when you consider that Finn is the leading wicket taker on both sides for the series. Finn has leaked runs though and must learn to bowl tighter lines.

Graeme Swann had a test he would rather forget, but at the WACA where even Shane Warne hardly got a wicket, it is hardly the end of the world. He will find Melbourne and Sydney especially more to his liking.

So we now move on to the block buster Boxing Day test at the MCG which will surely have an opening day crowd somewhere in the regions of 90,000 now that both teams are tied up at 1-1. Whoever seizes the early initiative will go a long way towards winning the Ashes.

See you in Melbourne!

THIRD TEST - DAY THREE

Hussey playing his pet pull shot.

It is not uncommon in cricket for players to make comebacks from seemingly career ending poor form. When England sealed the 2009 Ashes at The Oval Nasser Hussain warned "they might come to regret not finishing off Hussey".

Today was that day.

With Australia leading an even 200 over night with seven second innings wickets in hand, the game was still very much in the balance. A quick burst of wickets by the English seamers in the first session and England not only would be back in the game, but probably well on the road to victory and the retention of Ashes as we contemplate this.

Hussey has been the most consistent batsman from either team this series. Not the best. Not the most pleasing to the eye, but certainly, he has not failed in any innings as yet. An argument could be made that Ian Bell has been in a similar consistent vein of form as well, and he will need to pull out all the stops tomorrow for England's cause.

Watson and Hussey proceeded with caution this morning knowing full well that the fate of the Ashes rested on their efforts to build a defensible total. Watson batted beautifully with fluid drives straight out of the copybook, while Hussey was less preoccupied with aesthetics, but rather subordinating his natural flair for the good of the team by playing with a laudable discipline.

Watson was the first to fall when he was LBW for ninety five, inexplicably missing a straight ball from Tremlett. Watson appeared distressed and requested a review - though the replay and hotspot only confirmed what the naked eye had seen - that Watson merely missed a dead straight delivery. Yet again, Watson failed to turn a half century into a century and it is remarkable at how consistent he has been, yet has only scored two test test centuries in this purple patch of form he has experienced over the last twenty odd months.

This brought Steve Smith to the crease and he immediately came under notice as he was very nearly dismissed in every possible way. A bundle of energy, Smith did not look like he was going to survive particularly long, but survive he did. In between some cracking shots from Steve Smith's blade, the young tyro had moments of almost comical luck, never more so when he swayed beneath a Tremlett throat ball limbo style only to find that the ball clipped his still protruding bat and ballooning over the keepers head for runs.

Smith settled down and looked likely to make a meaningful contribution, when a Tremlett delivery down the leg side brushed Smith's glove and the youngster walked in spite of the half hearted appeal. Still Smith's innings of thirty six was nothing short of priceless in the circumstances.

Brad Haddin joined Hussey for what seemed the umpteenth time this summer with Australia's hopes yet again hanging in the balance. Fighting partnerships in all three tests, but not so this innings when Haddin chopped a delivery from Tremlett onto his thigh which ricocheted onto his stumps. An unfortunate dismissal - but they all count in the book. Haddin was out for seven and Australia had now slumped to 6 for 271.

Mitchell Johnson strode confidently to the wicket, but instead of playing his natural game, Johnson attempted to play an anchor role to support Hussey, but after scoring a single, Johnson perished playing a half cocked drive straight to cover when either soft hands or a full blooded stroke would have served him better.

Upon Ryan Harris arrival to the centre wicket area, Hussey lectured the fast bowler as school principal would a wayward student on the merit of playing a patient defensive innings for the benefit of his country. Harris stayed around long enough for Hussey to bring up a richly deserved century with a trade mark pull through square leg for four runs. Hussey yelled "get in there" as the ball raced across the outfield and he let out a excited yell as the ball ran across the ropes.

Hussey raises his arms in triumph at bringing up yet another Ashes hundred.

