England will announce their provisional World Cup squad of 30 today and, to have beaten Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday, they would have needed every last one of them.
After the uplifting achievement of back-to-back wins in Brisbane this could hardly have been a more flaccid display. England, defending an inadequate total of 178, were thoroughly outplayed before an MCG crowd of 82,000 as Australia powered to a ninewicket victory with 10.4 overs unused.
Not satisfied with one chucking row, Australia even contrived yesterday to have two. Long after the overhauling of England's total became a formality, the match was stopped for five minutes as bottles, golf balls and fruit rained down on Mark Ealham, fielding at third man. Things calmed down after Shane Warne, captaining Australia on his home ground, came on to placate a boisterous crowd.
Australia now lead the Triangular Series table, ahead of England on run-rate after three matches, with the sides meeting again in Sydney tomorrow. Stewart pointedly remarked that this was England's first one-day defeat against Australia in five games, but they were outplayed to a disturbing degree.
The advantages to England of winning the toss in 38 celcius heat were indisputable but somebody should have told Glenn McGrath, who made the new ball bounce and finished with four wickets.
Stewart perished to a back-foot force and then Ealham, whose 21 from 19 balls had included a freakish top-edged six over longstop, concocted the fantasy that he might wander outside leg stump and heave McGrath over mid wicket for six and predictably woke up to the sound of a dislodged middle stump. Stewart described the innings as "a success" but Ealham did nothing to enhance his candidature.
Warne risked more with his legspin yesterday, confident that his dip and curve are gradually reappearing, and England are certainly finding his first over lethal enough. Mark Butcher twice fell during his opening over in the Sydney Test: Nick Knight was unfortunate yesterday to fall to a bewitching catch at short-extra by Mark Waugh.
If Mark Waugh's fielding brilliance is cool and understated, Michael Bevan prowls the outfield with hungry athleticism. His catch to dismiss Neil Fairbrother, diving forward at deepish mid-off, was outstanding and, with Hick also failing, England had lost half their side for 112.
Nasser Hussain must wonder when he will have the luxury of playing an unpressured innings. His uneasy 47 from 62 balls ended when he pulled McGrath to mid wicket, and also included two mid wicket mishaps which should have caused the run-out of Adam Hollioake and did contribute to the run-out of Robert Croft, who did not share Hussain's appetite for a tight leg-side single.
Hopes that England might pass muster in the field disappeared after only one ball. How often did we look on during the Ashes series and witness Darren Gough finding the edge and Hick dropping the catch at slip? Hick's fallibility remains entrenched, Mark Waugh escaping when he responded sluggishly to a waist-high chance to his right at second slip.
Australia lost Adam Gilchrist, bowled by Alan Mullally, but prospered thereafter in an unbroken second-wicket stand of 138 in 30 overs between Mark Waugh and Ricky Ponting. It was crisp and controlled batting, never better than when Ponting, sombre and unflinching, dismissed Dean Headley with three boundaries in one over.
