England may turn to Aussie Warne

Duncan Fletcher says he would consider asking Shane Warne to help him resurrect England's fortunes.

The world's leading wicket-taker has been England's nemesis down the years but quit international cricket following Australia's 5-0 Ashes win.

Now under-fire England coach Fletcher admits he could seek out his advice.

"Someone of that calibre now would be very useful for England," he said. "He's got the capabilities of helping anyone at international cricket."

Fletcher thinks Warne will be particularly useful grooming England's spinners, having taken 708 Test wickets with his own leg-spin.

Monty Panesar is the obvious candidate, but Fletcher believes the likes of Ashley Giles could prosper from Warne's influence, too.

"Can you imagine the help he could give to a very, very experienced spinner in the side?" said the England coach.

Fletcher has not ruled out seeking the advice of Glenn McGrath either, admitting: "We are prepared to speak to anyone. There's no doubt about it."

Like Warne, fast bowler McGrath brought the curtain down on his Test career following Australia's victory in Sydney on Friday.

Unlike Warne, McGrath plans to continue playing international cricket until the World Cup in the West Indies.

Warne has not called time on his playing career completely, though. He has a two-year contract with county championship side Hampshire.

Meanwhile, Fletcher has insisted once again that he will not quit as coach.

The England Cricket Board announced a wide-reaching review of the squad and team management within hours of the 10-wicket loss in the fifth Test.

But Fletcher, a Zimbabwean who orchestrated the upset 2-1 Ashes series win over the Australians in England in 2005, says he will stick to his original plan and only reconsider his position after the World Cup in the Caribbean.

"I really believe I have the confidence of the players and the backing of the players and that's what is very, very important," he said.

Despite being the first in 86 years to be whitewashed in a five-Test Ashes series, Fletcher says his England squad was in better shape than the 2003 tourists, who lost the first four Tests before salvaging a win in Sydney.

"We're in a better position than we were the last time we were here when we lost 4-1," he said.

"There's a young group of cricketers here who performed at the highest level in other conditions. I just feel they just need to play together as a unit for longer.

"Even though they lost 5-0, they were competitive. They do have a belief they can do it."

Aussies Complete Ashes Whitewash

England were pulverised on the fourth day of the Sydney Test as the Australia juggernaut swept to a 10-wicket win.
Scorecard

The resultant 5-0 whitewash was the first since 1920-21 and was a fitting send-off for Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer in their final Test.

McGrath took two wickets as England were all out for 147 after resuming on 114-5, leaving Australia to score just 46 for victory.

And Langer and Matthew Hayden knocked off the runs with ease in 10.5 overs.


At the start of play, the Barmy Army were at least hoping to salute a few lusty blows from Kevin Pietersen, but he fell to the third ball of the morning without adding to his overnight score of 29.

McGrath produced the kind of delivery that has epitomised his 13-year Test career - just back of a length outside off stump, seaming away - and Pietersen edged to Adam Gilchrist.

England had still not registered a run in the day when Chris Read called Monty Panesar through for a run.

His partner responded a fraction slowly, and Andrew Symonds' bullet-like throw from extra cover knocked out middle stump with Panesar short of his ground.
Finally, there were a couple of boundaries. An edge through a gap in the slip cordons got Sajid Mahmood off the mark and Read middled a cover-drive off Brett Lee.

Time for an England rally? Not a bit of it. As if to scoff at such petulance, Lee had Read caught at second slip by Ricky Ponting and Mahmood was bowled off his pads by McGrath.

Steve Harmison lofted McGrath for four over mid-on as he and James Anderson kept Australia in the outfield a little longer.

Warne almost had Harmison lbw - an appeal went to the third umpire who ruled in the benefit of the batsman.

But the honour of the last wicket went to another of Australia's retirees - McGrath, who ended with six in the match.

Anderson tried a speculative on-drive but gave an easy catch to Michael Hussey at mid-on.
It was the last wicket of the 2006-07 Ashes.

As McGrath and Warne began their farewells, they left the stage to the third great Australian exiting the international stage.

Justin Langer, accompanied by fellow opener and best mate Matthew Hayden, walked out with the Aussies chasing a tiny target.
The only question was whether England could remove either man before the home team could begin to uncork the celebratory liquor.

In a microcosm of the entire series, the tourists' bowlers were unable to trouble Langer and Hayden at all.

