ACB Chairman's XI 301 for 7 (Harvey 114, Hussey 69) beat England 243 (Key 68, Hussain 65, Hogg 5-33) by 60 runs
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As opening nights go, this was a shocker. In what should have been a gentle introduction to the toughest tour of all, England fluffed their lines badly against the ACB Chairman's XI at Lilac Hill and were well beaten by 58 runs. Most of the team were gripped by stage-fright, none more so than Steve Harmison, who bowled a wretched 14-ball over that included eight wides.

A ragged performance in the field left England chasing 302 to win, but they were never seriously in the hunt once Nasser Hussain's punishing third-wicket stand of 135 with Robert Key came to an end. The star of this 13-a-side show - 11 could bat and 11 field - was the Western Australian allrounder Kade Harvey, who scorched 114 off only 88 balls from No. 7 and took the game away from England.

The tone for a poor day's work was set when Matthew Hoggard kicked things off with two wides, and the Chairman's XI got off to a flying start with an opening partnership of 57 in 10 overs. Andy Caddick disappeared to the boundary five times in his first four overs, and Hoggard was not much better until he had Marcus North taken by Hussain off a leading edge.

Simon Jones followed that up with a wicket with his first ball, when Chris Rogers was beaten for pace and taken in the gully. But the next over, the 16th, was a nightmare for his fellow fast bowler Harmison. He sent down eight wides, including seven in a row. Even Joey Benjamin and Martin McCague were never this bad. Only by going around the wicket did Harmison regain his line, and his composure, but he was replaced at the end of the over by Ashley Giles.

It was a profitable decision, as Giles got to work with three quick wickets, including 48-year-old David Hookes, who slashed one for six before being holing out to Mark Butcher on the boundary in pursuit of another.

Then came a storming sixth-wicket partnership of 152 between Harvey and the Chairman's XI captain Mike Hussey. Hussey dropped anchor for 69, while Harvey, who has never even managed a fifty in a one-day match for his state, carted the ball all round the park, smashing ten fours and six sixes before he holed out off Caddick.

Chasing the 302 England needed to win - a record score for this traditional tour-opener - became even more difficult when they lost two big wickets in the third over. First Marcus Trescothick edged Martin Clark to Brad Hogg at point, and then Butcher - who began the last Ashes tour with nine runs in five innings in the lead-up to the first Test - got off to another flyer, flicking his third ball to square leg before he had scored.

As ever, Hussain was up for a scrap. He carted 11 fours and a six in a fierce 61-ball 65 before being bowled by South Australia's one-Test wonder Paul Wilson. Six overs later Wilson picked up Key for 68, and England were struggling.

As the asking rate escalated, the batting fell away. John Crawley was caught and bowled by another one-cap wonder, Hogg, who went on to scuttle the lower order and pick up a five-for. In between times, James Foster gave a return catch to Callum Thorp. How England could have done with their own Thorpe nurdling them away from humiliation. This was an embarrassment.

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