England slump to all-time low

By way of complete contrast, though, Jason Gillespie - the triumphant bowler on both occasions - and Glenn McGrath, who played an equally big part in wrecking England's top order, wore the expressions of men who cannot wait to get cracking on an Ashes demolition job.

Gillespie has had terrible luck with injuries in recent years and missed the first two matches of this tournament because of a hamstring strain. Yet he instantly found top form last night to land some huge psychological blows.

Stewart, attempting to play his favourite pull shot, lobbed the simplest of catches to mid-on. Then Vaughan was bowled via a pad after playing what he assumed to be a textbook forward defensive stroke.

When McGrath ripped a delivery past Marcus Trescothick's groping bat, England's chances of challenging a victory target of 212 were written off.

All sides stress, as a matter of habit, that one-day performances have little or no bearing on Test battles. But Australia captain Steve Waugh struggled to stick to the usual script, so delighted was he with the way Gillespie and McGrath had bowled at three England batsmen certain to figure in the first Test at Edgbaston.

"It was a very satisfying win and our bowling was superb," he said. "We won a few battles and one or two things have come out of this match. We don't get too carried away but it was certainly very encouraging. I think Gillespie's dismissal of Vaughan was significant with the Test series coming up."

The challenge to Vaughan - and to Stewart and Trescothick, for that matter - is to prove that their dismissals in Manchester have no relevance so far as the Ashes are concerned. For the moment at least, though, Australia will believe that they did more than win a match last night - and a majority of England supporters must fear they are right, even though conditions became more bowler friendly as the game progressed.

On the bright side, captain Nasser Hussain, leading batsman Graham Thorpe and key all-rounder Craig White should be fit for the first Test following their early summer injuries.

Even if those three players had been available this month, it is doubtful whether England would have qualified for the NatWest Series final.