A massive six from Hayden off Mahmood left Australia one run from the winning post and the next ball was glided through the covers.

Langer and Hayden removed their helmets and embraced warmly.

Next, the two players shook hands with the opponents they had conquered - Langer had a special word with old Middlesex team-mate Andrew Strauss.

The other Aussies came onto the field and the celebrations could really begin.

Warne's three children and McGrath's two posed for a photograph with two of Australia's most famous dads and the interviews and presentations started.

For the record, Stuart Clark was named man of the match but narrowly lost out on the man of the series accolade, with his captain Ricky Ponting accepting that prize.

scorecard-Ashes '06 5th test:day 3

02-01-2007 at Sydney, Day 3 of 5
Close
England won the toss and decided to bat
England 1st Innings
291 all out (103.4 overs)

Australia 1st Innings
393 all out (96.3 overs)

England 2nd Innings
114 for 5 (42.0 overs)

Harmison admits his frustrations

England fast bowler Steve Harmison said he has been as frustrated as anyone at his wayward form during the Ashes.

Harmison started off poorly but has been becoming more consistent as the Ashes have progressed but he admitted this was no consolation.

He said: "After the first Test - which I still don't want to talk about - it feels as if it has got better and better for me.

"But that is no consolation, because we are 4-0 down."
Harmison said he could not put his finger on why he has under-performed for parts of the series.

"I am frustrated myself. But it is not through lack of effort - I have tried my nuts off through all five Test matches," he said.

"Things have not gone my way, but I have tried my hardest every single time."

And he said a number of other England players had owned up to their own shortcomings in this series.

"There are a few people in our dressing room who have not performed at the right time - and that is why we are not winning," he added.

"But it is not through lack of effort. We have been beaten by a better side."

He said all the bowlers had had to shoulder more responsibilty in the absence of Matthew Hoggard, England's leading wicket-taker in the series.

"Obviously, if you lose probably your best bowler of the series, everybody has to step up a little bit and that's what we've tried to do," he said.

And he still believes England can win the final Test match and save their blushes from the ignominy of a whitewash.

Australia will resume on 188-4, 103 runs behind England's first innings total of 291 all out.

Harmison took 2-34 from 16 overs.

"We are in a similar position to what they were at the end of the first day's play. This morning they put the ball in the right areas and got the wickets. That is what we have got to do tomorrow," he added.

FIFTH TEST, SYDNEY, DAY ONE (stumps)

England 234-4 v Australia
Led by Ian Bell's fluent 71, England ended day one of the final Ashes Test in Sydney on an encouraging 234-4.
Scorecard:

Bell put on 108 with Kevin Pietersen (41) before Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood added an unbeaten 67.

They came together when veteran seamer Glenn McGrath, playing his final Test match, took two wickets in the space of five balls to put the Aussies on top.

The other decorated Australian bowler making his last Test appearance, Shane Warne, bowled 19 wicketless overs.

Interview: England batsman Ian Bell

He did not extract huge spin and was not at his most consistent either, but his threat will increase during the course of the match.

Spectators arriving at the ground early in the morning were hit by a monsoon-like deluge and it was soon clear that despite the improving weather play would not start on time.

Finally, the toss took place at 11.10am local time (0010 GMT) and an 80-minute first session ensued.

England, who replaced Matthew Hoggard (side strain) with James Anderson, batted first after Flintoff called correctly.
And Andrew Strauss immediately looked anxious to score quickly, but had difficulty locating the middle of his bat.

His first boundary was an edge off Brett Lee that flew only marginally wide of the slip cordon and his second also came off the edge of the bat.

He was dropped on 21 by Justin Langer fielding at third slip to McGrath.

But it was no real surprise when he was out adding just eight runs to that score - attempting a cut shot at a ball from Lee that hurried onto him.

Adam Gilchrist had few problems taking the catch and Lee's first ball at Bell was a short-pitched snorter that the right-hander did well to defend safely.

England reached lunch on 58-1 but failed to add to that score before losing Alastair Cook for 20.

He contrived to get an inside edge to a Stuart Clark delivery, giving Gilchrist another catch.

Surprisingly, Bell was the dominant partner in the important partnership with Pietersen that occupied almost the whole of the extended middle session.

He was particularly strong through the on-side initially, before cutting both McGrath and Warne for boundaries after passing 50.

