ENGLAND'S miserable tour down under continued as Australia inflicted a humiliating 77-run Twenty20 defeat in Sydney.
Australia posted a new 20-over international record score of 221 for five in the process, surpassing their own previous best recorded against New Zealand by seven runs.
In an emphatic display of hitting the Aussies shared 14 sixes, five of them f
rom Adam Gilchrist, who top-scored with 48.
By contrast England did not clear the ropes until the final over, with only returning captain Michael Vaughan, of the top order, taking command.
Matthew Hayden set the tone when he smashed his first delivery from James Anderson back down the ground for four.
Hayden's power hitting included three further boundaries in quick time, including the first six of the contest over mid-wicket off Anderson, before spiralling a catch to mid-off next ball.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who won the toss, wasted no time in finding the stands himself as he rocked back to pull a short ball from Andrew Flintoff over square leg. Flintoff thought he had his man in the same over when, moments after Australia's 50 had arrived, Ponting skied to mid-on only for Jon Lewis to fluff the chance. Gilchrist then played catch up, smashing three consecutive sixes off Anderson.
Michael Vaughan, returning for the first time in 13 months to inherit the captaincy from Flintoff, turned to left-arm spinner Monty Panesar and although Gilchrist lofted him for the fourth of his five sixes, Panesar was soon producing his customary celebration jig.
Going for another huge hit which would have brought up his half-century, Gilchrist was defeated as the ball crashed into the off stump.
Ponting went on to thump 47 off 26 balls before offering Lewis a second chance, flicking a delivery from Paul Collingwood to deep square leg.
England's reply faltered from the start with Ed Joyce holing out to deep cover point in the first over. Flintoff and Pietersen soon followed and when Vaughan was out lbw, embarrassingly fluffing a reverse sweep to Symonds off-spin, the contest was all but over. A stand of 49 between debutant Paul Nixon and Jamie Dalrymple ensured a modicum of respectability but the victory margin was all too familiar.
The full article contains 380 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
