Australia are left with only the mopping up to do at Old Trafford after Steve Waugh produced his second epic innings in a match dominated by the bowlers.

Waugh became the first Australian right-hander and only the third in all to score a century in each innings of an Ashes Test. Typical of the man, there was very little emotion after Steve pushed off-spinner Robert Croft through midwicket for three to attain this remarkable goal. He just took the helmet off, lifted the bat to all sections of the crowd and after a quick hand shake from Paul Reiffel, it was back to business. That is the way of Steve Waugh -- he is a dogged, determined and calculating cricketer and there is no room for over-excitement, which might bring about an error of judgement.

Look at a graph of Waugh's innings and it's rare that two are the same. That is one of the great things about Waugh's batting; he nearly always finds a way to beat his opponents. Whatever it takes could well be the motto of Steve as he goes about the business of driving the opposition mad before he drives them into the turf.

However, once Waugh was dismissed, caught off another nasty lifting delivery from Dean Headley, the continuation of the Australian innings seemed superfluous. The lead was 406 which was ample and there is always the threat of rain in Manchester.

Any thoughts of precipitation were academic after Jason Gillespie made the initial breakthrough. It was an important wicket for Australia -- not only did it get the demolition process under way, but it also meant Alec Stewart would be confronted by Shane Warne almost immediately. For the second time this summer, Stewart was playing for a leg-break when Warne had in fact delivered the over spinner. That left a gap wide enough for a Manchester canal barge and the cricket ball sailed comfortably through to disturb the furniture. Once again Warne was on top and England were utterly on the defensive.

At this point, Gillespie rammed home the advantage bowling with pace and movement off the seam. The gangly, young speedster has rewarded the selectors faith with steady improvement and the ability to strike at a good rate. Just as happened in the first innings, once the Australian bowlers got on top, the England batsmen were unable to reclaim the initiative.

There are some pressing problems for the England selectors. Stewart seems unable to fathom Australian bowling and his record is poor against the baggy green caps. Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe after their iniitial burst of supremacy over Warne in the first Test have now been reined in and the shackles attached. As soon as the leg-spinner has the England batsmen in the mode where they are looking to pad the ball rather than hit it, he has them exactly where he wants them. If Warne doesn't actually claim their wicket, they are a victim of the web he has spun.

John Crawley showed some fight and enterprise but his two best innings in the series have come when the match has already been shaped. I think Adam Hollioake is a better bet for England in the number six spot, but Crawley's half-century may have saved his skin.

There is much to ponder for England and a prospective celebration coming up for Australia. The fiery spell by Gillespie and the wizardry of Warne has Australia hoping that the mopping up process will only entail wickets and not water.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA (1st innings): 235

ENGLAND (1st innings): 162

AUSTRALIA (2nd innings): M Elliott c Butcher b Headley 11, M Taylor c Butcher b Headley 10, G Blewett c Hussain b Croft 19, M Waugh b Ealham 55, S Waugh c Stewart b Headley 116, M Bevan c Atherton b Headley 0, I Healy c Butcher b Croft 47, S Warne c Stewart b Caddick 53, P Reiffel not out 45, J Gillespie not out 28, Extras: (b-1 lb-13 nb-6) 20; Total: (for 8 wickets, declared) 395

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-33, 3-39, 4-131, 5-132, 6-210, 7-298, 8-333Bowling: Gough 20-3-62-0, Headley 29-4-104-4, Croft 39-12-105-2, Ealham 13-3-41-1, Caddick 21-0-69-1

ENGLAND (2nd innings): M Butcher c McGrath b Gillespie 28, M Atherton lbw Gillespie 21, A Stewart b Warne 1, N Hussain lbw Gillespie 1, G Thorpe c Healy b Warne 7, J Crawley not out 53, M Ealham not out 5, Extras: (b-11 lb-1 w-1 nb-1) 14; Total: (for 5 wickets) 130

Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-45, 3-50, 4-55, 5-84

Bowling: McGrath 10-2-24-0, Gillespie 12-4-31-3, Reiffel 2-0-8-0, Warne 19-7-21-2, Bevan 8-2-34-0

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.