England captain Michael Vaughan admits playing Australia is a tough prospect after the tourists were hammered again in the opening one-day series match.
"That's the stage we're at in the one-day game," he said. "They are a very, very good, experienced team.
"We're just trying to get some momentum but missing Kevin Pietersen for the series is a huge loss although it does give an opportunity to someone else.
"We did some good things and we have to build on those for the next game."
That next match for England is in Hobart on Tuesday, where at least they will be spared the all-conquering Australians, facing instead New Zealand, who have just tied a home series against Sri Lanka.
England have now won only four of their last 15 one-day games and face a battle to qualify for the final of the triangular series against the combative southern hemisphere sides.
"We're trying to develop a strategy. In the batting I thought we had periods where we played well," Vaughan insisted.
"With Fred (Flintoff) and KP (Kevin Pietersen) there with 13 or 14 overs to go is something we've been trying to do for the last two years - give those big hitters the opportunity to make the most of the last few overs.
"That injury to Kevin gave them back the momentum and in a four-over burst they got a couple more wickets and meant we just had to stop, which probably cost us 20 or 30 runs - 270 on that wicket was probably the par score.
"Whether that would have been enough I'm not too sure because the way the come out and bat is very powerful, especially Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) and (Matthew) Hayden who hit it over the top and make it very, very difficult."
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