— Photo: AP

AS FIERY AS EVER: Adam Gilchrist hammered the English attack for the second fastest Test century.

PERTH: Adam Gilchrist caught England, weary from a day of high temperature, dispirited after umpiring decisions went against them, catches went down and edged shots slip past the stumps, on the wrong foot to such an extent that he was able to rip its attack to pieces on the third day of the third cricket Test at the WACA.

Gilchrist was not able to snatch Viv Richards' record of a Test century off 56 balls, but he provided a memorable exhibition of hitting none the less. It was the sort of innings that sends both sets of supporters home talking about the entertainment and in many ways it is sad that Gilchrist, one of the finest stroke-players the game has known, did not break the record.

I saw the Richards innings, against England in Antigua in 1986 — Richards is from Antigua just as Gilchrist played the cricket that gained him an Australian cap in Perth — and I can tell you that while Gilchrist's knock lacked the utter ferocity of the Master Blaster, it had just as much style and panache.

One Richards six went straight into stand behind Ian Botham the bowler and was paced out at almost 90 yards from crease to landing point. When Botham sought to stop the assault with ankle high full tosses, Richards, his best pal and Somerset teammate, hit them into the crowd at square leg.

Three of Gilchrist's four sixes were so tightly grouped round the deep mid-off boundary that he may consider one of the Olympic shooting events after he quits cricket. A couple of weeks ago, retirement seemed an option for Gilchrist but not now.

Disheartening moment

Gilchrist came in with Australia secure at 365 for five, knowing that Ricky Ponting intended to declare in a couple of hours, and — even though he was on a pair — set out to give England a final disheartening moment before it began a two-day trudge towards safety.

He galloped to 50, and put the record within sight when he drove Monty Panesar out of the attack by hitting 24 runs including three sixes in an over. (Panesar wanted to bowl the next over; this boy has heart!)

He needed 26 off 10 balls and 19 off eight. Clever bowling by Matthew Hoggard who successfully managed two deliveries on the verge of being called wides kept Gilchrist from the record and soon after he reached his century Ponting ordered England to bat again.

Uphill struggle

It had 19 for one by the close and uphill struggle comes nowhere near describing their plight. Wreathed in smiles Gilchrist said he thought no-one deserved to wrench the record from one of the World's greatest batsmen and England will also find consolation in the fact that the Richards' innings set up a 5-0 blackwash of England for the second successive series.

As this series is panning out, England will be glad to avoid a green and gold whitewash, but avoiding defeat at the WACA requires a miracle beyond its united wishes within the huddle. England will not be encouraged by the way the fates conspired to stop Aussie wickets falling all day.

Matthew Hayden might have been leg before, caught at mid-wicket and bowled by a big inside edge in quick succession and went on to make 92. Michael Hussey, who has now scored fifty or more in every innings in this series, made his first century — and his fifth in 14 matches — and Michael Clarke took advantage, as he did at Adelaide, of a crumbling England attack, to make 135 not out.

They admitted to luck afterwards; but that will bring no joy to England, crushed beyond recognition by one of the great hitting innings.

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