WHEN England batted, we got the old Andrew Flintoff, and when they bowled, after one false start, we got the old Steve Harmison. With a 5-0 trouncing to avert, better late than never. The lid is off the tin, the brush is poised, but the whitewash has yet to be applied. England are just about keeping themselves in this game.

Harmison's best rhythm, and its whereabouts on this tour, have been the subjects of national debate ever since that first Oh-No wide to second slip to launch England's leaky vessel in Brisbane six weeks ago, but here it was, a very late arrival at the Ashes Ball.

Bit by bit he has put his ghastly start behind him, feeling his way uncertainly, unevenly, away from humiliation and towards the famous hanging action that indicates he is relaxed and confident.

We got it here on this second day in Sydney. He was running in as though intent on the business of making life hard for the batsman, not worrying about where his front arm was, how straight his body, or where the ball might land. He knew. It raised the uncomfortable question as to whether he was right to retire from one-day cricket; on his day, he remains England's most dangerous bowler.

Having said that, Harmison's game will always be fragile. He has that sort of body, that sort of action. His first spell from the Paddington end was a reprise of the old rubbish. Justin Langer eagerly latched onto his first ball, short and wide, and dispatched it for four.

Two overs later, Matthew Hayden hit him for boundaries on either side of the wicket. It is hard to set a field to that. After four overs, Flintoff pulled the plug and gave Sajid Mahmood a go, but it was just more of the same. England are a bowler down here, maybe two.

If England are to win this match, the likeliest route - given the phantom presence of Flintoff the bowler - is a combination of Harmison and Monty Panesar, who exposed doubts in Mike Hussey's approach to balls on off stump and could trouble Australia's other left-handers later in the game, if he gets the chance.

Harmison and Panesar worked well in tandem at Old Trafford last summer, where they routed Pakistan, and they can do it again. They're not quite McGrath and Warne, but the speed-spin double-act has a distinguished tradition.

One of Flintoff's principal tasks as captain in Australia was to get the best out of Harmison. Like some of the many other tasks set him, it was beyond him when it really mattered, but now he got it right. He gave Harmison 20 minutes off, before switching him to the Randwick end, and then stood by him at mid-off, rather than in the slips, to talk him along.

Harmison immediately looked much more comfortable than earlier and in his third over had Matthew Hayden caught in the slips, slashing at a ball slanted across him.

After tea, either side of a rain delay of almost an hour, Harmison bowled another eight overs in which he gave away very little and deservedly had Michael Clarke caught behind carving at a short ball in a way he had tried a few times before. Clarke has improved a lot as a player, but like most batsmen he doesn't like fast short-pitched bowling. It doesn't come to him in the places he wants it.

England had a great chance to put themselves on top after the rain break but Harmison and James Anderson just couldn't breach the defences of Hussey or Andrew Symonds. They maintained control though, with 14 runs in nine overs, and with more luck Symonds might have fallen.

At the end of the day, for all the promise England had shown, Australia had yet again better negotiated a key passage of play.

Timesonline

there was indeed a glimmer of hope for the English, flintoff was admirable in a trounced side, yet field placings constantly had the commentators talking.

I think now that Vaughan is back as captain for the one-dayers things should improve as far as strategies are concerned. Whether the batting and bowling improves though we`ll have to wait and see.

Hope so as much as i enjoy trouncing England it would be nice to have it a bit more competitive.

i do not feel it( the ashes loss) was a failure by Flintoff more like a failure of team management, team tactics , team support of the captain. I actually think Flintoff, even if a bit in the deep end, was gallant throughout the series providing the spark which was ignored or not capitalised on ,by his team mates. I doubt fleet st will be so generous though.