England hardly need reminding that if they are to win the Ashes then every chance that comes their way has to be taken. In the final session of the first day they dropped Hayden and Ponting, and in the first three hours of Friday's play they spurned three opportunities to separate the Waugh brothers. The misses handed control of the match to the Australians, and even the removal of Steve Waugh midway through the afternoon session couldn't dispell the feeling that the damage had been done.