Cricket: England's brief upturn in performance in Australia came crashing to a shuddering halt with a landslide defeat to New Zealand - and they are playing catch-up to qualify for the series finals.
Despite positive signs throughout the triangular tournament's opening three fixtures, England disintegrated at the Adelaide Oval to lose by 90 runs and hand the Black Caps a bonus point.
England are now bottom of the standings at the halfway stage of the competition and must rectify their deficiencies on the same pitch against the host country on Australia Day, this Friday.
Their total of 120 all out, which included creditable 47 from Dubliner Ed Joyce, was the lowest by an England side for 60 one-day internationals, stretching back to June 2004 when the same opposition blasted them out for 101.
Just as that day it was left-armer James Franklin who dismantled the top order, while left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori's mesmerising spell reaped four victims and both man of the match Jacob Oram and Shane Bond celebrated their 100th ODI wickets.
Only Joyce showed any concerted resistance in registering a career-best 47 in a team performance devoid of confidence.
"The pitch was a little bit tricky but you can't put it down to that," reflected Flintoff. "It wasn't a 120 all out pitch and Ed Joyce showed us what could be done. He played really nicely.
"The rest of us were below-par and we are better players than what we showed. "I wouldn't say there was a sense of dread. Obviously when you are chasing and you lose quick wickets, it is going to make it harder.
"It's not through the lack of trying, you see the lads in the nets and it is not through not wanting to do well or not practising well. We have to keep backing our ability and have no fear of expressing ourselves in the middle."