Psychological balance tilts away from hosts

England resume their VB Series campaign against Australia at Hobart tonight with the mental boost of their comprehensive victory in the final Test of the Ashes series earlier this week.

After twice beating Sri Lanka in the first leg of the series before Christmas, Monday's Test win has set the seal on a revival from England's nightmare start Down Under.

It is an added bonus for the tourists knowing that a below-strength Australia have just suffered their first defeat of the tournament, at the hands of Sri Lanka yesterday.

While Australia will be without Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie for tonight's game in Hobart, Glenn McGrath is expected to return after the side injury that ruled him out of the Sydney Test and yesterday's game against Sri Lanka.

"If the reaction I feel is the same as it has been in the past two or three sessions I am confident I will play," McGrath said after a run-out in the nets today. "I am 90%-plus in fitness terms and feeling pretty good."

England's opening batsman Marcus Trescothick is in no doubt about the psychological boost of the Sydney win on the England camp.

"Winning this game isn't about getting a hold over them, it's more for us that we gain confidence and know that we can beat them," said Trescothick.

"Beating them in the last Test was a big improvement and a big psychological boost for the whole team, even those not down the ground, watching us on TV, knowing we can play better than them.

"You could see the difference when you took 800 Test wickets out of that side. The guys coming in are still pretty useful cricketers but they are not of the calibre of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie."

Trescothick is confident that he will eventually emerge from the first lean spell of his international career, in which he managed just one half century in the Ashes series.

"This is a chance for all of us, although I am not viewing the potential absence of those three players for a chance to get runs. Whether they are playing or not, I have got to be scoring runs and I back myself to do it sooner or later," he insisted.

Michael Vaughan, made man of the Ashes series for his magnificent batting displays, is in doubt for tonight's match with knee and shoulder injuries, while Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison has shin splints.

Nonetheless Trescothick believes England are in good shape for the run-up to the World Cup, of which the current series is the last stage.

"It is hard to judge how you are doing when you are playing a side of Australia's calibre every week - it is not a true reflection of how good you are," Trescothick said.

"I am pretty sure if we were playing most other countries at the moment we could give them a good run for their money. But we still have to compete with Australia because in six or seven weeks we play against them in the World Cup and we have to learn how to beat them."

Meanwhile Australia's captain Ricky Ponting has not minced his words about yesterday's 79-run loss, in which his bowlers were carted all over the park by Sri Lanka.

"It was not really an Australian team that took to the field, I think," he said. "Our performance was not up to the high expectations we have of the team and we have spoken about that and we will speak of it again before tomorrow."

Ponting will be leading Australia on his local ground, the Bellerive Oval, for the first time.