Hussey had yet again defied the odds and the critics to bring up yet another backs to the wall hundred. In fact, but for the fact that Hussey fell for ninety one in Adelaide, Hussey would have had the unprecedented record of four Ashes hundreds in four consecutive Ashes tests. A remarkable stat for a man all but considered finished by the critics.

Harris duly threw his wicket away when sterner support was necessary. Siddle tried hard and showed some real application when he inevitably edged a delivery from Anderson straight to Collingwood at slip and finally Hussey himself was last man out for a brilliant 116 when he holed out to Swann in the outfield after he failed to get over the top of a pull stroke of Tremlett, giving that bowler his maiden five wicket haul in test cricket. Well deserved too, as Tremlett carried the English attack, with Finn leaking runs but still taking wickets, Anderson subdued and Swann gutted like a goanna for outback breakfast.

So England had to face a pumped up Australian pace quartet for an awkward twenty seven over period before stumps. Cook and Strauss looked to be coping with the suddenly accurate Australian pace bowling when the first crack was opened with the dismissal of Alistair Cook LBW by Harris for thirteen.

1 for 23.

The assured Jonathon Trott arrived on the scene and in a flurry of activity played a number of quality shots to suggest that nothing was going to break his concentration. At the other end, Strauss was softened up with some quality deliveries when he he edged an outswinger from Mitchell Johnson straight to Ponting at slip to be dismissed for fifteen.

2 for 37.

Pietersen came in on a pair and immediately got off the mark in confident fashion by playing a hook shot to backward square leg for a single. Trott was in his stride now and looking rather confident when Pietersen sparred away from his body at a Hilfenhaus outswinger which duly caught the edge of the bat and flew unerringly to Watson at slip. Pietersen was furious at himself for falling for three at such a crucial moment of the game.

3 for 55.

Mitchell Johnson then produced a peach that caught the edge of Trott's bat and flew to Ponting at second slip who fluffed the opportunity, but somehow knocked the ball upwards and forwards on a perfect trajectory for the alert Haddin to step across and complete the catch. Trott looked set for a bigger score than his final total of thirty one and he strode off with his head bowed as the Australians celebrated a big wicket taken in the second last over of the day.

4 for 81.

An amazing catching sequence as Ponting spills the chance, but Haddin moves in to take the rebound and Trott is out for 31.

Anderson was sent in as night watchman to see out the evening with no further drama. Everything seemed to be going well enough when Collingwood bunted the second last delivery of the day behind square leg for what should have been an easy single, but strangely, Anderson refused, thus keeping Collingwood on strike for the last ball of the day off Harris. As fate would have it - and this series has been full of plot twisting drama - Harris produced a corker which caught the edge of Collingwood's defensive prod and flew low to young Smith at third slip who held the catch as the Australians charged in from all directions to celebrate a remarkable last hour.

5 for 81.

Collingwood understandably kicked the turf in anger at both his error and surely in disgust at Anderson's refusal to take the single that would have taken him out of harms way.

The Australian's trooped jubilantly off the field knowing that for all the beatings they have taken in this series at the hands of the rampant Englishmen, that barring an unforeseen miracle, they will draw level in the series by about lunch time tomorrow. A truly remarkable turn around that only test cricket can provide.

Collingwood kicks the turf in disgust as Harris celebrates.

If yesterday belonged to Mitchell Johnson, today belonged to Mike Hussey who keeps defying the odds and racking up the runs in an impressive manner. Hussey is the leading run-scorer in this series with 517 at an impressive 103.40. Hussey has also increased his Ashes record to six consecutive innings of scores of fifty or more. The uncertain Hussey of the last two years seems to have vanished in a welter of hooks, pulls and signature cover drives.

Mention must also go to Chris Tremlett, long considered by English critics to be lacking the necessary intensity for test match cricket. Today he surely proved his doubters wrong with a maiden five wicket haul, if he hadn't already done so with his efforts in the first innings.

