SYDNEY: The third day of the fifth and final Ashes Test will never be forgotten by anyone who had the good luck to see it. By the close England was on the verge of defeat but its faithful fans, still singing, still optimistic, still chanting, will always recall the victims claimed by wicketkeepers, the sixes in Shane Warne's startling final Test innings, the bad decisions, the injury to opening batsman Andrew Strauss and the amount of contentious onfield chat by the England fielders.

Same old story

It was the same old story, Australia within touching distance of a 5-0 series victory and England with its backs hard against the wall. England ended the day on 114 for five which gave it a lead of 12 runs but the sight of Monty Panesar acting as night watchman was an indication of its desperation.

The first two hours set the tone for the day. Michael Hussey was out early leaving Australia on 190 for five, still 101 behind. Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds counter-attacked with a stand of 70 but when Gilchrist was wrongly given out caught — and he is, you will remember, the fairest batsman with a long record of leaving the wicket without waiting for the umpire — - there was angry booing. Billy Bowden, the unfortunate umpire, had to walk through a vociferous crowd at lunchtime.

Further controversy

There was further controversy when Shane Warne refused to walk even though the whole England team believed he was out and said so. Warne answered with his bat by hitting a four and a six off Monty Panesar and rushed to 71.

He made another telling point with four simple words: "You're making me concentrate" and ensured that 190 for five turned into 393 all out, a tribute to determined tail end batting and naive tactics from England.

Warne was last out after two sixes and nine fours and a stand of 68 with Stuart Clark who made 35 off 41 balls. When Warne was stumped by Chris Read — he grabbed six victims in the innings and has 12 in his last two innings — Australia led by 102.

When England batted an 87 miles an hour ball from Brett Lee struck Strauss on the helmet. He went down as if he had been shot and anxious fielders quickly gathered round — led by Lee — but Strauss was able to continue. As soon as he was out lbw to Clark for 24 he went to hospital for an X-ray.

Alastair Cook was out caught off a pull shot from Lee and soon after tea Ian Bell was caught behind for 28. Kevin Pietersen was a shadow of the strong and ruthless batsman who played such a big part as England won the Ashes but he survived and with Paul Collingwood added another 34 for the fourth wicket before Collingwood was caught in the gully off Clark, the best bowler in the series. Warne, obviously stiff and, in his final Test, rather feeling his age, did not bowl until late in the day — after being hit for three fours in one over by Ian Bell — but the wily old devil still had Andrew Flintoff stumped which meant that the two wicketkeepers had a hand in 14 of the 25 wickets which have fallen.

It would be nice to say as we draw towards the end of a series that England is on the edge of a recovery, that by 2009 it will have a much more competitive side and that that all the right pieces are in place. Unfortunately none of that is true and drastic surgery is needed before England can justify second place in the world rankings.

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