Waugh and Slater put hapless England to sword

If Steve Waugh has had a point to prove he has always, throughout his long career, found a way to do it. Yesterday it took 14 minutes.

This week Waugh, the fellow who three years ago held the World Cup aloft, received official confirmation that he was unwanted for the forthcoming one-day internationals. Worse, the announcement of Australia's preliminary squad for February's World Cup defence showed that he was not even considered to be among the top 30 players in the land.

Being superfluous to requirements rankles, so he did what he does best and took it out on England. Or rather Ronnie Irani.

Yet amid yet another performance where Nasser Hussain's side totally lived down to expectation, Irani, the optimists' optimist, had stood tall. Coming in first wicket down, making 81 of England's underachieving 206, and then bowling six enthusiastic overs - pace taken nicely off the ball - for only a dozen runs.

But his seventh over, the 42nd and, as it was to prove, last of the New South Wales innings and the match, did for him and knocked back the idea that on a good pitch against top players his bowling is a serious front-line threat.

Waugh, his entrance delayed by a second-wicket partnership of 134 between Michael Slater and Michael Bevan, had barely arrived at the crease when he made his mind up that Irani was coming nicely into the slot and had to go.

The second and third balls were smeared high over wide long on and rattled around the ironwork of the old pavilion, next he and Bevan took a single each, and then, left foot splayed down outside the line of leg stump to allow a free swing of the bat, his third six finished the match. As a suggestion to the selectors to swivel it took some beating.

But Slater, the great cricket enigma, tried his best. Slater is a conundrum who through the 90s was the most destructive opening batsman Test cricket had seen since Gordon Greenidge, a batsman of unfailing aggressive instinct, a cutter without peer and a precision instrument through midwicket. He has 14 centuries and nine scores in the 90s to his Test-match name, but not a single hundred in 42 limited-overs internationals. Five years ago, at the Oval, after yet another failure, he was omitted and has never played a one-dayer for Australia since.

Worse still, he now struggles to get into the New South Wales side. Even as late as 40 minutes before the start yesterday he was due to sit out the game, until Mark Waugh pulled up lame with a groin strain and opted out.

Here then was another, different point to prove and he did so with an innings that, apart from a couple of decent lbw shouts from Caddick and a finger-tipped half chance to Steve Harmison at mid-off when 23, was chanceless until he clipped Flintoff - who looked 100% from his first ball - low to midwicket.

His 115 had taken 136 balls with 13 fours and a six, and he was kept under some measure of control only midway through when Irani first came into the attack.

By then though, he had already made 35 of the opening stand of 48 with Corey Richards, who, after a tortuous time making seven, was caught round the corner flicking at Harmison's third delivery.

That, though, proved the high point of the innings for England as Slater and Bevan gradually and inevitably took the match away with a ruthlessly efficient display of batting. Bevan, the best finisher there is and the unchallenged red-ink king of world cricket, remained unbeaten on 54 when Waugh hit the winning runs.

Earlier though Slater had seared past his half-century with a burst of hitting against Flintoff that proved both brutal and prescient. He began Flintoff's seventh over by carving him massively square for four, reminiscent of his opening shot of the Ashes against Phil DeFreitas eight years ago.

Next, as the bowler compensated in length, he was picked up over midwicket and then driven straight for further boundaries. Finally, to reach his fifty, he pulled Flintoff over square leg and into the crowd. Eighteen off the over and 4, 4, 4, 6 in the scorebook.

Half an hour later, the evenings winning lottery number was flashed on the board: 4446. Spooky. It did not say whether it had Hussain's name on it, but somehow one doubts it.

England looked dejected as well they might, for they were horribly outclassed by a state side each of whom has played for Australia at senior or A level.

Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight were almost moribund, Hussain struggled desperately for his 34. The only other batsmen to reach double figures were Owais Shah, who played brightly for 24, and Ian Blackwell. It was neither pretty nor unpredictable.