Tomorrow England need Bell and Prior to bat out of their skins to give them a chance to win this test. It can be done, but it is an extremely tall order on this bouncy Perth pitch.

THIRD TEST - DAY TWO

Mitchell Johnson is mobbed by enthusiastic teammates after one of his six wickets today.

At the beginning of day two Australia's chances of fighting their way back into the third test and the series was to take some quick wickets and at the very least limit England's first innings lead. After twenty four overs the score was 0 for 78 and Australia's prospects looked bleak to say the least. Something approaching a miracle was required just to keep England from racing away with the game and killing off the series.

Mitchell Johnson chose this very moment to rediscover the ability to swing the ball at pace late through the air, something he had not done for around twenty months since he launched a one man full frontal assault on the South African top order on the High veld in early 2009. With both batsmen looking extremely comfortable, out of nowhere Johnson had Cook caught by Hussey in the gully when he spliced a ball going away from him.

1 for 78.

Next to depart was Trott who was flummoxed by a Johnson delivery that swung through the air late trapping him plumb in front. This was some bowling as Trott had looked virtually indestructable since the second innings of the first test, so for this ball to decieve him in such way, it was something special.

2 for 82.

In strode Kevin Pietersen fresh from scoring a maiden test double century in Adelaide and surely in unstoppable form. However, even Pietersen was powerless to stop the Johnson juggernaut which was in full cry by now. Pietersen was immediately bamboozled in the same manner as Trott by the big inswinging yorker which trapped him in front.

3 for 82.

Almost forgotten at the other end of all this carnage was Strauss who had made the most of his good fortune with a number of streaky shots dropping short of slips, bisecting the slips and in between playing some wonderful shots as well. Finally, Strauss fell for a valuable fifty two when his luck eventually ran out when he edged behind to Haddin off Harris.

4 for 94.

If ever a man was born for a crisis, it is Paul Collingwood. The tough as teak Northerner has saved England from precarious positions many times with his sensible batting and a clear headed appraisal of situations. Not today. Johnson was on fire and was smelling the blood in the water. The normally unflappable Collingwood was roughed up with a brute of a short ball from Johnson that clearly unsettled him. The very next ball was yet another late inswinging yorker that trapped Collingwood in front LBW for five.

5 for 98.

Collingwood is roughed up by a fired up Johnson.

Prior and Bell set about rebuilding the English innings as Johnson took a well deserved break. After a partnership of forty seven, Prior was dismissed by Siddle after he too was roughed up by some brutish deliveries culminating in a Siddle kicker that struck his body, freakishly bounced back onto the glove and inexplicably down onto leg stump. As bizarre a dismissal as you are ever likely to see.

6 for 145.

Swann battled gamely adding thirty six with the rampant Bell, when he too was caught behind by Haddin off Harris for eleven.

7 for 181.

Bell finally fell for an imperious fifty three when he lashed out once too often at Harris and was caught well by Ponting at slip. Bell has often been stranded in this series as either the tail has folded around him, or declarations have cut short a promising innings. With the glorious touch he is in, one wonders why he is not promoted up the order to take advantage of this rich vein of run scoring. At the very least, Bell and Collingwood should swap places in the batting order.

8 for 186.

Ian Bell was his usual fluent self today.

Johnson re-entered the fray and you got a feeling he threatened Ponting with grievous bodily harm if he was not given the ball. The effect was instantaneous with Johnson accounting for Tremlett with a delivery that sent the off stump cart-wheeling out of the ground and then picking up a gun shy Anderson who hung his bat out meekly to edge to Watson at slip for a duck.

All out for 187.

This was as stunning a turn around as one could ever witness. An hour before lunch this morning Australia looked simply dead in the water and it was a question of "how far England"? From road kill to an eighty one run first innings lead in the blink of an eye was truly remarkable and a testament to the riveting experience that only test match cricket can provide.

