October 25 Friday 2002
England taken to the cleaners in Perth

PERTH: An unbeaten half-century by Andy Caddick helped England reach a modest total of 221 after their top order was wiped out by a Perth window cleaner on the first day of their two-day Ashes tour match with Western Australia. Caddick, who is better known for his bowling skills than his batting ability, made an unbeaten 62 from just 78 balls and shared a 79-run partnership with Matthew Hoggard to save England from further embarrassment after the top order failed. 

England captain Nasser Hussain, opener Robert Key, Mark Butcher and John Crawley all departed for a combined score of just 12 runs as the tourists wasted another chance to get some valuable batting practice before the first test starts. 

The only recognised batsmen to show any real resistance against a moderate bowling attack led by window cleaner Callum Thorp, who finished with figures of four for 58, were opener Marcus Trescothick and wicketkeeper Alec Stewart. Trescothick made a patient 46 from 107 balls while Stewart finished with 42 in 87 deliveries. 

But Caddick defended his team's performance, saying they were still adjusting to the unique bounce of the lightening-fast WACA wicket. "I wouldn't say it was embarrassing. It's just an eye-opener for the batsmen," the 33-year-old Somerset player said. "You've got to remember we've been playing on some up and down wickets, both in England and on the sub-continent, over the past 18 months. "These wickets they do a bit more, carry a bit more and it was doing a bit more this morning. 

They put on 41 for the fifth wicket having come together with England in deep trouble at 48-4 after Thorp had ripped through the top order. Thorp, who normally plays for the Western Australian Second XI and has never played a single first-class match, made the initial breakthrough in the second over of the match when he trapped Key for four. 

He then held a return catch to dismiss Butcher for seven in his seventh over. Thorp, 27, captured his third wicket when he had Hussain caught behind for one before lunch and then removed Ashley Giles for six soon after the break. Former South Australian speedster Paul Wilson finished with three wickets while left-arm seamer Michael Clark got two, including Crawley for a duck. 

England, who suffered a 58-loss to an invitational side on Tuesday in their tour opener when Perth pharmacist Kade Harvey helped himself to a century, looked to be heading for a total below 150 when Hoggard joined Caddick at the crease with the total on 126-8. But the two fast bowlers showed England's specialist batsmen what to do in an entertaining partnership that reaped 79 runs in 86 minutes.

Hoggard hit four boundaries during his knock of 33 while Caddick belted eight fours and a six before running out of partners just before the close. At the close of play, Western Australia were three without loss in reply. The first Ashes test starts on November 7 in Brisbane.