Reduced to Ashes.
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Some searing comment on England's tame capitulation to the Aussies:
England's soft underbelly was exposed long before they capitulated for their lowest score for 98 years in Australia in the second innings at the Gabba. Unless Nasser Hussain's side develop a six-pack soon, and stop the Aussies kicking sand in their face, the Ashes will be decided in three Tests. (Derek Pringle, The Telegraph).
No excuse for falling victims to fear factor (Mark Nicholas, The Telegraph)
Caddick and Hoggard lack mental resolve (Simon Hughes, Telegraph)
Ashes to ashes as England are buried
Perhaps the greatest sadness is that for all the prematch rhetoric and good intentions, the demise of England's batting was just so predictable. The Australians delivered the message everyone in their hearts suspected but few wanted to hear or believe. England are not good enough to take the Ashes. (Mike Selvey, The Guardian)
Can't bowl, can't bat - what can they do, exactly?
This defeat, after a disastrous start (do not cite the decision to send Australia in as the reason) and a promising recovery, will be soul-destroying. There is no coming back from the nature of this whipping. Damaged, demoralised and defeated, they can only look forward to continued waves of attack. Flogged and a long way from home, England are gone. (Geoff Lawson, The Guardian)
A Load of Cobbers (The Sun)
No guts, no discipline, no sense, no chance (Angus Fraser, The Independent)
It started in disbelief, ended in a shambles and there was not a great deal in between to suggest that this Ashes campaign will be any different from the last – a comprehensive series win for Australia. From the first ball of the first Test in Brisbane, bowled by a nervous Andrew Caddick, to the last, when the same player weakly chipped to short leg, England have been utterly outplayed.
Australian press lament lost hope of close series (Independent)
Finally, an Independent columnist puts his finger on exactly what I have been striving to express, about Tim Henman, Colin Montgomerie, the ill-fated World Cup Football campaign, and especially, The Ashes. Much hype before the event, resignation and stoicism in defeat, not without a great deal of savage criticism and introspection:
Later, I pondered this phenomenon. There seems to be something in the English psyche which responds more to defeat than to victory. The spirit of Dunkirk, for example, is cited much more than the spirit of El Alamein. It would have been wonderful if the England football team had won the World Cup, but it would have given us far less to talk about than the quarter-final defeat by Brazil, David Seaman's lapse in goal, etc etc.
It's the same with the weather. When the sun is shining, all you get from your neighbour is a cursory "lovely day". But as winter closes in, and the wind whips up, and the rain lashes down, you can hardly shut him up. I have a feeling Brian and I will have many more in-depth conversations before this series is over.
1:00:13 PM 
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