November 14 Thursday 2002
England are second-best side in world, says Healy

HOBART: England are test cricket's number two team but have no chance against Steve Waugh's Australia side, former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy said on Wednesday.

Healy, 38, whose test career ended three years ago after a world record 395 dismissals, said captain Nasser Hussain's England simply failed to produce their best cricket against Australia and needed to relax.

"They've got to just lower all their expectations. They're not going to beat this Australian side and I don't think anyone will while (bowling duo Shane) Warne and (Glenn) McGrath are in the team," Healy was quoted as saying on the Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) Radio website.

"The team will have to change before Australia gets beaten, so they (England) have just got to lower all their expectations and start to try and play well and play to their ability level and forget about winning and losing and bouncing back, just get out there and play," Healy added. Australia thrashed England by 384 runs in the first Ashes 
test in Brisbane last week.

The second test of the five-match series starts in Adelaide on November 21. Australia went into the series needing to win to hold top spot on the ICC Test Championship table ahead of South Africa, with England ranked fifth behind New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

England play Australia A in a three-day tour match in Hobart starting on Friday. Warne, 33, and McGrath, 32, have each taken more than 400 test wickets and are second and seventh respectively behind former West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh on the all-time list of wicket-takers. Australia regained the Ashes in 1989 and have won 
the past seven series between the teams.