Pizzas galore!

Buchanan has steadfastly refused to appoint a bowling coach, so perhaps no wonder that their command of reverse swing is so shaky, or that they no-ball so often. Fielding practice, once undertaken religiously under Bob Simpson, the man who turned the Australians round, is now simply a perfunctory part of the team’s warm-up.

The departure of Mark Waugh, who left the side three years ago, was always going to be a blow because he was one of the finest slip fielders of all time, but that should mean that the likes of Shane Warne, Hayden and Gilchrist devote even more time to their work in the cordon. Australia’s errors in the field in Manchester were central to their failure to control the game.

There is little now they can do to arrest the decline in the days left to them before the next Test, save as much practice as they can manage. If Buchanan wills it.

Their batsmen, meanwhile, who have yet to total 400 in the series, puzzle over how to counter swing bowling, both reverse swing and conventional, which is likely to come into play more at Trent Bridge than it has so far. It is not easy to prepare for swing bowling, other than learn to get well forward and watch the ball like a hawk, unless Buchanan can whistle up some useful swing bowlers for net practice in Northampton this weekend or Nottingham from tomorrow. The great thing from England’s point of view is that once the thought is planted in the batsman’s mind that the ball might be doing things then he’s going to be far more cautious than normal.

In fact, if the ball swings conventionally, Matthew Hoggard could pose as many problems as Flintoff and Jones in Nottingham. Although Hoggard has been the least used of England’s fast bowlers so far, he’s not had a bad series. He’s taken some crucial wickets, but with little movement, conditions have not really suited him.

England know they are capable of beating Australia. They did it in Birmingham and would have done it in Manchester but for the rain. But the longer the series goes on, and the tighter the situations, the more character, talent and self-belief come to the fore.

This makes it likely that the remaining two matches might turn on a great innings or great spell of bowling from a champion performer.

It might be Vaughan, Flintoff or Steve Harmison for England. Equally, for Australia, it could be Ponting, Shane Warne or McGrath, who — like Michael Kasprowicz, who looks sure to displace Jason Gillespie — may find conditions in Nottingham to his liking.

England may know they are capable of beating Australia, but that is not the same as them believing they will. Some of their cricket in the last session of the last Test lacked conviction — Kevin Pietersen snatching at, and spilling, a low catch off Warne at midwicket, and Vaughan failing to post a short leg to the same player hardly spoke of a team sure of finishing the job.

This is why England might still fail. While they are unsure whether they are quite good enough to nail things, Australia, hardened through years of winning, are sure to make themselves as difficult to beat as they can.

They may have been complacent earlier on, but there will be nothing casual about their cricket from here on in. If necessary, they will sell their wickets dearly, bowl defensively, and even waste time, as they did shamelessly on occasions at Old Trafford.

If England are to win the Ashes, they may have to win at Trent Bridge this week, because taking 20 Australian wickets on what should be a good batting surface at The Oval will be far from easy.

That puts Vaughan and Co under a lot of pressure. They must not waste an opportunity, certainly not drop a catch. They know, too, that if they lose, the Ashes are gone. They are close to glory, but close to oblivion too.