ADELAIDE, Nov 19 AAP - Shattered England faces another Ashes disaster in Adelaide after left-arm spinner Ashley Giles was tonight ruled out for six weeks with a broken wrist.

Giles has joined a crippling injury list which has almost gift-wrapped Thursday's second Test for Steve Waugh's Australians even before a ball is bowled.

Giles joined Darren Gough, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff in the casualty ward when he was struck on the wrist by a delivery from rookie paceman Steve Harmison while batting in the nets at the Adelaide Oval today.

It robbed England of their most successful bowler from their crushing first Test loss at the Gabba nine days ago, leaving paceman Andrew Caddick as the only bowler with any genuine experience in the tourists' attack.

England must now call upon little-known Yorkshire off-spinner Richard Dawson to blunt the potent Australian batsmen, but even the most ardent English fan would admit the tourists are now in desperate trouble on a wicket which usually assists the slow men.

Giles would have been the backbone of any fightback by England after taking six wickets in the 384-run drubbing at the Gabba.

"It was the first ball I faced from Harmy and it hit me on the point of the wrist," Giles said tonight.

"At first I thought it was bruising so I kept batting and completed my net but it got worse and worse and now I'm told I'm out for six weeks, which is disappointing."

Giles hopes to return for the fourth Test in Melbourne on Boxing Day when England could already be out of Ashes contention.

Captain Nasser Hussain must now put his trust in 22-year-old Dawson, who has played just three Tests, taking six wickets at an average of 46.50 in India last year.

But Hussain has more pressing worries, trying to discover a way to stop Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden, who scored 300 runs in the first Test compared to England's combined total of 404 runs in its two innings.

Since his golden streak began in India 21 months ago, Hayden has scored more runs, more centuries and achieved a better batting average in that period than anyone in Test cricket.

But even Superman was stopped by kryptonite and that's probably the only consolation for England as it pores through videotapes to find a weakness in Hayden's game.

"When someone gets 300 runs in a Test match you're stupid if you don't go away and re-think," England captain Nasser Hussain said today.

"We have to go away and look at some videos and really work out how we're going to do it.

"Getting him out early would be a big bonus for us."

That's easier said than done but England believes it can find a chink in the Hayden game, especially after almost claiming the left-hander to risky pull and hook shots in the first session of the Brisbane Test.

They were risky shots by Hayden, especially against a bounce bowler such as Caddick, but England would still be brave to try a similar plan in Adelaide because Hayden can pile on the runs with his powerful pulling.

But the tourists must find a way through the 31-year-old to have any hope of stopping Australia from edging towards a 2-0 series lead.

Australia and England are yet to settle on their teams, with South Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie still to convince team physiotherapist Errol Alcott that his troublesome calf muscle is ready for another Test.

Gillespie bowled in the nets today but Alcott wants to see how he pulls up tomorrow before possibly sending Gillespie through another net session.

England must decide whether to play batsman Robert Key or incumbent all-rounder Craig White after confirmation today that first-choice all-rounder Flintoff is unlikely to play because of continued groin problems.

Hussain was hedging his bets because England must decide whether it needs White's bowling to help the tourists take 20 Australian wickets.

© 2002 AAP

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.