Ashes 2002/3 | Australia v England 3rd Test | Perth

Australia v England W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth 29,30 November, 1,2,3 December 2002

Result: Australia won by an innings and 48 runs

Umpires : SA Bucknor (WI) and RE Koertzen (SA)

Match Reports : Day 1; Day 2; Day 3

Toss: England

Day 3 Report

Outplayed, outthought and outgunned. When it comes down to it, England are not even in the second division of world cricket compared to Australia. The game originated in England, although you'd never think that now looking at the poor excuse for an international team with well over a 100 years experience behind them. The squabbling over team and squad selection, the injuries and the lack of pride out in the middle all add up to a sorry state of affairs.

For the third time this series, England were comprehensively beaten by Australia, loosing the third test match by an innings and 48 runs after loosing the eight wickets available to them this afternoon.

It took England 45 minutes of the opening session to score three runs, only one was scored in the first half hour. The runs were never the problem however, it was always a case of how long could they survive the Australian onslaught from Lee, McGrath, Gillespie and Warne.

The answer was simple and expected, not long. Richard Dawson (8) was the first man to go slashing to a fuller delivery from Gillespie and only manage to hit the ball to a waiting captain in the gully, Dawson went without contributing to his overnight total.

Things got worse for England in the following over when Vaughan made a bad call and turning for a third run that was never there found himself stranded in the middle. He did his best to clamber back to his crease but failed after Lee (mid-on) threw to Gilchrist who in turn threw the ball to McGrath who was left to dislodge the bails and take the crucial wicket.

Hussain entered and gave his colleague a tap to say 'forget about it', unfortunately it was still fresh in his mind as McGrath had him trapped leg-before the very next ball, it signalled the end of a disastrous over, loosing two wickets for two runs and 4 for 34.

Gillespie, with his tail up, should have had Hussain caught the very next ball but the England captain was dropped by Shane Warne fielding at first slip for 0. Gillespie was not pleased but didn't show it to his team-mate and walked back to his mark.

Both Key and Hussain made the most of this opportunity adding a 50 partnership off 159 balls, making the most of the loose deliveries that came along now and again, but for the best part, the bowling was accurate and fast.

Key was the first to go after scoring a resistive 23 runs off 106 balls, trapped leg-before to Glenn McGrath giving the 6 foot 5 fast bowler his 200th wicket in Australia. Only Shane Warne and Dennis Lillee are the other members of this exclusive 200 club.

Alec Stewart was the only man to come out of the third Test unscathed once again playing confidently and aggressively despite being dropped by Lee early in his innings. Stewart went on to remain undefeated at the close of innings on 66 not out.

Hussain was dropped again on 61 by Man of the Match Damien Martyn off Shane Warne, however the Essex batsman was on his way the very next ball when he was adjudged to have hit the ball behind to Adam Gilchrist. Annoyed at the decision, Hussain took it out on his kit back, kicking the bag as he returned to the England dressing room.

Only Craig White knew what he had in mind when he fell to Warne, charging down to a flighted delivery missed the ball and was promptly stumped by the wicket keeper. White's dismissal for 15 runs was a disappointing end for a player outperforming his colleagues with the ball but failing misserably with the bat so far this series.

Brett Lee then caught Tudor through his helmet visor and sent the Englishman back to the dressing room requiring eight stitches and with only Harmison left to bat it wasn't long before Australia had retained the Ashes in emphatic style. Harmison was clean bowled by Lee, who stepping away from the wicket to give himself room, failed to judge the fuller delivery.

England have a lot of rebuilding to do. Perhaps not for the fourth Test at the MCG but for next year and the home series.

Images courtesy BBC

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