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England given Ashes hope

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 30/06/2009

Australia's low-key start to this summer's tour continued with a draw against Sussex which raised hopes that England could regain The Ashes.

Having lost the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist since the last tour of England four years ago, the Aussies are certainly in a state of transition and it showed at Hove.

It was a far from full-strength Sussex side, but they almost secured a famous win on the final day when, after being set a winning target of 417, they reached 373-7 at the close against an anaemic Australia attack.

Coming on the back of their ignominious World Twenty20 Cup exit at the group stage, it doesn't augur well for a classic Ashes series, but Australia remain the sports betting favourites to still be in possession of the famous urn at the end of August.

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Both teams appear to be weaker than they were four years ago with the tourists even more dependent on captain Ricky Ponting's runs than ever.

This is not a young Australia side though and most of the new names to English fans are established cricketers.

Weak links in the team that were beaten four years ago, particularly Simon Katich, are still in the side, while Brett Lee is struggling badly and is a shadow of the bowler who terrorised England's batsmen in 2005.

His place in the team ahead of the Ashes opener in Cardiff on 8 July is by no means assured and his performance against Sussex did little to silence his doubters, although he did take four wickets.

Mitchell Johnson is now the spearhead of the Aussie attack and Lee faces competition from Peter Siddle, Stuart Clark and Ben Hilfenhaus for a place in next week's starting line-up.

Australia's current woes can be put into focus by the fact that they now rely on Nathan Hauritz as their chief spinner - and he can not even be mentioned in the same breath as Warne.

He took a woeful 1-158 at Hove but is still expected to start in Cardiff.

Australia still have another warm-up match, a four-day encounter against the England Lions starting on Wednesday, in which to hone their talents.

But despite being without many household names, the Aussies have already shown a taste for hard work and gritty determination.

They may not be the best set of players to wear the Baggy Green caps but they will still be hard to beat and will be desperate not to let The Ashes stay in England.

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