Pietersen hit just one boundary in a 104-ball innings that reaped 41 runs and he was generally content to be patient.
But after tea, he decided to take a more aggressive approach against McGrath.

Repeated attempts to come down the wicket to the hugely experienced seamer came to nought, however, and the method of attack eventually brought about his downfall.

McGrath simply bowled shorter and shorter until Pietersen obliged by top-edging an attempted pull to mid-wicket.

An encouraging score of 166-2 became a worrying one of 167-3 when in McGrath's following over he bowled a peach of a delivery that seamed through Bell's defences to bowl him off the inside edge.

Flintoff, 42 not out, batted in relaxed manner from the start of his innings, and two off-side boundaries off Lee followed by a six over wide mid-on off Clark got him going.

Collingwood, unbeaten on 25, played Warne well, and cashed in on two full tosses, despatching them for boundaries.

And the pair were beginning to look settled ahead of the second new ball before bad light brought about an early conclusion, with 80 overs bowled in the day.

Under-fire Pietersen shrugs off criticism

England batsman Kevin Pietersen says he wishes he could have done more to prevent his country's horror run in the Ashes, but has laughed off suggestions from Australian coach John Buchanan that he is not a team player.

The tourists are 4-0 down in the series and facing a whitewash as they arrive in Sydney today to prepare for the fifth Test, which begins on Tuesday.

Pietersen has faced criticism for his reluctance to move up the batting order from number five, with Buchanan saying he shows no evidence of being a team man.

But Pietersen says a lack of mental preparedness stopped him from an earlier move up the order.

He moved up to number four in the second innings of the MCG Test, only to be bowled by Stuart Clark for 1.

Pietersen says it would not have been in the team's best interests to make the move any earlier.

"I know there's been a lot of hype in the media and it's just a case of me getting myself mentally tuned in and mentally right," he said.

"I found that in the last couple of days I have been right and I have felt good for it and I was never ever going to put the team in jeopardy of me going in to bat at four, knowing I wasn't right."

Pietersen said he will take it as a compliment that Buchanan is still trying to ruffle him up.

"It obviously still just means quite a lot to the Australians to be still trying to chuck a bomb into the England camp," he said.

"They've done it six to eight months leading up to this Test series, they'll probably be doing it after the series and I'm not going to get involved in a slanging match between me and the coach of Australia.

"They obviously want to win 5-0 and maybe he's trying to get into my head to make me wonder if I am a lone ranger - which I am not. We are a team.

"I give everything I have for this England team - on the field, in the dressing room and in the nets.

"To suggest I play for myself, don't care about my team-mates or the team or choose exactly where I want to bat is total rubbish."

Pietersen lamented England's heartbreaking defeat in the second Test in Adelaide, where they posted over 500 in their first innings and still lost.

He said he had batted for just half an hour longer in the second innings, England would have won.

He said there was plenty of incentive for the team to win the final Test at the SCG.

"To know that that stadium's going to be full, it's going to be full in a great arena, there are going to be thousands and thousands of Barmy Army, it's going to be fantastic," he said.

"That picks us up enough and with such a huge Test match, knowing that we've got to try to salvage some sort of pride or something towards it, it will pick the boys up."

England keen to ruin Aussie retirement party

England off-spinner Jamie Dalrymple says he wants to the chance to break up Australia's retirement parties in the final Ashes Test if he can earn a place in the tourists' team.

Dalrymple is in line to bowl in spin tandem with Monty Panesar at the SCG which has a reputation as a spin-friendly pitch.

Dalrymple, 25, said spirit remained upbeat despite England trailing 4-0 in the series and threatened by a humiliating series whitewash.

He said the tourists wanted to ruin the retirement of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, who will play their final Tests in Sydney, starting on Tuesday.

"There are resilient guys here and they want to go out and win in the Test next week," Dalrymple said.

"There are a couple of retirement parties to break up and the team are burning to put down a marker."

Dalrymple has been a part of the England squad since the end of the third Test in Perth, when he replaced Ashley Giles, who flew home to care for his seriously ill wife.

The Middlesex player came on to the field at the MCG during the fourth Test as a substitute fielder while the Barmy Army of English travelling fans was in full voice and said he would love the chance to play at the SCG.

"I'm desperate to play," he said.

"If I get the chance to play at Sydney it would be superb. It would be great experience playing against a very good side."

Fans refunded after Poms fall short

Cricket Victoria has missed a potential windfall of several million dollars after the fourth Test at the MCG finished inside three days.

