Steve Waugh insists it is not all work and no play when you are captain of one of the best cricket teams there has ever been.

But at Arundel last week, where the all-conquering Australians were continuing their build-up towards the Ashes series, it was difficult to agree with him.

Earlier in the day Waugh's side had rattled along at five an over before giving their bowlers enough time to take six wickets and set up another convincing victory.

Even for players used to the sunshine it had been hot work - temperatures nudged 30 degrees. When they were not in the middle, giving another committed performance against a modest MCC team, they had to cope with hundreds of fans desperate for a brief glimpse of them and an autograph or two.

So much so that the 20 minute end of play warm-down was conducted away from an inquisitive public's gaze behind the pavilion. By then play had been over for an hour but the Australian cricketer's working day was far from finished.

As Waugh talked about the forthcoming Ashes battle, opening batsman Michael Slater was heading to the nets to work on his technique.

Out in the middle a fitness coach put a group of players through their paces with a series of punishing sprint drills, while others were engaged in middle practice, watched by a group of awestruck admirers.

It seems the Australians do practice as hard as they play, although Waugh is determined they do not spend the entire tour thinking about cricket.

The following morning they had a look around the nearby Castle and later in the tour they will unwind in the slightly less serene surroundings of a Bon Jovi concert.

"We don't just want to go back to our hotels, order room service and sit and watch TV, we try to do different things so we don't spend all the time thinking about cricket," said Waugh.

Like all Australians, Waugh relishes cricket's oldest rivalry. But this Ashes series means more than his previous seven because it is probably going to be his last and he is determined to join the pantheon of baggy green cap wearers who have lifted the urn in England.

Waugh has tasted a series defeat once against the enemy since breaking into the team in 1987 when Mike Gatting's side retained the Ashes down under. The experience hurt him and, he believes, made him a better player.

"Back then I wasn't professional enough. I didn't realise what playing for Australia meant and the responsibility it brings," he reflected. "But I learned from that and it made me tougher because it was hard for me in those first couple of years."

Waugh learned quickly. He has been a regular in the side since then and when he leads his team out at Edgbaston next week it will be his 136th Test.

And no one on either side will go into the Ashes battle with a better average than his 50.94. Technically, he remains one of the best players in the world even though, having celebrated his 36th birthday at the beginning of June, he accepts retirement is getting closer.

That is why he is determined to enjoy his last taste of Ashes jousting in England.

"I've always enjoyed playing cricket here," he said. "It's my favourite place outside Australia to play so I'm going to make sure I enjoy and savour every moment because it's unlikely I'll play here again."

Waugh led his side to a record-breaking 16 successive Test victories before that run was brought to an end in India during the winter. In fact they go into the Edgbaston Test on the back of two successive defeats which has prompted suggestions that Waugh's team are declining gently.

You would have struggled to find evidence to support those claims while they were steam-rollering England and Pakistan into submission during the recent one-day series.

It is 16 years since England won an Ashes series here and, although he refuses to make bold predictions which might haunt him later, Waugh says little which leads you to think England have got much chance of ending that dismal run.

He says: "The guys in England's one-day team who will play in the Tests will be demoralised by what's happened in the recent series, "There'll be a few changes to the Test side but we've learned a bit about Marcus Trescothick and to a lesser extent Michael Vaughan. Yeah, we've picked up some good hints about some of the England guys."

Which is another way of saying that although he respects England he certainly doesn't fear them.

"I've always rated Graham Thorpe, he's gone that extra step towards being a great player for England," he added. "Michael Atherton has batted well for the last 18 months, but Glenn McGrath's got a good record against him so he'll be under pressure. Craig White's aggressive attitude has added a lot to the side and Darren Gough and Andy Caddick are a good combination.

"But our loss in India has taught us not to take anything for granted. During those 16 wins the celebrations after weren't as vocal or energetic as they should've been, maybe we took things for granted.

"We'll play tough and hard and give 100 per cent and remember that each time we walk out to play for Australia it's a special occasion."

The Australian skipper is already contemplating what might lie ahead after he retires. The 2003 World Cup would seem a nice place to bow out of one-day cricket he says, although you can see him going on for a bit longer at Test level.

The challenge facing Waugh over the next few weeks is to retain the Ashes. He does not give a lot away in front of a tape recorder, preferring to save his energies for the middle.

But even the most cock-eyed English view is that Australia will prove too strong.

"I love a good contest," says Waugh. "And I love a good Ashes contest," before adding with a hint of menace: "As long as we win it."