CRICKET:Stephen Fleming offered succinct advice to England yesterday about how to end their Australia nightmare. "Play another team," he said. England have that opportunity tonight, in the shape of Fleming's New Zealand and Australia can be forgiven if they do not take too much notice.
Australia followed up their Ashes whitewash with comfortable wins against England and New Zealand in their first two matches in the Commonwealth Bank triangular series. Already England and New Zealand, with seven matches each remaining, are vying for second place.
England are low, shaken by their rapid decline since winning the Ashes in 2005 and uncertain how they will cope without the injured Kevin Pietersen, their most adventurous batsman. New Zealand's self-counselling seems based on a never-ending acceptance of their own inadequacies, which were abundantly clear yesterday as they lost their last seven wickets for 23 runs and crashed to a 105-run defeat.
Have New Zealand ever been as down as England are now? Fleming was asked. "Yes, against Australia," he said, reflecting on a run now extended to 17 defeats in 19 one-day games. "We have had series against Australia when we have lost 5-0. I know exactly how Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff are feeling.
"It is hard to get anything going. You are forever searching for new ideas to combat a very good Australian side. How do you get out of the rut? Play another team. Get out of Australia, take a deep breath and put what you have learned to good use."
Shane Bond yesterday became the second New Zealand player to take a one-day hat-trick, but by the time that he dismissed Cameron White, Andrew Symonds and Nathan Bracken in the final over, the game had swung Australia's way with a late flurry from White and Symonds of 90 runs in nine overs.
Ross Taylor struck 84 from 82 balls in reply but his fitness failed and New Zealand disintegrated. To English eyes it all looked very familiar.
England's captain, Vaughan, has accepted that it is New Zealand that England must now measure themselves against. "They are more of a gauge for us," he said. By the end of the series they could have strengthened with the additions of Scott Styris, Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills, so England need to assert themselves immediately.
They must do so with a top five without a single explosive batsman now that Ireland's Ed Joyce stands by to replace Pietersen.
A South African player was heard making racist and abusive comments about Pakistan during the fourth day of the first test yesterday. The words were picked up by the stump microphone and broadcast live on television, but commentators did not name the player.
Cricket South Africa said it had tapes of the comments and would issue a statement today. The issue has not been raised with International Cricket Council match referee Chris Broad.
South Africa's batsmen were still on course to reach a modest victory target of 199 by stumps. They had made 69 for two and were 130 short of victory at Centurion in the first of three Tests.
Guardian Service