Some 47,000 tickets and a series of hospitality packages had already been purchased for day four.

They will now be refunded by Cricket Victoria, with money returned minus an administration fee of $2.50.

Cricket Victoria's Jason Backhouse says despite missing the massive cash injection, they did not miss out entirely.

"We'll make money on the event. We're pretty close to reaching budget forecast, so overall we're happy with that result," he said.

"We've got to pay a refund, which doesn't really come out of the bottom line.

"I guess its more a case of what could have been. In saying that it's been a fantastic three days with 75,000 fans-plus on all three days, so it'll have been a successful Test."

Pietersen's move permanent

Although the experiment was an initial failure, England captain Andrew Flintoff says Kevin Pietersen's move to number four in the batting order is permanent.

Pietersen was promoted from number five on what turned out to be the final day of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the MCG, but was bowled for just 1 in a rare failure for the series.

The tall and powerful batsman received an almost unplayable delivery from Australian seamer Stuart Clark, the ball jagging back off the pitch and spearing straight through his defences.

Paul Collingwood has batted at number four and made a double century in that position in the second Test, but Flintoff said Pietersen would again be given the role in the fifth Test in Sydney, starting on January 2.

Flintoff said the supremely confident Pietersen himself had instigated the change.

"Kevin asked if he could bat at number four and he's been in good touch," Flintoff said.

"The way's he's been playing, you wouldn't say no. He's been fantastic all trip, so why not give him that opprtunity he wants?"

England are unlikely to make many changes for the Sydney Test, with few selection avenues left after a disastrous series.

Opener Andrew Strauss battled the flu in Melbourne but is certain to play.

Swing bowler Matthew Hoggard looked troubled by a side strain when he bowled on the second day and could be a doubt, which could open the door for James Anderson to return.

Wicket-keeper Chris Read was sharp in taking six catches in the Australian innings and showed impressive resilience with the bat in England's second innings.

Ashes whitewash now a reality, says Ponting

Australian captain Ricky Ponting says his team's dream of completing an Ashes series whitewash is a reality after their crushing win over England in the fourth Test.

Australia sealed their biggest home win over England since 1954 when they humiliated the tourists by an innings and 99 runs inside three days to head into next week's final Test in Sydney with a 4-0 lead.

The only time a team has won an Ashes series 5-0 was in 1920-21 when Warwick Armstrong's Australians demolished England at home, but Ponting said his side had a real chance of emulating that success.

"You can't ever take for granted winning a Test match, it's not an easy thing to do," Ponting said.

"It's hard work, but we have an opportunity now to create something very special for this team in Sydney and we'll be giving it the best shake we can to try and win that game."

Sydney is looming as an emotional occasion for Australia's players with Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath both retiring from Test cricket, but Ponting said all his players would approach the match like any other.

He said they would be given two days off training before focusing on their build-up for Sydney.

"There's a great feeling among the guys in the team and we're playing some great cricket," he said.

"I don't think we have to focus on any outcomes, we just have to focus on the process and if we get that right along the way.

"We have a great opportunity now with a couple of days to really get away from cricket and when we do hit the training track in Sydney, we make sure that we're ready to go and carry a bit of that good training and feeling into the game."

Demoralising effect

Ponting was reluctant to criticise England's lacklustre performance in Melbourne but said the manner of their defeat could have demoralising effect on the tourists.

"After losing a game like they have here in three days after winning the toss, then I think they would be pretty demoralised at the moment," Ponting said.

"I guess when you're in a situation like that you just have to play for personal and team pride, that's about all you can do.

"England wouldn't be happy with their performance here, no doubt about that.

"When we are playing as well as we are and we're on a bit of a run then I'm sure all those little doubts they have in their mind after the first and second Tests, those little doubts turn into big doubts through this series."

Australia's determination to complete a series whitewash is a direct result of the disappointment they felt at losing the Ashes in England last year.

The Australian players all took note of England's wild celebrations with their players paraded around London on open-top buses, drinking champagne and meeting the Queen, and decided on a ruthless and calculated plan to exact their revenge.

"I think we are playing very well. When there's big moments in this series we've won them very convincingly," Ponting said.

"That was one thing we didn't do in the last series. Whenever a big moment came up, we made a little mistake and allowed England back into the game and we haven't done that this time.

"When you are playing cricket at the standard we have without making mistakes, it really doesn't matter who you play."

