In terms of crushing defeats by one of the major senior nations over another, only Sri Lanka had more balls remaining, 276, after dismissing Zimbabwe for 38 last year.”It was a fair walloping, that is for certain,” Nasser Hussain, the England captain, said. “As long as my players feel they gave their best it’s not a low moment, it’s a low moment when I think people didn’t give it their best.”Brett Lee won the man of the match award for a burst of breathtaking fast bowling which went up to 98mph, brought him three wickets and was of a type which can scar batsmen until their dying day. But the award might well have gone to Adam Gilchrist, who smashed his way to 69 not out from 37 balls and bludgeoned 15 fours in an innings as terrorising as Lee’s bowling.There were denials all round later that the differences with the ECB had impinged on the English performance Indeed, Australia were simply stupendous. But a side who have their minds on home, not to mention the row over Zimbabwe, are sure to be affected in spirit. Nor can their approach have been helped by the fact that Hussain is one of those heavily in favour of returning to England while the coach, Duncan Fletcher, is against the idea.As England wilted under the Australian cosh, there was an element in their play which said: “Well, if the bosses feel like that, they can have some of this.” If Australia’s bowling was menacing in its accuracy and pace, the shot selection against it was dire. If Australia’s batting was withering in its power and glory, the bowling intended to quell it was puny.There had been many suggestions before the match that England could compete with Australia, if only on the grounds that they had to win some time. There was a proposition after it that the three players England are waiting to return from injury, Andrew Flintoff, Craig White and Ashley Giles, will turn them into world-beaters.

On the evidence of this, the gap in experience, class and talent between the teams is merely growing wider.It would be an undesirable result at any time. With the World Cup only two weeks away, it may have demolished England’s chances before they begin. For England to level the VB Series in Melbourne tomorrow and force the tournament to a third match would take an effort of will and spirit that their tired bodies will not allow. Even if they manage it, their talent may be insufficient.There was a hint of moisture in the pitch after England won the toss and batted on a balmy Sydney evening.

Their trusty opening pair, Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight, were immediately given the kind of working over by Australia’s pace attack that a couple of dodgy coppers would love to administer to a suspect.Brad Williams looked quick enough to handle, but when Lee came storming in at the other end the crowd knew they were in the company of a true fast-bowling menace. He removed Trescothick with a vicious lifter which followed him like a tracer bullet and took his glove.The Australian was firing from the hip. He had Knight gloving another one which bounced down the leg side, and when Williams bowled Hussain off the bottom edge of a crooked bat there was no recovery for England.Michael Vaughan played a handful of rasping shots but might just have relaxed when he had seen the back of the openers. Andy Bichel sneaked an in-ducking seamer past his bat to gain a leg-before verdict. Ian Blackwell, the great burly white hope, fell to his third consecutive duck by playing the shot of a man of no hope against Bichel.For the second time in as many matches, Paul Collingwood went about his business calmly and positively in attempting to marshal some kind of token resistance He was undone in a way which has befallen many before him. Shane Warne, returning after three weeks out with a dislocated shoulder, had one ball left of his spell.

He held back a leg spinner which lured Collingwood out of his crease, turned past the bat and left him stranded. Gilchrist took off the bails for one of his six victims, equalling his own one-day world record.Inspired by this, Gilchrist came out swinging when Australia batted He took five fours alone from one Andrew Caddick over. The violence of his assault was almost matched by Matthew Hayden at the other end They were Hercules and Atlas unchained The end could not come soon enough. Christchurch 1986-87WEST INDIES (221-0) beat Pakistan (220-2). Melbourne 1991-92WEST INDIES (154-0) beat South Africa (152) Port of Spain 1991-92INDIA (116-0) beat West Indies (121) Port of Spain 1996-97WEST INDIES (200-0) beat India (199-7) Bridgetown 1996-97INDIA (197-0) beat Zimbabwe (196-9) Sharjah 1998-99SOUTH AFRICA (168-0) beat India (164) Sharjah 1999-00ENGLAND (171-0) beat West Indies (169-8). Chester-le-Street 2000AUSTRALIA (124-0) beat West Indies (123) Adelaide 2000-01SRI LANKA (166-0) beat England (165-9) Colombo (SSC) 2000-01INDIA (91-0) beat Kenya (90). Bloemfontein 2001-02SOUTH AFRICA (155-0) beat Bangladesh (154-9) Benoni 2002-03.