da heads bet： PERTH – Steve Waugh celebrated the last Ashes series victory of his longcareer after leading Australia to another crushing defeat of England inthe third Test at the WACA Ground.
da bet sport： Michael Crutcher01-Dec-2002PERTH – Steve Waugh celebrated the last Ashes series victory of his longcareer after leading Australia to another crushing defeat of England inthe third Test at the WACA Ground.Waugh equalled Allan Border’s national record of 32 Test victories ascaptain when Australia finished off England by an innings and 48 runsinside three days to record its eighth consecutive Ashes series win.England is broken, losing the first three matches in a combined 11 days,and its tour was typified by the sight of tailender Alex Tudor leavingthe ground on a stretcher after he was struck by a short-pitcheddelivery from Brett Lee.Tudor required six stitches to a gash above his left eye but the woundinflicted on England by the rampant Australians is yet to be realised.The tourists were dismissed for 223 in their second innings, just 38runs more than they managed in their first dig after Australia compiled456 in its opening innings.Waugh admitted the Australians yearned for another tough series to rivallast year’s epic battle in India but the 37-year-old may not receivethat wish before he retires.He still pushed away retirement talk but it is almost certain he will begone when England hosts the next Ashes series in 2005.”I know it’s sooner rather than later but I haven’t put a date on it,”Waugh said.”I didn’t want to consume myself with the thought of retiring. I want togo out and enjoy my cricket and at the moment I’m doing that.”There will be a time when I’ve got to sit down and have a serious thinkabout it.”The ultimate goal in the back of my mind is winning in India but that’sa long way off – it’s 18 months away.”If there is one thing that would entice me to keep playing is to win inthe subcontinent but that may be out of my grasp.”A farewell Test against England in front of his Sydney home crowd nextmonth looms as the perfect ending to Waugh’s career but the determinedcaptain has rarely shown a sentimental side.He has become cricket’s most ruthless leader, pushing Australia towardsonly the second 5-0 cleansweep in an Ashes series, but he admitted thesuccess had its downside.”Some of the series we’ve had – beating the West Indies 5-0 (in 2000-01)- and some recent series it has felt a bit hollow,” Waugh said.”We would like to come up against a side that would really get stuck inand play tough Test match cricket and make it really tough to win.”I don’t want to sound big-headed about it but some of the victorieshave been a little bit easy.”The three victories over England have been landslides – 384 runs inBrisbane and an innings and 51 runs in Adelaide – before Australia edgedtowards another predictable result today.The victory was delayed by the fight of England captain Nasser Hussain(61) and Alec Stewart (66 not out) after Mark Butcher (0) gave thetourists a disastrous start to the third morning.He was involved in the run out of Michael Vaughan (nine) before beingtrapped lbw by Glenn McGrath from the next delivery, swinging his batinto the stumps in anger as he left the field.Butcher was fined 20 per cent of his match payment, about $2,200, byreferee Wasim Raja while Hussain also vented his frustration after hisdismissal by kicking equipment in the dressing room.”I believe the dressing room is a sacerd place and after the last coupleof months I have had I believe I can kick a cricket case in my owndressing room if I want to,” Hussain said.”We have been very, very poor in three games and we have not put theball in the right areas and we have not batted particularly well and wehave been outplayed.”We have let people down. We have been brought down by a greatAustralian side and our own inadequacies and the injury situation whichhas been unbelievable.”Tudor added to the injury woes but he should be ready when the Testseries resumes in Melbourne on Boxing Day after a break for the firstsection of the triangular one-day series, also featuring Sri Lanka.Tudor fell to the ground in pain amid genuine concern from theAustralian team, including Lee.”This is the fastest pitch in the world and you’ve got quick bowlers onboth sides and there is always going to be a lot of bumpers,” Waughsaid.”The odds are someone is going to get hit at some stage and you justhope it’s not going to be serious.”