Clark ready to fill McGrath void

Australian bowler Stuart Clark says he will have massive shoes to fill once Glenn McGrath retires from Test cricket at the end of the Ashes series.

Clark's bowling style has often been likened to McGrath who will play his final Test match in the fifth Test against England at the SCG beginning next Tuesday.

Clark has been one of the stars of the Ashes series so far, taking 21 wickets in four Tests, but says team-mate McGrath will be missed.

"He's irreplaceable, I don't think anyone will ever replace him as they won't ever replace Warnie," Clark said.

"If I can do some of the job that Glenn has done over the years then I'll be more than happy with that but I don't think we're ever going to replace Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne."

McGrath is expecting that he will experience different emotions to Warne when the pair play their final Test together next week.

But McGrath said his decision to continue playing one-day cricket meant it would not be his final farewell to Australian fans.

"I've still got one more Test match to go but then I am into the one-day series so it's a bit of a strange feeling," he said.

"Whereas Warnie's finishing up here in Sydney I am continuing on for a few more one-dayers so they won't quite be the same."

Pietersen on the England outer, says Buck

Australian cricket coach John Buchanan has questioned whether South African-born England batsman Kevin Pietersen is a team player, saying he seems "distanced" from the rest of the team.

Buchanan was speaking after England crashed to defeat inside three days at the MCG yesterday, with Pietersen making just 1 in the second innings after being promoted to number four in the order.

England coach Duncan Fletcher has confirmed that Pietersen had been asked to make the move up the order at the start of the tour but was reluctant to make the move.

Buchanan said Pietersen was one of England's key strike players but said he always seemed to be removed from his team-mates on the field.

"That might be because that's where England want him to field, they want him to field out on the boundary, but he's a good fieldsman," he said.

"Somebody that's good around the ring - it surprises me that he always seems to be distanced from the rest of the group."

Pietersen has also been criticised for taking singles to rotate the strike when batting with tailenders at the end of the innings.

"[Pietersen] certainly talks about himself as a team player - I don't personally see any evidence of that, but that's from a distance," Buchanan said.

"I'm not in their dressing rooms and he could be one of the greatest team men of all time."

Australians unchanged for Sydney

Australia have named an unchanged 12-man squad for the fifth and final Ashes Test against England, which starts in Sydney next Tuesday.

The hosts, who won by an innings to go 4-0 up in Melbourne, need a win for the first Ashes whitewash since 1920/21.

They are set to go with the XI used in the last two games, meaning Mitchell Johnson will be 12th man again.

Leg-spinner Shane Warne and paceman Glenn McGrath - whose home ground is the SCG - will bow out of Test cricket.

It will be the first time in seven years that another leg-spinner, Stuart MacGill, has missed a Sydney Test.

He has taken 53 of his 198 Test wickets at the SCG, where he averages 24.47, below his overall average of 27.21.

"Stuart was carefully considered and remains very much in the thoughts of the national selection panel," chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said.

"However, to include two specialist spinners in Sydney would have meant changing the attack which has performed so well in the first four Tests."

Meanwhile, Australia coach John Buchanan has urged England to give his team a real fight in the finale.
The tourists have yet to win a game on tour, a year after beating the Aussies 2-1 to regain the Ashes.

"It's not the side we faced in 2005, clearly there is something missing," Buchanan said.

"I'm hoping they enjoy the New Year and come back with a new resolve.

"They would like to kick off 2007 very well, as we would, there's one test up for grabs here and I would certainly like to see England come out and just take us head on."

Buchanan believes Australia have widened the gulf between them and England after winning 15 and drawing one of the 16 Tests since the 2005 series.

"That was one mission of this series - to re-establish the gap between Australia and what is supposed to be the second best Test side in the world," he added.

England coach Duncan Fletcher insists his side gave everything in Melbourne

"Those guys are trying their damnest as a unit to try and put up performances," he said.

"You go into the changing room afterwards and you just see how despondent they are."

Australia squad:

---

Ricky Ponting (captain), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson.

Gatting hits out at sorry England

Mike Gatting has launched a blistering attack on the England team after their capitulation in the fourth Ashes Test.

England trail Australia 4-0 in the best-of-five series after being beaten by an innings and 99 runs at Melbourne.

Gatting, the last captain to lead a winning England side down under, told BBC Radio Five Live: "It started off reasonably - but it's getting worse.

