Flintoff's bowling leaves England wide of the 示す

We all thought we had seen the very worst way to begin a series. A 配達／演説／出産 from Steve Harmison in the first 実験（する） at Brisbane that flew to second slip and took with it any hope England had of 保持するing the Ashes. Yet, somehow, England managed to より勝る that on Friday to leave their remote chances of making a 握りこぶし of this triangular one-day series looking in tatters.

The worst possible over with which to begin the 試みる／企てる to upset Australia by defending a below-par total of 242 for eight in their 50 overs in this first one-day international, was 配達するd by the man who could do no wrong just 18 months ago.

Andrew Flintoff 譲歩するd 11 wides in his 開始 一斉射撃 at the MCG yesterday in 前線 of more than 78,000 people ― an over that beggared belief.

The first ball to Adam Gilchrist was almost Harmison-like in its 欠如（する） of direction and Flintoff 追加するd two other 始める，決めるs of four wides past bewildered 退役軍人 debutant wicketkeeper Paul Nixon, each counting five to the total.

And all this while Kevin Pietersen, the one England player pulling his 負わせる, was in hospital with a fractured rib.

He was put there, ironically, by Glenn McGrath, who finally 伸び（る）d his 復讐 for all those disrespectful forays 負かす／撃墜する the wicket this winter with a bouncer that thudded into Pietersen’s ribcage. His 小旅行する is over and with him surely go any chances England had of creating a respectful end to this 大虐殺.

While Pietersen was batting, it was possible to imagine England might yet 救助（する） something. He was a class 行為／法令／行動する の中で a poor supporting cast, batting intelligently after England had won the 投げ上げる／ボディチェックする to put them within reach of something like the 270 they needed.

When McGrath 伸び（る）d his wicked 天罰 in the 40th over, Pietersen had 攻撃する，衝突する three sixes off Cameron White to be on 73, with solid support coming from Paul Collingwood. England then

事実上 ground to a 停止（させる）, only Flintoff 解除するing them to anywhere 近づく respectability with his unbeaten 47 from 38 balls.

Pietersen struggled on but it was （疑いを）晴らす this was a serious 傷害 井戸／弁護士席 before the number two one-day batsman in the world 穴を開けるd out to cow corner for 82 ― 収入 the 不賛成 of batting partner Flintoff for not crossing while the ball was in the 空気／公表する.

It was an 傷害 that really cost England the match. より小数の than 250 was always going to be difficult to defend and once Flintoff got them off to such a monumentally bad start, the only way was 負かす／撃墜する.

In all, Flintoff 譲歩するd 48 in six painful overs and it is （疑いを）晴らす that Michael Vaughan, looking fluent for his 26 before he also paid for coming 負かす／撃墜する the pitch when he 辛勝する／優位d to slip, has the biggest challenge of his life to 修理 the self-（打撃，刑罰などを）与えるd 損失.

England’s pace bowling was way below the 基準s 推定する／予想するd. James Anderson was given the chance to put his Twenty20 nightmare behind him at the ground where he made his international debut まっただ中に 約束 four years ago, but could make little 衝撃 and ended up embroiled in a 一区切り／（ボクシングなどの）試合 of sledging with Ricky Ponting.

Jon 吊りくさび looked as innocuous on an Australian pitch as Duncan Fletcher always 恐れるd he would be and it was left to England’s spin pairing of Monty Panesar and Jamie Dalrymple to make inroads and 回避する the awful prospect of a 10-wicket 敗北・負かす.

Dalrymple sent Gilchrist on his way for 60 with only his third ball and Panesar 解任するd Matthew Hayden ― both to catches behind by Nixon. But it was all too little, too late, 特に as Ponting and Michael Clarke 巡航するd to victory with an 無傷の stand of 133 for Australia’s third wicket.

But Gilchrist talked with 正確 and sympathy about England. ‘That first over 明らかにする／漏らすd the English mind 始める，決める at the moment,’ he said. ‘It was almost as if the ball wouldn’t come out of

Freddie’s 手渡す. You can’t 非難する Flintoff. They have all been struggling for some time.

'England have a 比較して inexperienced bowling attack and are 許すing us a bit of freedom. Their 信用／信任 i s dented and their 意気込み／士気 low and it is up to us to stop them getting out of that. There is still plenty of 動機づけ for us. It can only take a minute for things to change.’

England’s remaining hope of 伸び（る）ing anything from this winter will come only if New Zealand 証明する to be even worse than they have been.

Victory against Australia seems impossible and 最高位 over the Kiwis, who 直面する Australia in Hobart tomorrow and England on Tuesday, is the only straw left to clutch at. It has been the rudest awakening for England and it is not over yet.