Sport 17-08-2001 Australia Race Ahead In Fourth Test who: Australia cricket team what: Race to 288-4 in the fourth Test against England where: HEADINGLEY when: Yesterday snippet: "An all-time great team is administering the mother of all thrashings to an injury-ravaged, demoralised opponent," bellows the Sun`s John Etheridge, epitomising the media`s pessimism towards England`s chances of snatching some dignity from the remaining days of the fourth nPower Test Series. Christopher Martin-Jenkins, writing in the Times, was scarcely more optimistic. "The toss was of no great importance, the new ball swung dangerously, the pitch had an unevenness of bounce that can only increase but still England could not prevent Australia taking such a grip on the fourth Test that already it is hard to imagine any result other than an Australia victory." This time it was Ricky Ponting who inflicted the damage on England`s beleaguered bowlers. "Taking 113 balls to reach three figures, Ponting struck three sixes and 11 fours, each of them imperious," marvels Derek Pringle in the Independent. "The speed with which he latched on to anything remotely short to deposit it over the square-leg boundary was awesome and when he was finally out for 144, edging a lifter off Alex Tudor, some serious damage had been done." "We could still bowl them out for 350 - although now they will probably go and get 600," sighed England bowler Andy Caddick, quoted in the Sun. Derek Pringle agrees: "Unless there is a rapid turn-around in England`s fortunes today, this is one more nail in the coffin marked `5-0 whitewash`." [... more]

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