The much maligned Johnson finished with the superb figures of 6 for 38 attained by a sustained spell of swing bowling at pace on a bouncy pitch. The English batsmen and public who were Mitchell Johnson agnostics finally saw up close what the South Africans were talking about. On his day, Johnson is almost unplayable and today was one of those days. Ryan Harris chimed in with 3 for 59 and Peter Siddle picked up his first wicket since the first innings at the Gabba - albeit rather luckily.

The English bowlers must have fancied their chances of making early inroads after what they had witnessed, but Watson and Hughes doggedly held out for thirty one runs when Finn found the edge of Hughes' bat and the ball flew straight to Collingwood at slip who made no mistake. Phil Hughes was unlucky to be dropped eighteen months ago when he was in good form. Conversely, Hughes was lucky to be selected in this test as his domestic form this summer has been nothing short of atrocious.

Ponting who is also facing his own demons with the bat failed yet again being strangled down the legside when he finely gloved a delivery through to Prior as he attempted a pull shot. Out for one and suddenly Australia looked precariously placed with all the early good work being undone. Ponting must be wondering where his sure form has deserted him, such has been his run of outs in this series.

In strode purposefully Michael Clarke who announced his intentions with a thumping pull shot for four off the first ball he faced from Finn, followed up with three more frenetic boundaries before chopping onto his stumps chasing a Tremlett delivery that was best left alone.

Australia was now 3 for 64 and in some difficulty when Watson and that man Hussey batted with ease to stumps take the score to 3 for 119, a lead of 200 with three days remaining. Watson finished on sixty one not out and Hussey twenty four not out.

Shane Watson finished the day strongly on 61no.

England will still feel they are in with a big chance should they break this pairing tomorrow morning and run through the rest of the Australian order thus reducing the target. Australia will feel that if they can add a further two hundred and fifty runs, then the game will be relatively safe - though nothing can be taken for granted.

No matter what happens, day two of the third Ashes test belonged to Mitchell Johnson who finally gave Australian fans something to cheer about in this often bleak summer and gave English fans a glimpse of his destructive powers that catapulted him to the recipient of the ICC Cricketer of The Year last year.

Game on.

THIRD ASHES TEST - DAY ONE

The expression on Ricky Ponting's face reflects the general mood of the Australian cricket following populace.

All the talk leading into this third test was whether Australia could reverse the trend of the series thus far which had seen the Englishmen dominant in all facets of play from the second innings at the Gabba onwards. The signals sent out by the Australian selectors so far have been of an organization that has lacked vision and was prone to making some bewildering decisions with very little aforethought.

However, with the selection of the unheralded and almost obscure Michael Beer in the squad for this make or break third test, it finally let the cat out of the bag that the Australian selectors were consuming industrial quantities of mind altering hallucinogenic drugs that were not so much clouding all rational thought as completely obliterating all semblance of logic.

Exciting New South Welshman Steve Smith was brought in for the punch drunk Marcus North who was finally discarded after one failure too many and Phil Hughes was drafted in to replace the injured Simon Katich. Hughes is undergoing the first form slump of his short career and while the clammer to bring him back to the test team has been loud, perhaps a safer option like the experienced Phil Jacques or Shaun Marsh who is in the middle of good run of form may have been a better bet.

Mitchell Johnson was recycled as was Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger was axed after a lethargic showing in Adelaide where he was but a shadow of himself from last summer looking overweight and under prepared.

England's sole change was an enforced one as Stuart Broad sustained a series ending injury that has seen him sent home. The favourite to replace Broad was the corpulent Tim Bresnan, a man talked up by the English media as being the lineal successor to Ian Botham. Personally, when I look at Bresnan I don't see Botham, but I do see Trevor Jesty. Common sense prevailed and the giant Chris Tremlett was selected in his stead.

Strauss won the toss and put Australia in on a deck that would offer the English seamers bounce and some side ways movement in the first session. True to form in this series, there was an early wicket right on cue when the horribly out of form Hughes swished across the line in cavalier style and his stumps were rattled by the jubilant Chris Tremlett who could hardly believe his luck.

