November 23 Saturday 2002
Injuries cost England momentum: Fletcher

ADELAIDE: England desperately need continuity to provide the momentum to make it a contest with Australia in the Ashes Test series, England coach Duncan Fletcher said on Friday.

The tourists, hammered by 384 runs in the first Brisbane Test, undid all their good work of Thursday to unravel and be all out for 342, their last six wickets tumbling for 47 on Friday's second day of the second Test at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia had raced to 247 for two -- 95 runs behind England's total -- by the close on Friday with Ricky Ponting unbeaten on 83 and Damien Martyn not out 48. England have been wracked by injury on their Australian tour and already have been forced to send bowlers, Darren Gough, Simon Jones and Ashley Giles, home with injuries.

All-rounder Andy Flintoff is out for the first three Tests with complications from a mid-year hernia operation and seasoned batsman John Crawley was unavailable for this Test with a badly bruised hip. England have been forced to choose inexperienced team members, Richard Dawson, Robert Key and Steve Harmison to fill the gaps and are paying for it as a result.

"We want continuity so we can build some momentum," Fletcher said after Friday's play. "But if you walk in there and suddenly you've got three or four new faces, then you have to make sure those guys have to gain that experience which should have been with other players that have played with us for some time to continue that momentum that we asked for. "We've shown over the (northern) summer that we can build some big totals. "We can't hide from the fact that injuries have hurt us."

England have another injury problem looming with opener Michael Vaughan, who topscored with 177 in England's first innings here, troubled by a sore shoulder.

"It could be a slight problem batting for him (in the second innings) at this stage," said Fletcher. "He's struggling to turn his arm over, it's sore and still, and he couldn't throw a cricket ball. "It's badly bruised and it was checked this morning and there's nothing more serious than bruising." Vaughan didn't field during Australia's first innings on Friday.