KEY POINTS:
They are never the most compassionate of society's critics - the English sports media (or their fans, for that matter).
But since Michael Vaughan's side got walloped by 189 runs at Hamilton yesterday, the British tabloids have been having a field day at the tourists' expense.
"England capitulate
to leave Vaughan at lowest point" cried the Daily Mail, quoting the English captain as saying that the defeat marked the nadir of his time in charge.
"To get to a ground on the last day with a small sniff of victory and to end up losing in such a dramatic fashion is not a great feeling at all", the Mail quotes Vaughan as glumly conceding.
"I guess it's my lowest point as England captain," admitted Vaughan. "It's never nice when your team has performed to a level you don't expect."
"Today's display", the paper went on, "follows a worrying trend with England's batting in recent Tests, having been dismissed for 81 in the first innings of their previous Test against Sri Lanka at Galle in December."
England have not made 350 in any of their last four completed Test innings.
The News of the World uncharitably stated that England were "humiliated in a Test shambles", calling the first Test defeat "pathetic".
Never one to mince words, the paper put it bluntly when they asserted "Vaughan's players should hang their heads in shame after being comprehensively stuffed.
"Now head coach Peter Moores will come under increasing pressure after his team were outplayed in every facet of the game by the humble Kiwis - on the back of defeat in the one-day series", the paper went on to say.
As a disillusioned Brit fan noted in the 'comments' section at the end of the World article, "What's going on? Ever since we won the Ashes we've never looked the same. They give us the inpression that as long as they get paid they couldn't give a toss if they won or lost."
The Mirror claimed the England XI played boring 'cricket from another era', and "delivered a snoozefest for their banks of travelling fans." The paper said supporters should stick to one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches, if they want to see any vestige of watchable action from this England outfit.
The Sun's chief cricket writer John Etheridge implied the problem started from the top down, observing that coach Peter Moores is under "incredible pressure" after a horror run.
"England were comprehensively outplayed in every department of the game", said the tabloid.
The Sun columnist called into question Moores' appointment to the job and his overall abilities, saying, "Men with proven records such as Tom Moody and Dav Whatmore were interested in the role but Moores, the inside man, was appointed on the nod.
"Don't forget, he had no experience of international cricket either as a player or coach."
Etheridge concluded with the ominous warning that "The jury is still out on Moores and, if he is not careful, it might end up delivering a guilty verdict."
Even the staid BBC was scathing of the England side, calling the match in their online report "one of their most ignominious defeats in recent history".
The second Test starts at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday.
