1. Catch It
The catch of the series award is now closed after Paul Collingwood's sensational one-handed grab to remove Ricky Ponting early on the first morning here. It was the second time in two innings that Collingwood had produced something special to dismiss Australia's captain and he helped out his bowler and captain on this occasion: James Anderson bowled poorly with the new ball, and Andrew Strauss would have been vilified had Ponting got away with a second thick edge to fourth slip in as many overs. Another sidenote on this outrageous catch: on the highlights, look at the aerial shot and see how close Collingwood is starting. Even half a yard deeper and the angle would have sent the ball wide of Collingwood and away for four.

2. Mental Disintegration
There can be no other explanation for Australia's pathetic top-order capitulation this morning than being mentally shot. In Adelaide, Australia at least had the excuse that England bowled outrageously well with the new ball. Not today. Chris Tremlett bowled well enough, and to a plan that was hardly revolutionary (short ball to ruffle batsman, full ball to draw the edge), and that was enough for Australia's top four to collapse in an embarrassing heap. Australia's transformation into England in the early 90s is increasingly, spookily accurate.

3. Ricky Weak
When Ricky Ponting was frantically hitting as many boundaries as he could before getting out today, Michael Vaughan's farewell Test innings against South Africa in 2008 came to mind. Like Vaughan, Ponting has the look of a man who knows his game is disintegrating around him and his time as skipper running short. He will have a second chance here, and as a warrior and champion should not be discounted. But another failure and Ashes-conceding defeat will lead to growing calls for Ponting to fall on his sword and be ushered into retirement. One of Australia's greats now looks sure to depart the scene as the first skipper to lose three Ashes series.

4. The HH Recovery Service
Australia's woes in this series would be deeper still were it not for the most reliable recovery service in the game. Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin have scored 56% of their country's runs in this series and have seven 50-plus scores out of eight innings between them. They have come together at 143-5, 156-5 and today 69-5 and added a total of 426 runs.

5. Wasteful
Yes it had been a bad day for Australia, but there was a chance to at least take something from it. For the first time in the series the tail had wagged with the last two wickets adding 67 runs. The most precious commodity in cricket, momentum, was with Johnson, Siddle and Hilfenhaus. They all then bowled a load of rubbish as Cook and Strauss got to stumps and saw off 12 precious new-ball overs. Countless balls were fired down the legside. Countless more were uselessly wide of the off stump. Given the Aussie quicks themselves enjoyed first hand just how flat this pitch gets once the new ball's out of the picture, you'd think they'd have been more careful.

Dave Tickner