LONDON, Dec 6: Just two Tests into the five-Test series, the British press on Wednesday largely conceded the Ashes to Australia after England crashed to a spectacular defeat at the Adelaide Oval.

The hosts came from behind to win by six wickets, going 2-0 up in the best-of-five series with three to play, leaving England with a mountain to climb in their battle to retain the Ashes.

The Daily Telegraph pointed out that when England held on to win the second Test of last year's series, then captain Michael Vaughan had said that if England had “gone 2-0 down, I don't think we'd have come back from that.”Yet that is the deficit that England faces, and former captain Geoffrey Boycott was unconditional in his declaration: “Make no mistake about it, the Ashes are gone.”

”If you support England, don't kid yourself that they might come back,”B oycott wrote in the Telegraph.

The Sun's match report was similarly downcast, saying that “the Ashes, won so spectacularly last year, have effectively now been surrendered. Realistically, England can achieve little more than damage limitation in the remaining three Tests.”

The tabloid, Britain's best-read daily, even published a “Timetable of shame”, recounting the exact timings of the English wickets that fell, and the Australian runs that won the match.

The Independent was even more gushing in its praise for Warne: “Inevitably, it was Warne who transformed what was widely expected to be a dull day into a memorable one.” —AFP