FIFTH TEST - DAY FOUR

Comedy capers at the SCG. Watson run out by the length of the pitch.

Just when Australian supporters thought things couldn't get much worse, Australia found new lows that no-one could have conceived. Australian cricket has been exposed for all the lack of forward planning by the administrators and selectors in the deluded belief that the Australian system was infallible and recession proof.

It wasn't and it isn't.

If Australia were a financial institution, they would be Lehman Brothers. If Cricket Australia were a corporation, they would be Enron.

The not out over night batsmen Prior and Bresnan continued on their merry way this morning as if they were batting in a benefit match - crashing boundaries, having a few laughs and generally being untroubled by anything that the hapless Australian bowlers served up. When the new ball came, it promptly went - crashing into the advertising hoardings beyond the boundary.

Prior notched a belated Ashes century - everyone else was getting one of those and Bresnan must have been despondent that he threw his wicket away for thirty five, but this only brought Swann to the wicket and he also threw his bat around like there was a plane to catch.

The English innings finally ended in the afternoon at 644 - England's highest score on Australian shores eclipsing Chapman's all conquering 1928/29 outfit which until recently held all manner of records which have since been eclipsed by this current English outfit.

So Australia's last innings of this sorry series commenced after something like six sessions chasing leather around the field. The brief was simple - bat for close to five sessions to draw the game and save some face or capitulate meekly and be the subject of derision from your fellow cricket mad countrymen.

Shane Watson decided that all out attack was the best method of defence as he seized on anything short and dispatched it with brutal power to the fence. Phil Hughes on the other hand was a study in concentration, hoping to tough it out and resist his primordial instincts to flash outside off stump at any ball that has width and to a good many that don't.

After thirty eight barn storming runs in as many balls, Shane Watson fell as Shane Watson does - stupidly. Hughes pushed a ball into the outfield that was a regulation single or an extremely sharp two on the proviso that both batsmen run the first run hard. Hughes jogged through for what he thought would only be a single when to his chagrin he turned and saw Shane Watson charging straight back at him at break neck speed and the throw from the outfield already in flight towards the danger end. So Hughes - rightly or wrongly - stood his ground and Shane Watson was run out by the length of the pitch as he stood face to face with the inert Hughes at the same end.

Top order wickets must be preserved with the utmost of care, and this latest impersonation of the Keystone Kops only underlined the distinct lack of professionalism on display by the Australian top order in stark contrast with their English counterparts.

Hughes was the next to fall when he was out again edging behind to Prior. Though to be fair, Bresnan did bowl a marvelous delivery that committed Hughes to a stroke and then deviated enough to catch the edge of the bat. Hughes unhappy series ended on yet another failure - this time thirteen.

Khawaja and Clarke attempted a recovery mission with Clarke playing some sparkling shots and Khawaja more circumspect defending with discipline. The pair added sixty five when Khawaja pushed away from is body at a delivery from Anderson that he easily could and should have left alone. Khawaja's promising innings was cut short at twenty one and it is yet another stepping stone in the steep learning curve of this young batsman.

The mood of the English team and the sizeable contingent of English supporters in the SCG looking on was now akin to a carnival type atmosphere. A wicket was expected with every ball with theatrical ooohs and aaahs and the timid - and all but beaten - Australian batsmen looked like a vivid transvision definition of road kill.

A clearly upset Clarke was dismissed for forty one and was visibly admonishing himself for his error. It was yet another regulation edge to the keeper off Anderson who delivered his trademark sucker punch that the Australian batsmen fell for time and time again. Australia were not for the first time in the series reeling.

A mentally fatigued Hussey fell soon after for twelve to a tired and injudicious cut shot straight to gully. Even Hussey had lost the will to fight on and try and save the unsaveable. Australia's get out of jail card had checked out.

Brad Haddin defiantly blazed away, but one clearly sensed that his innings was always going to be fleeting and he duly succumbed edging to his counterpart for thirty to the deserving Tremlett who then picked up Mitchell Johnson the very next ball.

Steve Smith and a game Peter Siddle defied the English attack until stumps to drag the test into a fifth day and an academic conclusion.

On a day when Australian fans were hoping to see some act of defiance or counter attack to give some encouragement for the future if nothing else, nothing of the sort eventuated. Absolutely nothing in the wreckage that is Australian cricket appears to be salvageable at this time and tomorrow we await the sad denouement to a one sided series.