"We haven't kept our discipline, and against a side like Australia you have got to keep your discipline."

Gatting added that England's bowling at the MCG was "horrible" while the fielding was "poor".

"All we seemed to do was try to bounce out number 10 and 11," he said. "It was ridiculous."
In a reference to the England bowling plans which went missing and were handed to the Australian media, Gatting said: "Whatever the next sheet of paper they put up is, I hope it says 'let's get the basics right first'."

The tourists now face the prospect of a 5-0 whitewash for the first time since 1920-21, with just the Test in Sydney to come.

Gatting believes England were unlucky to be 3-0 down after the Perth Test but feels they have now taken on the demeanour of a thoroughly beaten side.

"They shouldn't have lost in Adelaide and they fought hard in Perth - but here there was a resignation, almost," he said.

"You can't say they weren't trying, but once you are on the end of a hiding it is not a nice place to play cricket.

"They have really got to try to pick themselves up if they are to get anything out of Sydney. If there is any incentive it is not to lose 5-0."

Geoff Boycott also hit out at the current crop of England players, claiming they looked like they had "given up" in Melbourne.

"Apart from Alastair Cook, I don't think anyone has the stomach to play a rearguard innings," the former England opener told BBC Radio Five Live.

"It was just poor all round. That's what's so disappointing for the fans. It's like they've given up."

Boycott added: "You can't see England winning in Sydney. They are too inconsistent to win.

"They are patchy, they have one good session out of three and that's not enough to win Test matches."

Another ex-England captain, Brian Close, agreed that the bowling has not been good enough.

"It looks as if we have gone backwards, and our bowling standards are not good enough," he said.

"We have hardly got a spin bowler of real top class in the game at the moment, and the pace bowlers are not very accurate."
England coach Duncan Fletcher has come in for criticism throughout the tour over matters of selection and preparation, and Close believes it is now time for him to leave the post.

"I think he is past his sell-by date," he added. "In our day we didn't need coaches. If you played for England you were supposed to be a good player and didn't need coaches."

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain was dismayed at the apparent lack of determination shown by England's batsmen.

"You have got to show the opposition an 'over my dead body' approach, the stubbornness of a Boycott or an Atherton," he said.

"Was that stubbornness there? I don't think that was evident from anyone."

On England's performance over the four Tests, Hussain added: "They've played poor cricket.
"It's the small things that are crucial, they send vibes out to the other team, and it's the small things that have annoyed me in this series... like Kevin Pietersen, after four Tests, finally being moved up to number four in the batting order."

England legend Ian Botham insisted the England camp ought to finally accept that their preparation for the Ashes series had been poor.

"You take your hat off to Australia. When they lost the Ashes they sat down and worked things out," he said.

"They admitted that their preparation had not been right.

"You now hope that England will start to admit that they got their preparation wrong. There is no getting away from that, just look at the score in the series.

"It's praise to Australia and to England it's 'stop hiding, admit when you've got it wrong. Put your hands up and take it on the chest and then move on, and move on quickly'."

Fletcher admits to Ashes mistakes

Coach Duncan Fletcher has admitted England have "made mistakes" during their disastrous tour of Australia.

The tourists are 4-0 down going into the last Test in Sydney on Tuesday, where they must try to avoid the first Ashes whitewash since 1920/21.

The team's preparation and selections - made by Fletcher and captain Andrew Flintoff - have come under fire.

"We've made some mistakes and we will reflect on it when we get back, like we do any other series," Fletcher said.
"We will reflect on it and make sure we try not to make those mistakes again."

England have yet to win a game on tour, a year after beating the Aussies 2-1.

Fletcher has not admitted to any specific mistakes but the decisions to choose Ashley Giles over fellow left-arm spinner Monty Panesar until the third Test, and pick Geraint Jones as wicket-keeper over Chris Read until Melbourne, have come in for strong criticism from supporters and the media.
Panesar took eight wickets in Perth, while Read claimed six catches in Australia's innings at the MCG, while also contributing an unbeaten 26 in the second innings.

The ploy of promoting Kevin Pietersen up the batting order midway through the fourth Test has also been queried.

Pietersen had batted at five in Australia at his own request until then but was moved ahead of Paul Collingwood.

The experiment failed, with Pietersen bowled by Stuart Clark for one as England folded for 161, having made 159 in the first innings.

