In the end they did not quite manage to secure a morale-boosting win in their match against Western Australia, but the England party will leave Perth buoyed by the fact that they came within one shot of a victory. Chasing 135 in 20 overs, England reached 130 for five after bowling out a strong Western Australia side for 248 in their second innings. With batsmen getting valuable time in the middle, the bowlers taking 20 wickets in the match and good news on the injury front, a win would have been the cherry on the icing on the cake.

Marcus Trescothick and Robert Key got the England innings off to a flying start, taking the score along to 52 in the ninth over when Trescothick was bowled by Brad Williams for 19. Craig White was promoted to the number three spot to play the sort of role he fills for Yorkshire when quick runs are required. He struck two boundaries in the 11 balls he faced before he was beaten by Justin Langer's throw and was run out for 12.

When Mark Butcher was stumped for seven and John Crawley fell first ball, England were reduced to 80 for four in the 14th over. Another 55 runs were required from 39 balls and the run chase appeared to be a forlorn one. That was when Alec Stewart joined Key and the pair put on 41 in the next five overs to open up all sorts of possibilities once again.

Stewart had taken 26 off 21 balls when he was caught behind off a top edge going for a pull, leaving 14 to win and nine balls to be bowled. Nasser Hussain faced the start of the last over with 12 runs required and Williams bowling. He had a swing and a miss to the first ball, fashioned a four to the cover boundary off the next, and then drove a single to deep point. There were singles off the next two balls. Key had hit one six and six fours in his 47-ball innings for 59 at this point and he had a go for another six to win the match off the last ball. He missed and it was match drawn.

Earlier in the day, Simon Jones had set up the chance of victory with a ten over spell that produced four wickets at a time when the home side appeared to be heading towards a comfortable rather than frenetic draw.

Jones had removed Mike Hussey in the fifth over of the morning, caught by Andrew Caddick off a hook. But then Langer had rather climbed into the bowling and Jones was withdrawn from the attack after six overs had gone for 29. The Western Australia captain added 141 for the third wicket with Chris Rogers.

Langer was on 68 when he chased a wide one from White and was caught behind. Marcus North went the same way next ball and Jones returned to the attack to storm through the breach White had created in the defences.

He ended Rogers' innings of 86, before taking three more wickets to end with five for 78 from 19 overs, while Williams turned Ashley Giles into Crawley's hands at short leg before it was Giles' throw from the deep that ended the innings when Stuart Karppinen was run out. The chase was on.

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