CRASH AND BURN!

Ashes bid in tatters after another dozy day with bat & ball leaves England with a mountain to climb

- DEAN WILSON

ENGLAND found themselves cast adrift and bobbing aimlessly at Lord's - while the Aussies revved up their engines and disappeared off into the Ashes horizon.

And the hope this series might be a competitive classic is in danger of being a pipe dream at the earliest opportunity.

The bare numbers are there. A first innings lead of 91 for Australia was extended to 221 by the close of day three, with eight second innings wickets to play with and their two centurions in the series so far well set.

It didn't need the drizzle and dark clouds that forced players off the ground early to add to the sense of gloom in north London.

That was already there thanks to a day of dozy batting ineffective bowling and error-strewn fielding - not to mention miscalculations around the review system that gave Marnus Labuschagne a let-off.

But to lay the blame for the widening chasm developing between the teams solely at England's feet would be to ignore the steady competence of the Aussies, who have somehow taken a stranglehold on the game without too much difficulty.