England in the firing line in latest Ashes challenge

It will not be easy. Australia are on the crest of a wave with some commentators calling them the most dominant team ever having won 12 of their last 14 series. England, ranked seventh of the nine Test nations, take on a side billed as the unofficial world champions, but have seen their own standing lifted by their 2-1 series win over South Africa this year.

``I've played against Australia in four losing Ashes series already and obviously I'm hoping it's going to be fifth time lucky,'' says 35-year-old Stewart. England know they must seize the initiative on the bouncier pitches at Brisbane and for the second test in Perth, before spin comes to the fore in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Leg-spinner Shane Warne -- who has terrorised England batsmen, with 85 of them among his 313 test victims -- will not be playing in Brisbane or Perth as he recovers from major shoulder surgery. And England hope their pace brigade of Darren Gough, Angus Fraser, Dominic Cork and left-armer Alan Mullally will be able to bowl out Australia twice to win Tests.

But there are serious doubts about their batting. Mark Butcher, who topped England's averages against South Africa, has made just nine runs in five first-class innings on tour here. Against Western Australia, the Surrey left-hander was struck over his right eye, needing 12 stitches, and there are those who say he is now suffering from nerves.

Former captain Michael Atherton has back problems which had made him doubtful for the Test, but he will play after having painkilling injections. Atherton has scored 12 Test hundreds in his 84 Tests, averaging 39.83, yet he has problems against Australian spearhead Glenn McGrath, who has taken scalp nine times - seven of them in the last Ashes series in England last year. Stewart -- playing in his 82nd test -- will need sharp concentration as skipper, wicketkeeper and a frontline batsman.

He has scored 5,652 Test runs at an average of 41.55, yet in his 19 Tests against Australia has struggled with an average of 26.19 and a highest score of 91. And in four innings on tour, he has fallen for three ducks, a pair of them against South Australia in Adelaide. England's big batting hopes rest with Surrey left-hander Graham Thorpe, who pummelled the South Australian bowlers in Adelaide for an unconquered 223 and who averages 49 in 14 Tests against Australia, including three hundreds, his 114 not out at Trent Bridge on his debut in 1993.

Vice-captain Nasser Hussain has cemented the number four batting slot with centuries in his last three Test series against South Africa, West Indies and Australia. The Essex right-hander scored 207 in England's euphoric and last Test win over Australia at Edgbaston in 1997. ``We realise the importance of playing well here and in Perth as well, over the last two tours here we haven't started well and we got going halfway through the tour, and obviously that's too late,'' said former Test captain and now team manager Graham Gooch Thursday. Much also depends on their whole-hearted strike bowler Darren Gough remaining sound throughout the compressed 47 days of the five-Test series criss-crossing the vast Australian continent.

Injuries have dogged the irrepressible Yorkshireman since his debut in June 1994 and he has been restricted to just 26 Tests, but has taken 104 wickets, 36 of them Australian. Gough has cult-status among Australians following his heroic 6-49 and rumbustious 51 against Australia in the third Sydney Test on the last tour here in 1995. But in the 41 Tests England has played since then, 28-year-old Gough has appeared in just 18, but England won six of them.