Ponting was rather fortunate not to be out without scoring when he edged through where fourth slip should have been and the ball raced to the boundary. Ponting smashed two more boundaries to race to twelve off ten balls when he hung his bat out away from his body and offered up a sharp chance to slip that was spectacularly taken by the airborne Collingwood who held a splendid catch off the dangerous bowling of Anderson who prior to this series had displayed all the killer instinct of a castrated canary when facing Australia.

Ponting is dismissed by a remarkable catch by Paul Collingwood.

This brought Michael Clarke to the crease yet again in a crisis. After his strong eighty one in Adelaide, it was hoped that his rediscovery of his mojo would lead to something substantial here today, but it was not to be. In fact, Clarke never looked like staying around for long and it came as no surprise when he meekly hung the bat out more than a foot away from his body and offered up yet another catch behind the wicket to Prior off the suddenly rampant Tremlett for a paltry four.

Next to go was the usually reliable Watson who was plumb LBW to a Steve Finn yorker that hit him on the toe on the full dead in front thus rendering Watson's request for a review superfluous to the extreme. Australia was yet again in this series teetering at 4 for 36 and this was soon after lunch reduced to 5 for 69 when Smith edged to slip to end his unconvincing stay at seven, yet again another victim to the irrepressible Tremlett who hitherto had as much presence and fear factor as the cuddly Bookaboo.

This brought Brad Haddin to the wicket to join Mr Fix-it Mike Hussey in order to yet again salvage something from the wreckage of the Australian batting - an all too familiar occurrence this summer.

Together the two form Australian batsmen breathed life back into the Australian innings to offer a glimmer of hope that perhaps a competitive total might be posted. Hussey was in a belligerent mood hooking and pulling anything short with gusto while Haddin saved his finest shots for when Graeme Swann was bowling smashing the accurate Englishman back over his head for four and a mighty six in one over.

Whilst Australia held their collective breaths in the hope of a repeat of the pairs Gabba heroics, it was ultimately asking too much with Swann claiming the breakthrough wicket of Hussey with the faintest of edges behind to Prior from an arm ball. Hussey fell for a polished sixty one when another test century looked on the cards.

Mitchell Johnson played some belligerent strokes in his innings of 62.

Mitchell Johnson joined Brad Haddin with the Australian score card at a critical 6 for 137. Johnson who had a miserable Gabba test prior to being jettisoned from the test team responded in an aggressive fashion by playing some signature drives with his rudimentary - but effective - technique. Together with Haddin the pair added an entertaining and crucial partnership of fifty two before Haddin fell for an enterprising fifty three.

Ryan Harris lasted marginally longer than his two innings combined in Adelaide to contribute three to the total when he was Anderson's third wicket by being bowled neck and crop.

Peter Siddle the mad axe man from the wood chopping district of Gippsland came out to support Johnson with Australia in an embarrassing position of being 8 for 201. Siddle played the straight man to Johnson's star turn and the pair added a valuable thirty two when Johnson fell for an entertaining knock of sixty two.

The last pair of Hilfenhaus and Siddle then proceeded to embarrass the Australian top order batsmen with an enterprising stand of thirty five with some swash buckling strokes to loose balls to go along with some sensible defence to anything threatening.

Australia's ultimate score of 268 all out was much better than the early forecasts after the disintegration of the top order, but was probably two hundred shy of a competitive total on this increasingly batsmen friendly pitch.

Strauss and Cook then negotiated safe passage to stumps, but not without some hair raising moments with Strauss being particularly fortunate to survive when an edge flew just short of Ponting at slip before Strauss had even scored.

So England ended the day at 0 for 29 at stumps and the high ground having seized first day honours yet again much as they had done at Adelaide. For Australia, the mountain to climb just got higher and it is very difficult to see any other result here but an English victory and the retention of the Ashes.

