As fleetingly as the English resistance appeared, it went away just as quickly. Unable to build on the foundation, Michael Vaughan had laid for them, a score of 342 had to be settled for after 450 had seemed a possibility.

Losing seven wickets for 47 didn't do anything to dispel the perception of a brittle English lower-order line-up. Warne and Gillespie ripped through them without too much fuss.

There is not enough consistency for England if they wish to compete against Australia. They require sustained periods of excellence both with bat and ball. Not glimpses of it.

Vaughan basically played a lone hand as no other English player passed 50.

Are England playing like the West Indies were a few years ago when all you had to do was dismiss Brian Lara and the innings would unravel before your eyes?

Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer knocked off 100 runs in the blink of an eye with 342 looking more inadequate by the second.

England can still lose this game by an innings. Something which looked highly unlikely when they were 2/240, but cricket is a game made up of performances by individuals within the fabric of a team.

Superb efforts by Warne, Gillespie and McGrath dragged Australia back into the game. They bowled tirelessly to restrict the Englishman and after the breakthrough was made, homed in on the lengthy English tail.

There is no doubt that cricket is a batsman's game but it is the difference in class between the bowlers of the two sides which will decide this series,

England do not have the same resources in the field that Steve Waugh can call on. Not one of the English bowlers looks as though he is a constant threat of taking wickets. They wait or pray for an Australian mistake as opposed to being able to force one.

Losing three of their starting bowlers from the original tour party hasn't helped matters either. The field placings must pay some attention to saving runs which allows the Australian batsmen even more freedom.

The shortcomings of the bowlers comes back onto the English batsmen. They are then required to bat out long periods of time or do something extraordinary if England are to hope to have even a modicum chance of success.

Different times to when England could boast class bowlers such as John Snow, Bob Willis, Derek Underwood, Ian Botham, Graham Dilley, John Emburey and Phil Edmonds.

Facing bowlers such as these, the Australians didn't have the carte blanche they seem to have done.

So where to for England from here? -Defeat in Adelaide means basically the end of the series and another long summer with the only point of interest being whether England can snatch a win in a dead rubber like they have on their last two trips down under.

© David Wiseman

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