By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent, Sydney

With only three matches to go until England must announce their World Cup squad, the selectors' plans appear to be in desperate trouble.

Australia managed to score the second-highest ever total by a team batting second to win at the SCG, and they did it at a canter.

Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist led the way, but England's bowling - Andy Caddick and James Kirtley in particular - was so dreadfully erratic that Nasser Hussain simply did not know where to place his fielders.

It is gratifying to see youngsters given a chance, but World Cups are not about chance

Time and again the pace bowlers dropped too short and wide, and the openers raced to 101 in only the 14th over.

Even when they were parted by a catch at deep midwicket to dismiss Gilchrist for 53 from only 50 balls, the result never seemed in doubt.

Hayden seemed certain to score a century but, following Ponting's dismissal for 18, he drilled a catch to mid off where Trescothick clung on to the catch for Ian Blackwell.

Hayden's typically powerful 98 from 92 balls won him the Man of the Match Award.

England's bowling was too erratic

Gareth Batty, who would not have imagined a fortnight ago that he would have been playing in a one-day international against Australia this winter, acquitted himself pretty well under the circumstances.

However, there was no escaping the fact that Hussain was left searching the field for bowling options.

It was a familiar tale in England's innings: in the 41st over, they were 205 for two and well set for a total of 290 or so.

But four wickets went down for 18 runs, and had it not been for Knight's fifth ODI century, they would have fallen well short of their 251 for eight.

This was Knight's first hundred in 16 matches, and one that should secure his place in the World Cup.

But thanks to the extraordinary injury jinx that has plagued England from the moment they arrived here, plus panicky call-ups of reserves from the Academy, their prospects for the World Cup look bleak indeed.

It is gratifying to see youngsters given a chance, but World Cups are not about chance.

Glenn Chapple should be considered by England

Where are players such as Alistair Brown and Mark Alleyne who were central to England's one-day plans only a year or two ago?

And Lancashire's Glenn Chapple is an experienced and extremely talented one day player who is equally handy with bat or ball.

These are the type of cricketers who need to be pressed into service again if England are to have any hope of success in South Africa.

Otherwise, on this evidence, Hussain's team is destined to experience the winter from hell.