What does this mean for Australian cricket to be comprehensively outplayed by a decidedly average English team that survived by the grace of God last southern summer against South Africa and looked decidedly ordinary at at times against a lack lustre Pakistan?

The time for post mortems is near - but not yet.

SECOND TEST - DAY FIVE

Flooding rains arrive too late to save Australia

Yesterday I said that only a tsunami like storm on the last day could save Australia from the ignominy of defeat by an innings. The funny thing is, if the Australian batsmen had shown even a modicum of application, they need only have hung on for little more than two hours more and sanctuary in the shape of a deluge of biblical proportions that was to leave the Adelaide Oval under a flood of water thus rendering any further play impossible would have saved the day.

However, as an Australian, I have always viewed reliance on the elements to save a test match to be a spineless way to save face. You either find a way to win, or you go down with all guns blazing trying to win.

Today, Australia did neither. The capitulation was so meek as to invite the obvious question of whether this combination has any belief in their own abilities. The team of even two years ago still would have had at least enough ability to bat the three and a half session required to save the match with the oncoming storm doing the rest.

Today, the white flag was run up before lunch. A spectacular collapse of six for sixty six left even the most optimistic Englishmen wondering how easy it ended up being.

Hussey was out after a miscued pull shot off Finn flew straight to Anderson at mid on who completed the simple catch. Hussey made a fine fifty two and was one of the few Australian batsmen who can hold his head high.

Oh dear! Mike Hussey miscues a pull shot off Finn and Australia's faint hopes of saving the test went with him

Haddin was out next, caught behind by Prior off the probing Anderson for twelve. Harris followed immediately for a king pair padding up to a sharp inswinger from Anderson who was now on a hattrick. Marcus North was out next, LBW to Swann for twenty two - surely his last test innings?

Doherty was bowled by Swann for five and then Siddle was last man out for six - also bowled by Swann who picked up his maiden five wicket haul against Australia.

It's over! Peter Siddle is bowled by Swann ending the test.

It seems to me that the Australian selectors would still be delusional enough to think they have a chance of selecting a combination that is capable of winning the series. On what I have seen from these two tests - it simply isn't going to happen.

On SEN (24 hour Melbourne sports talk back station), nearly every call accepted that this series is gone and that the selectors must start picking a team for the future NOW. The calls were overwhelmingly of the tenor of "even if the kids lose every test this summer, it would be better than watching 35 year olds with no improvement left in them going around again".

As I noted not so long ago in discussion with friends, the team in the first test was a carbon copy of the team that lost the Ashes at the Oval in 2009. They are not eighteen months better, just eighteen months older...and so it has proved.

However, even I could not have predicted that the collapse would be so swift and so complete. Katich's career is effectively over. Achilles tendons take time to heal - and he doesn't have time. So sad to see him hobbling so badly while he was batting one last time.

I salute his courage.

Doherty will never be seen again. Not his fault. Just not up to it.

North is finished. A good County cricketer - that's it.

The rest of the summer should simply be an audition of kids to see who has the right stuff.

But I am dreaming, the Australian selections under Andrew Hilditch have never been forward thinking. The bottom of the barrel is not enough to convince the National Selection Panel that regeneration is needed.

As for the English test team - congratulations, you won because you played the better cricket.

SECOND TEST - DAY FOUR

Well batted Belly - Prior gives Ian Bell a pat on the head as England declare the innings closed at 5 for 620

The question of whether England would bother to bat on or simply declare on their over night score was answered when Pietersen strode out with Bell to resume the massacre.

Pietersen was treating the Aussie bowling with contempt until he threw his wicket away for a career best 227 edging to slip off the innocuous Xavier Doherty, who will no doubt become a trivia question in years to come such will be his rapid disappearance from the national set up.

Bell and Prior threw the bat around a little bit before the declaration finally came with England's score standing on 5 for 620 - more than enough. Bell made a fluent sixty eight and Prior a chancy twenty seven.

