(ADELAIDE) Alec Stewart has been around long enough to recognise a top class team at the peak of their powers and believes this winter's Australian line-up could be the best he has faced in six Ashes series stretching back to 1990.

Since Stewart played his first Ashes Test in Brisbane 12 years ago, which ended in a 10-wicket defeat, many players have come and gone on both sides during an era of dominance for Australia.

He has faced players the calibre of Ian Healy, Craig McDermott, Mark Taylor and Allan Border while enduring six successive Ashes series defeats, watching closely as each player was replaced almost seamlessly.

Stewart described Australia's 4-1 success in England just over a year ago as ''the most one-sided series I've every been involved in'' yet after the evidence of just one Test at the Gabba, he is more convinced than ever he is facing an even better side this time around.

''In a fairytale world it would be great to leave with the Ashes but it's going to be a really tough task,'' he conceded. ''From that one game I reckon they've improved and even Steve Waugh said it was nearly a perfect performance.

''The last series was the most one-sided series I've played in, but they upped their performance again in Brisbane. It was disappointing the way we lost and collapsed and we have to play catch-up.''

His honest assessment came as England arrived in Adelaide to begin their build-up for the 2nd Test, starting at the Oval on Thursday, knowing they need a vastly improved performance just to compete at the venue where they have won only eight Tests since 1884.

There is also the knowledge that in all 30 Tests he has played against Australia, Stewart has only tasted victory once when the Ashes were still alive - England's 1st Test win at Edgbaston in 1997.

''We've got a bit of a record of bouncing back having gone one down and putting in some poor performances, if you leave Australia to one side, but against them the only time I've won a Test match while the series has still been alive was at Edgbaston,'' he admitted.

''There have been some good wins but as far as the Ashes series are concerned there's been only one that has meant something. We know what we've got to do and we also know what we're capable of doing but good sides are entitled to lose and we still have the belief that we can improve our performance and beat Australia.''

Stewart suffered the first pair of his first class career at Brisbane and then rested for the game against Australia 'A' in Hobart, but remains positive both he and the team can respond successfully to their Gabba hammering.

''We've got to bounce back,'' he stressed. ''The first day of the Test was as bad a day of any cricket, never mind an Ashes series, that I can remember but on the second day we won all three sessions.

''We have to rally round, train hard and prepare hard for the next Test match. You take it on the chest, that's all you can do, and we know it's a poor performance but you have to learn from it and try and put it right.''

At least Stewart can take some consolation from the performance of Kent batsman Robert Key, who is beginning to make an impression on his first senior tour having scored an unbeaten 174 to save the game in Hobart.

Key credits his promotion to the England set up to a talk he had with Stewart at a Players' Association dinner several years ago, when he gave the youngster a lecture in the discipline required to succeed at the top level.

Key took the advice on board, earned a call-up to last year's Academy and played two Tests last summer before being named as the replacement for Graham Thorpe on this tour.

''It's no secret that I've rated him for a few years since when I first saw him playing for Kent,'' added Stewart.

''He's looked very good in the other games he's played and then after not playing in the last Test, he was given the opportunity and really took it.''

''He's probably given the selectors a bit of a headache about the balance of the side and whether he can get into the team, but I thought he played very well in both innings, showed a lot of pride in his own performance and gave the team a big lift at a time when we needed it.''

20 Nov, 2002