England seem to have reached their lowest ebb this morning, another unbelievably inept batting performance meaning another crushing defeat at the hands of the Australians. Adelaide is fast becoming England's room 101, it is fair to say that England's performance with the bat in the second innings of the Test and in the one-dayer this morning have been the most forgettable moments of a car-crash tour that has provided nothing if not a new sense of perspective for those involved with English cricket. It is clear that this tour is now inflicting some serious scars, not least on Andrew Flintoff's captaincy and the batting of Andrew Strauss, but there is no let-up in the schedule of international cricket nowadays. It is crucial that these players are strong enough to draw a line under what has happened and move on with their lives and their game.
The players looked defeated in every sense of the word as they left the pitch today but they must raise themselves, as there are more days to come, in this tournament, the imminent World Cup and the Test series against the Windies that starts straight afterwards. How the players respond over the next few months will be crucial to the next few years of English cricket. They must stand up and be counted. Vaughan's return will help, if he can stay fit, but the young men who have looked just that this winter must now show us that they are England's future and not their past.
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