So, the task in front of the Australian's was clear - bat for five and half sessions. A win was long ago out of the question - some would say after the first frenetic fifteen minutes of the test - but a draw was still a distant hope...especially as rain was a chance to be a factor.

Watson and Katich duly got Australia off to their usual galloping start by piling on an entertaining opening stand of eighty four before the hobbling Katich was dismissed for a gutsy forty three.

Ponting was the next to go when he was caught at slip by Collingwood off the probing spin of Swann for nine. In such desperate scenario's as this, Ponting needed to produce something special to give Australia the remotest of hope. Today was not Ponting's day, nor was this test Ponting's test. A miserable 150th test.

The big wicket - Ponting edges Swann to Collingwood for 9

Shane Watson played with his usual gusto and brought up his second half century of the match, before - the cynics might add predictably - Watson threw his hand away when looking set for a huge score. Watson's final tally of fifty seven was impressive in its compilation, but unfulfilled in it's promise and adds to a litany of scores over fifty, but under a hundred for a player in the form of his life.

As good as Watson has been over the last eighteen months or so, the critic's will always point to the fact that he has converted only two centuries from sixteenteen scores over fifty in his last seventeen tests since his rebirth as an opener at Headingley during the 2009 Ashes campaign. His average in that time stands at an impressive fifty plus, but the lack of regular centuries is an ongoing concern.

Watson's demise brought Michael Clarke to the crease - a man who has been in miserable form since his elevation from number five to number four in the batting order. Along with the obdurate Michael Hussey, together they represented Australia's last realistic - but forlorn hope of rescuing this test.

Michael Clarke batted well for his 80

Clarke and Hussey did not disappoint by batting with sensible aggression putting on 104 runs over thirty three overs. They looked to have almost completed the task of batting out the fourth day, so they could start afresh on day five and give Australia a glimmer of hope when disaster struck. Pietersen was thrown the ball for the last over of the day - more in jest than in any real expectation that he could effect a break through, when a ball spun viciously out of the rough and leapt at Clarke who could only edge the ball against his thigh guard which ballooned invitingly for Cook to complete the catch at short leg.

The English team converged on Pietersen knowing that the coup de grace had been dealt to Australia by the unlikeliest candidate. The Australian dressing room showed nearly all of the players clasping their heads in their hands - if it wasn't over yet, it pretty much was now.

Clarke departed the scene with the English players following as stumps had been called. Clarke's eighty was a welcome return to form, but much more was need to give Australia any hope of salvaging a draw from the wreckage.

Only Hussey stands in England's way - but for all his heroics thus far in the series, even Hussey cannot conjure a miracle out of this mess.

Only a tsunami like storm washing out the whole day can save Australia on day five.

SECOND TEST - DAY THREE

Pietersen was imperious during his unbeaten 213

The third day of the second test played out like the second - Australian bowlers toiling and England's batsmen plundering runs like there was no tomorrow. With the whole of the last session being rained out - there may very well be no tomorrow.

Alistair Cook who looked set for a tilt at Brian Lara's world record score was dismissed for 148 from a splendid ball from Ryan Harris that caught the inside edge and flew to the left of a diving Haddin who pulled off a very good catch. The form Cook has displayed thus far in this series belies the fact that until his century against Pakistan in the last test of the Northern summer, it was not certain whether Cook would be even picked to tour Australia.

In similarly atrocious form, but over an extended period of time - nearly two years to be precise, Kevin Pietersen has also found the emasculated Australian fast bowling stocks on flat wickets to his liking...by feasting on them.

Today Pietersen was majestic in his stroke play, placing the ball to all points of the compass at will. To be fair, the Australian bowlers were already gutted like a lizard by the time he exploded, never the less, it was an innings of magnificence under any circumstances.

Paul Collingwood was almost unobtrusive in his innings of forty two, such was Pietersens dominance and presence. Collingwood would surely have been kicking himself for falling LBW to Watson and missing out on a test century when there was one for the taking.

