November 04 Monday 2002
Queensland amass 582 as Love slams double hundred 

BRISBANE, Australia: The smiles returned for England by stumps after toiling for more than five sessions in the field chasing leather as Queensland flayed the tourists' bowling here on Sunday. 

England dropped six catches on the second day of the three-day tour match against Queensland as Martin Love (250) drove the Sheffield Shield champions to a massive first innings total of 582. 

But the tourists had something to take out of the day as Michael Vaughan (49 not out) and Marcus Trescothick (46) reeled off a slick century stand to take England to 106 for one with one day's play remaining. Both openers were impressive but that did nothing to disspell the question marks hanging over the Test bowling attack, which toiled for 158 overs against a Queensland team missing Australian opener Matthew Hayden. 

The wicket was flat and the outfield relatively small but the tourists had themselves to blame after dropping Love on 124, 166, 170 and 180. Assistant coach Graham Dilley agreed with captain Nasser Hussain's assessment that England's attack lacked potency on flat wickets. 

"The problem is going to be how we get 20 wickets against the Test side on flat pitches," Dilley said. "Although it's not the way we would choose to have done it, it's good that we've had a long bowl before the first Test. 

"It's a very flat pitch - I've not seen a flatter pitch anywhere. But we've got to take all the chances we get. You can't afford to give the great players of Australia more than one chance." Love rode his luck as he posted his fifth career double-century and the lower-order batsmen joined in, with Ashley Noffke (30) and Nathan Hauritz (31) both clouting sixes. 

Love hit one six and 27 fours in his 542-minute stay, which was outstanding despite the dropped catches. "It must have looked like I was trying to get out but that's how it goes. When you're having some luck, that's what happens," Love said. "But the bowling today was probably better than yesterday and the wicket quickened up. "(Andrew) Caddick bowled the best line and length of the quicks and (Ashley) Giles turned it a bit today." 

Caddick (2-89 from 31 overs) and Giles (3-124 from 40) were the busiest bowlers while Simon Jones (1-96), Matthew Hoggard (1-112) and Andrew Flintoff (2-112) will appreciate any assistance in the Gabba wicket this week. But the tourists showed they could also score runs as Vaughan and Trescothick blazed away in the final session. 

Both batsmen drove strongly while also playing some excellent shots square of the wicket in a sign they can challenge the Australian new-ball attack.