"Kevin came to us and said he was batting with the tail a lot so he wanted to bat at number four," explained the coach.

"We had a discussion and he said he'd rather move up than be caught with the tail that we've got at the moment so we've decided Kevin will bat at number four through to the end of the Sydney Test.

"We've always wanted him to bat at number four where the top batter should bat. He didn't want to be batting with the tail all the time so he thought if he went to four he would have better batters batting behind him.

606 DEBATE: Give your thoughts on this story

"He was a little bit reluctant initially to bat there and in any team anywhere in the world, if you man-manage people it's wrong to make people play or do things they don't want to do in tight situations," explained Fletcher.

"You make these decisions before the tour but during the tour you have to change them. I don't believe you can stick to plans and just stick with them all the time, you're changing all the time."

Scorecard-4th test Ashes' 06

26-12-2006 at Melbourne, Day 3 of 5
Australia beat England by an innings and 99 runs
England won the toss and decided to bat
England 1st Innings
159 all out (74.2 overs)

England 2nd Innings
161 all out (65.5 overs)
Australia 1st Innings
419 all out (108.3 overs)











Note:Click on the scorecard to enlarge.


Umpires: Aleem Dar, R E Koertzen
Australia: J L Langer, M L Hayden, R T Ponting, M E K Hussey, M J Clarke, A Symonds, A C Gilchrist, S K Warne, B Lee, S R Clark, G D McGrath
England: A J Strauss, A N Cook, I R Bell, P D Collingwood, K P Pietersen, A Flintoff, C M W Read, S I Mahmood, M J Hoggard, S J Harmison, M S Panesar

FOURTH TEST, MELBOURNE, DAY THREE: AUSTRALIA 419 bt ENGLAND 159 & 161 by an innings and 99 runs

Australia bundled England out for 161 to win by an innings and 99 runs inside three days in the fourth Ashes Test.

Scorecard

The Aussies were dismissed for 419 in the morning, with Sajid Mahmood taking 4-100, but ran through the tourists.

Brett Lee took four wickets, Stuart Clark three and Shane Warne - in his final Test on his home ground - two.

The result puts Australia 4-0 up and needing a win in Sydney next week to clinch the first Ashes whitewash since England lost 5-0 to them in 1920/21.

That looks a distinct possibility based on the domination the Aussies enjoyed at the MCG.

England briefly rallied in the morning, with Andrew Symonds adding only two to his overnight 154 before getting a thick edge behind trying to play an expansive drive off Steve Harmison.

Mahmood then had Clark and Glenn McGrath caught close in and Chris Read finished with six catches after the Lancastrian had suffered at the hands of Warne, who made an entertaining 54-ball 40.

From then on, however, it was once again a tale of the visitors being exposed by accurate bowling on a pitch that had become easier to bat on.

McGrath consistently seamed the ball away just outside off-stump in a probing opening spell and should have had Alastair Cook lbw after the youngster passed 1,000 runs in his first calendar year of Test cricket.

The veteran paceman rapped him on the pad with a straight delivery that held its line but umpire Rudi Koertzen somehow ruled in his favour.
Fellow metronome Clark accounted for him soon after lunch anyway when a lazy drive led to an inside edge into middle-stump and McGrath then nipped one back into Ian Bell to win only the second lbw verdict of the match.

Clark was asking plenty of tough questions with a combination of swing and movement off the pitch.

Even Kevin Pietersen, moved up the order to four, had no answer to a beauty which jagged back in and went through a big gate.

Paul Collingwood and Andrew Strauss (31) drove loosely at Lee either side of tea, while Andrew Flintoff was undone by one that Clark angled in and was adjudged leg-before.

From then on it was a question of how long the tail could defy Warne.

The great leg-spinner rolled back the years to unfurl a series of vicious leg-breaks, googlies and the once-deadly flipper.

Mahmood and Harmison were lbw after being bamboozled by the flipper and slider, while Chris Read's bat was beaten at will during his 77-ball 26.

Monty Panesar cheered the sizeable English contingent in the crowd by delightful flicking Lee off his pads for four and driving Warne past mid-on for another boundary.

That joy was short-lived and he fended a vicious Lee delivery to Michael Clarke at fourth slip.

With shadows enveloping the outfield in the evening, Lee cleaned up Matthew Hoggard to wrap things up and end England's misery.

