Close Australia 247 for 2 (Ponting 83*) trail England 342 (Vaughan 177, Gillespie 4-78, Warne 4-93) by 95 runs
Scorecard

Before the start of this Test, Australia were 125-1 on to win the series. After a good first day at Adelaide, England found out on the second why the bookies are rarely wrong. Australia's dominance was unceasing from start to finish.

First England collapsed from their overnight 295 for 4 to 342 all out, then Australia charged to 247 for 2 at the close, with Ricky Ponting (83 not out) and Damien Martyn (48 not out) adding 133 for the third wicket. The only good news for England was a vigorous display from Steve Harmison and a mature one from Richard Dawson. But with Australia only 95 behind, there may be trouble ahead.

In scorching sunshine and on a flat pitch, England should have expected to bat two sessions when they resumed this morning. But they couldn't even get to lunch, as reality dawned harsh and bright and their innings unravelled like a tatty old sweater.

On his home ground Jason Gillespie bowled absolutely superbly; in two spells his figures for the day were 6.5-3-10-4. The last six wickets - seven if you include Michael Vaughan, out to the last ball yesterday - fell for just 47 runs inside 28 overs. Collapses are supposed to have an element of surprise. Here, the only feeling was of wearying familiarity.

If England were to nail a competitive score, it was imperative that Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart see off the second new ball. They didn't. In the fourth over of the day, and before a run had been added, Butcher played a nothing shot at Gillespie and was caught behind. In three innings in this series, England's fifth wicket has mustered just three runs.

Four overs later Gillespie struck again. This time it was the culmination of a majestic over to Craig White, who in six balls was stripped of his wicket, his dignity and quite possibly his Test place. Having been beaten twice and almost trapped lbw, White hooked a high bouncer straight to long leg off the last ball (308 for 6). It was pitiful batting from a so-called allrounder, and England's lengthy tail was exposed.

Dawson, thrust up to No. 8, at least got into line and showed a bit of gumption, surviving for 39 balls for 6 before Shane Warne duped him with the slider. No Ashes series is complete until an Englishman has been bowled round his legs by Warne, and Andy Caddick (0) obliged when he plonked his front foot too far across and missed a sweep at a full-toss.

Stewart looked vaguely shell-shocked in making 29, and after swatting Glenn McGrath for England's only boundary of the morning he fell lbw on the walk to Gillespie's first ball back, and in the same over Matthew Hoggard feathered a catch behind to complete the rout.

In isolation, 342 didn't seem the worst score in the world … but Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer soon put it into context, tucking callously into some dreadful new-ball bowling. At a time when England really needed him to produce, Caddick (10-0-61-0) gave indolence a good name and Hoggard – whose last two Test wickets have cost 506 runs – was mauled by Hayden.

Harmison, peaking at around 92mph, had Hayden dropped third ball by Butcher at point. Hayden was dropped again in the next over, a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to Caddick, but he continued to emit a whiff of overconfidence and slogged White to mid-off on 46 (101 for 1).

Four overs later Langer, who made 48, was given out caught behind by Steve Bucknor as Dawson skidded one on (114 for 2). The ball flapped the pad but replays suggested it missed the bat. That's two out of three umpires to do wrong by Langer in this game. Presumably Rudi Koertzen will trigger him in the second innings to complete the set.

That was as good as it got for England, as Ponting and Martyn took the game away from them in an evening session of serene Australian progress that was in stark contrast to the butchery inflicted by their openers. Martyn was dropped twice by Stewart: off Dawson on 18 and Harmison on 37. Both were catchable, but each time Stewart could only get the bottom of his fingers to the ball. After a pair at Brisbane, it seems time is finally catching up with the Gaffer.

If Martyn was a little fortunate, Ponting never looked in any trouble at all, even though he hit only three fours in 158 balls. He has made first-innings centuries of three of his last four Tests. At some point tomorrow, expect that to become four in five.

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