The so-called demise of Australian cricket after four defeats in eight days was put into perspective at Riverside yesterday when they thumped England by 57 runs.

Despite the obvious caveats about their early wobbles, the world and his mother climbed in having ignored a few relevant factors.

Including that, until yesterday, Australia could not field Brett Lee and man of the match Andrew Symonds in the same side and, as they showed yesterday, they are as key to their side as are Andrew Flintoff and Darren Gough to England.

Symonds top-scored with a typically heavy-handed 73 off 81 balls, and took a wicket and held a catch, while Lee's opening spell of 4-1-5-1 would have made the purists purr, and also given Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss enough food for thought to choke them.

England's troubles started when Trescothick won the toss and fielded first. As acting captain in the enforced absence of Michael Vaughan, the decision was presumably made for him, but it was wrong.

Batting second under lights in this country is hazardous, even in high summer when the dew factor is minimal, and Australia gratefully took full advantage.

Their top order stuttered against a generally accurate pace attack in which Chris Tremlett justified his retention ahead of Jonathan Lewis.

Australia threatened to run away to a big total, until a wicket apiece for Tremlett, Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff pulled them back to 96 for three in the 22nd over and brought together Symonds and Damien Martyn.

They struggled at first on a variably paced pitch but, if you don't nail Symonds early, he will exact full punishment.

Martyn was never in touch but still finished with an unbeaten 68 off 81 balls, while Symonds dominated their fourth wicket partnership of 142 at nearly a run-a-ball.

But for Symonds giving Trescothick a chance to bullseye him out with a direct hit, he would have led his side to 280 at least, but good "death" bowling from Ashley Giles and Darren Gough kept them to 266 for five.

All depended upon how England started against a mad-keen Lee and an equally eager Glenn McGrath, who was determined to build on the early dominance of Trescothick and Strauss he established at Bristol.

Lee was magnificent, and he forced Strauss to play on to a lethal inswinger. The next few months will tell us much more about the Middlesex batsman.

He is going to have to find a counter against the ball moving back into him - and that will be his force-fed diet from an Australian pace attack which never misses a trick learned from intensive homework.

Trescothick then edged McGrath to Adam Gillespie for the first of two ducks - local man Paul Collingwood played on in the same over - and, at six for three, the contest was over.

Another capacity crowd of 15,000 in the glorious Riverside setting were silenced, as will be the many pundits who have read far too much into the last ten days.

Vikram Solanki (34), Flintoff (44) and Boys Own hero Kevin Pietersen with 19 were dealt a busted flush and never looked like affecting an Australian body language which took on its first swagger of the tour - but certainly not the last.

Selection told the story, with Australia going for a full hand of bowlers, plus Symonds, while England stuck with four and a makeup fifth.

The other ongoing argument concerns the tactic of Geraint Jones taking the ball in front of the stumps for a run-out, rather than the traditional method of waiting behind the stumps for a split second longer. This time it cost dearly as Symonds benefited.

At least the crowd had a fun-filled last 20 minutes as Gough helped himself to 45 and thus made himself topscorer ahead of Flintoff.