England were blown away for a record low total at the Gabba as Australia won the opening Ashes Test by a mammoth 384 runs.

The tourists had no answer to sustained pressure from the Australian bowlers as they were skittled for only 79 in 28.2 overs, and if this was a foretaste of what's to come in the next four Tests then Nasser Hussain's team is in for a very long winter.

While they competed in – and won – all three sessions on the second day here everything else went the way of the Australians, and the manner in which they racked up an effortless 364-2 on the first day was matched by their brutal demolition of the tourists on Sunday afternoon.

The widening cracks in the baked track under the Queensland sun were matched only by those in England's game plan; England's players were simply outplayed in every aspect of the game, and when Hussain spoke about the need for adherence to cricket's basic skills before this Test it appears that the Australians were the better listeners.

Matthew Hayden set up the platform for Australia's victory charge on the fourth morning by completing a second century in the match, making him only the fourth Australian to do so in an Ashes Test and the second (after Arthur Morris at Adelaide in 1946-47) to do so on home soil.

His pacy 103 made it an even 300 in the game, and also gave him the remarkable record of centuries in all of his last five completed innings at home.

He received good support from Damien Martyn (64), and though captain Steve Waugh missed out again his own batting problems won't be the subject of much serious discussion while his team is winning like this.

Adam Gilchrist played himself back into form with a run-a-ball fifty, and Waugh finally put England out of their fielding misery on the hottest day of the Test with 296-5 on the board, a lead of 463, but, as it turned out, England's misery was only just beginning.

Michael Vaughan was the victim of a shocking lbw decision on the third ball of the innings by umpire Rudi Koertzen to fall to Glenn McGrath without scoring , and fellow opener Marcus Trescothick went fencing at a wide one from Gillespie eight balls later.

Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain limped through to tea without further loss, but Hussain was fortunate to escape being caught behind off Gillespie, with Steve Bucknor this time appearing to err in judgment.

There were few further respites, however, as Hussain perished to the immaculate McGrath, Crawley was run out by some quick-thinking from Gilchrist following a suicidal call from Butcher, and Alec Stewart ended another unhappy match at the Gabba with his first pair in Test cricket.

Craig White fell to McGrath to make him the first man to reach 50 Test wickets on this ground, Ashley Giles followed suit, Mark Butcher finally succumbed to Shane Warne for a patient 40, and when Caddick looped the ineffable lggie to short leg it was all over.

Even by Australia's standards this was a whopping win; England, it goes without saying, have some deep physical and mental wounds to lick before the 2nd Test in Adelaide starts in ten days' time.

10 Nov, 2002