There are only two things wrong with this England team. They can't Baz. And they can't ball | Barney Ronay

"It's a cruel, cruel summer. By the close of play in Adelaide, on the kind of superheated afternoon when just going outside basically involves setting fire to your own hair, it was clear this was the day the music finally died for England's Ashes tour; even if that music has long since faded, like the tinkle of a haunted pianola in an empty house."

"What is properly? What is batting? And what is this England team, when even losing a Test match seems to involve doing so without the qualities that were supposed to make it win: no panache, no boldness, no energy. There are only two things wrong with this England team. They can't Baz. And they can't ball. For a while in mid-afternoon Harry Brook and Ben Stokes conjured a slow-burn partnership in pursuit of Australia's ever-retreating 371."

"Pope still has a second innings to go. But there is already a sense of an ending in train, of something fading in real time. It is never pleasant to see someone fail, and to do so in a way that involves losing a little bit of yourself in the process. It felt doubly cruel Pope was matched here against Nathan Lyon, the wiliest, most authentically cricket-smart Aussie bowler imaginable."

Adelaide's sweltering conditions exposed England's weaknesses as their Ashes campaign visibly faltered. The start of day two demanded disciplined, proper batting, but the side lacked panache, boldness and energy. Fundamental problems emerged: inability to emulate attacking instincts and ineffective bowling. Harry Brook and Ben Stokes produced a steady partnership while Stokes battled cramps and exercised extreme endurance, and Brook absorbed pressure. Individual collapses became apparent, notably Ollie Pope's brief, three-run outing before lunch against Nathan Lyon. A prevailing sense of an ending and gradual fade permeated England's performance.

Read at www.theguardian.com