Haddin takes a fine catch to dismiss Alistair Cook

Collingwood's demise brought Ian Bell to the wicket, notionally, the most inform batsman in the English touring party after his first innings top score in the first test. Bell has had to be patient since then as the English top three have refused to be dismissed. Bell was yet another batsman that has spent time out of the English team due to doubts over his test match temperament.

Today Bell took up where he left off in Brisbane more than a week ago playing sumptuous shots all around the wicket in his unfinished innings.

As the English players supped on their tea contentedly in the knowledge that they had killed off Australia in this test - and probably for the rest of the series, the fast darkening skies would have been their first and only concern for the test.

Much to their chagrin, it started to drizzle during the tea break thus necessitating the covers to be laid out over the wicket. Soon enough, what started as a drizzle soon developed into a full blown down pour.

With Pietersen unbeaten on 213 and Bell on forty one, Lord only knows the fireworks they would have put on in the last session as a prelude to a declaration. It would seem that Strauss will likely declare over night in light of the fact that rain will likely impact both days four and five. Time is now of the essence to avoid allowing a punch drunk Australia to get off the hook.

What of the Australians?

After the last two England innings, they would have a unique insight into how Colonel Custer felt in the last ten minutes of the battle of Little Bighorn - surrounded, under siege and with no relief in sight. A slaughter imminent.

Only the benevolence of the Gods delivering the mother of all down pours over the next two days can save Australia. Even if it was so, it is surely only a matter of time before England take a lead in the series...and when that happens, there will be no coming back from there for the out of form Aussies.

There were concerns prior to this series as to just how Australia was going to take twenty wickets to win a test match - at the moment, taking ten wickets seems hard enough.

The hard road has gotten harder with each passing hour of this Ashes series for the Australians and the English are now circling their prey waiting to strike the killer blow.

SECOND TEST - DAY TWO

Great start! Strauss let's one go and the Aussies briefly dared to dream

Today Australia needed a miracle to get back into this test.

The third ball of the opening over from Dougie Bollinger provided just the glimmer of hope that Australia needed to feel that they were back in the test match.

Andrew Strauss injudiciously left a ball that darted back and clipped his off bail. Bollinger leaped in the air with joy - "I'm back baby" - you could almost hear him saying. However, Australian joy was short lived as a few other chances to make further inroads went begging. Chances and half chances not taken hurt at test level - especially when you are as down on confidence as this current test team.

Alistair Cook and Jonathan Trott continued where they left off in Brisbane last week, by piling on the runs and looking so secure at the crease as to suggest that they could conceivably bat forever without alarm.

In the end it came as something of a surprise when Trott was dismissed. His demise was more from his own carelessness rather than any good bowling on behalf of Harris. Ponting held a good catch at midwicket and Trott had missed a gilt edged opportunity to add to his brace of centuries against Australia. Trott's innings of seventy eight was laced with eleven boundaries from 144 deliveries.

Kevin Pietersen strode to the wicket after having waited for more than nine hours combined over the last two days of the Gabba test and much of today. Pietersen however, showed no ill effects of his extended confinement in the pavilion by quickly getting into his stride with some marvellous strokes.

Cook adds to his collection of centuries

Cook and Pietersen batted out the day in complete comfort with Pietersen undefeated on eighty five and Cook registering his third century in as many tests by being not out on 136.

What of the reshuffled Australian bowling attack today?

They huffed and they puffed, but the English Keep stayed intact virtually unscathed.

With temperatures in Adelaide tomorrow promising to be a cooler 28 degrees compared to today's 37, bowling England out will be something of a challenge on this benign pitch. In fact, Ricky Ponting may be heartened to know that thunder storms and masses of rain are forecast for days four and five, so a face saving escape from this carnage is not out of the question.

You really are in trouble when you are hoping for rain to save your hide, and that is Australia's lot at this point of time.