Day 4 - Goodbye Ashes

Whilst Australia was busy dreaming the impossible dream, England set about doing the hard work. No landmines in the wicket and as the morning unwound, it seemed increasingly the landmines inside the batsmen's helmet were more likely to explode on them.

Katich was the first victim, out to an arm ball from Swann coming straight on radar guided to his stumps and astonishingly left, under the circumstances. Nice deception from the bowler and a bad decision from the batsman.

Ponting strode in and received a standing ovation from The Oval crowd and not a hoot in earshot. This not only underlined the innate fairness of the English crowd but also how observant and appreciative they are. Yesterday, when Flintoff came out to bat for the last time for England, Ponting took the time to mark the moment and shake the big man's hand. He, in turn, reaped his reward today.

He had no longer registered his surprise at the crowd reaction than he lost Watson. Broad, bowling cutters, sent one inside the edge of Watson's bat and caught him in front. Watson may think what he likes of the dismissal but it missed the bat and he was out.

In cometh Hussey - a man on a career death wish, batting without any idea where his off stump has been hiding for four and a half Tests and under pressure. Pressure: I meant intense pressure. Hussey said, "Is there any other kind?"

England threw everything except Harmison at the two Australians. Swann was thrown at them from both ends and he bowled tightly without making himself look deadly. Broad's only spell probably made him the pick of the bowlers pre lunch. His cutters made honesty the currency of both batsmen.

It was absorbing.

By lunch, Ponting was timing those pulls and drives in a fashion very typical of any of his best innings and Hussey was hanging around, hoping that long enough in the middle would help him find the form which has been hiding for 18 months. Mixed with good defence and patience were some lovely strokes and runs were coming at three an over.

This was a session that Australia dominated but England ensured they would not get away from them. Australia batted well but as well as they did, England also contained and kept pressure on for all but a handful of deliveries.

Aftre lunch, Ponting wasted little time raising his fifty and later in the first hour Hussey raised his. Both were innings of standing, of grit, of purpose.

... and so to the business of losing ...

It works like this. Hussey pushed the ball not quite wide enough of Flintoff and set off for the single. It was cheeky, it was sharp but it was very much in the Australian style. At the other end, Ponting watched it go to Flintoff and that was his fault ... his fault, not Hussey's. Setting off late, Ponting's Ashes cricket in England ended when the big Lancastrian threw straight and executed the Australian captain. Ponting delayed afterwards, probably too long, not believing it was over but eventually left to the same ovation he started with. Somehow, it was a little sad.

Clarke came and went, adding only 4 balls to his first innings stay of 9 and a second innings duck to go with 3. He was unlucky, driving to leg ... the leg of short leg to be precise ... and Strauss picked up the ricochet around the corner and ran him out.

The two star attractions, captain and vice captain, both run out within six deliveries and the inevitable suddenly became obvious.

North struck a couple of pretty fours but was out a few overs later. Aiming an exaggerated and fairly ugly sweep down on one knee at the long serving Swann, he was a toenail short of staying in his ground. It was the quality of the take from Prior that earned the wicket to a ball that lifted sharply and was then quickly bought down to disturb the bails. This from a man Shane Warne said was an ordinary wicket keeper. There's a consitency to Warne's inaccuracy.

All the while, Hussey was building like a team of termites destroys and went to tea with his head held a lot higher. As long as he kept hitting catches to Collingwood, he'd be okay. For such a star fielder, his attack of dropsy was both unusual but gratefully received by Hussey.

Australia went to tea five down and fighting and in the hour afterwards, Haddin swashed his buckles and rode Lady Luck into the thirties. It was stirring stuff until drinks but not destined to last long as Haddin is no Botham. Jumping down the track one last time, his intention was to put Swann in the stands beyond midwicket. He had been playing "I don't think so Mr Anderson" earlier and had carved fours about the place of the England quick. But Lady Luck is a modern miss and she must have turned away, distracted by a seagull perhaps and Haddin managed only to plop the ball comfortably in the hands of Strauss.

From there, it only took eight overs.

Surprisingly, it was big Steve Harmison who tore the much vaunted tail to shreds. Johnson edged a ball to Collingwood that slanted across him, Siddle got a leading edge pushing to leg and was caught by Flintoff at mid off and Clark was out first ball, popping a catch to Cook at short leg.

Hussey could only watch from the bowlers end, defiant, a little lucky but saving his career like another lefthander did, also in England, near the end of last century ... he also in a losing cause. Remember what became of him?

Finally, in that lovely late afternoon light of the closing days of an English summer, it was over. Hussey pushed Swann to Cook at short leg and the Ashes, spilled at Ponting's feet, were swept up into the arms of Strauss.

This was not a match lost on the last day. It was lost on the second day when eight wickets were lost in a session through a combination of good bowling and ordinary batting. Rolled for 160 after a good opening stand, Australia lost 10 for ... how many? ... 87. You can't win Test matches losing wickets that rapidly or by folding to superstition.

Forget the umpiring who-ha of decisions gained and lost, forget the concept of doctored pitches as these last two days have given that old wives tale to lie, forget even selection howlers - this last request being the hardest - and remember, this was a series of five Test matches and its result was fair and fitting. Our resultant place in world Test standings is the wake-up call we need. It's time for fresh thinking and amongst that, despite his good work in this Test, must be the unthinkable. It's time for a new skipper.

As anyone with any sense of place and time might have told you, this was all foretold.

England 332 (Bell 72, Strauss 55, Trott 41. Siddle 4-75, Hilfenhaus 3-71) and 9 dec 373 (Trott 119, Strauss 75, Swann 63. North 4-98) defeated Australia 160 (Katich 50. Broad 5-37, Swan 4-38) and 348 (Hussey 121, Ponting 66. Swann 4-120, Harmison 3-54) by 197 runs.