Test Match Series: Australia v England

26-12-2006 at Melbourne, Day 2 of 5
England won the toss and decided to bat
England 1st Innings
159 all out (74.2 overs)
Australia 1st Innings
372 for 7 (96.0 overs)





Umpires: Aleem Dar, R E Koertzen
Australia: J L Langer, M L Hayden, R T Ponting, M E K Hussey, M J Clarke, A Symonds, A C Gilchrist, S K Warne, B Lee, S R Clark, G D McGrath
England: A J Strauss, A N Cook, I R Bell, P D Collingwood, K P Pietersen, A Flintoff, C M W Read, S I Mahmood, M J Hoggard, S J Harmison, M S Panesar.

BBC Sports

FOURTH TEST, MELBOURNE, DAY TWO (STUMPS): AUSTRALIA 372-7 v ENGLAND 159

Andrew Symonds hit a fine maiden Test century and Matthew Hayden plundered 153 as Australia ended day two of the fourth Test 213 runs ahead of England.

Andrew Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison struck in the morning to leave the Aussies on 84-5, 75 behind.

But Symonds (154) and Hayden added 279 before the latter and Adam Gilchrist fell to Sajid Mahmood before stumps.

Australia - 3-0 up in the series - closed on 372-7, with England looking weary and short of inspiration.

Interview: Australia's Andrew SymondsInterview: England's Matthew Hoggard

It was a complete turnaround from the first session, when the tourists put their Boxing Day batting misery behind them with a fine bowling display.

Flintoff and Hoggard caused Ricky Ponting and Hayden problems with a combination of probing lines and movement through the air.

Ponting skied a pull off Flintoff to Alastair Cook at mid-wicket before Hoggard, who was carrying a slight rib injury, comprehensively bowled the prolific Mike Hussey.

606 DEBATE: Your thoughts on the day's play

When Harmison produced a pearler that bounced and seamed away to have Michael Clarke caught behind in his first over, England were in charge.

However, with clouds gathering over the MCG, things stopped happening for them.

Hayden and Symonds did have to ride their luck early on, looking nervous outside off-stump.
And the stand could have ended two balls after lunch if Mahmood had hit the target from mid-off and run out Hayden.

But it was not long before the shackles which had previously prevented Symonds from blossoming as a Test player were cast off and he found the deep boundaries with embarrassing ease at times.

Hoggard was thrashed high over cover off successive deliveries and lofted brutally over mid-wicket and there were scenes of delirium when he battered Paul Collingwood over long-on to reach three figures against the country of his birth.

Symonds celebrated further by blasting Kevin Pietersen over deep mid-wicket and down the ground before bludgeoning Hoggard twice through the covers in awesome displays of his power.

Friend and fellow Queenslander Hayden was inspired by that aggression and also freed his arms.

He crashed left-arm spinner Monty Panesar down the ground for six and over wide mid-on to bring up his fifth century in the last six Tests at the MCG.

His increasing contempt for the bowling was illustrated when he dispatched the wayward Mahmood over long-on for a mighty six.

Mahmood returned late in the day to induce edges from Hayden and Gilchrist to the wicket-keeper and Collingwood at second slip.

And England did have reasonable shouts for lbw against Symonds on 52 and 142 from Panesar and Flintoff.

But by the end even the 31-year-old's mis-timed shots were flying away to all parts, with the force very much with him and his team.

FOURTH TEST, MELBOURNE, DAY TWO (Begins 2330 GMT): AUSTRALIA 48-2 v ENGLAND 159

England know the second morning will be crucial if they are to retain an interest in the fourth Test.

Australia resume on 48-2, trailing by 111 and looking to take another step towards an Ashes whitewash.

But Andrew Flintoff's dismissal of Justin Langer and Brett Lee with successive balls gave England hope.

"We got a couple of wickets at the end there and if we can get two or three in the morning then we're back in the game," said batsman Andrew Strauss.

"It is the sort of wicket you can go bang, bang, bang on and get two or three early in the morning.

"If we do that, we are right back in the game."

England's batsmen struggled on a rain-hit opening day as Shane Warne claimed his coveted 700th Test wicket and finished with his 37th five-wicket Test haul.

Overcast conditions are again forecast on Wednesday, although Melbourne should be warmer than on a decidedly bracing first day.

Matthew Hayden, who executed two powerful boundaries on his way to 17, and captain Ricky Ponting, who has yet to get off the mark, were the overnight batsmen.