SYDNEY (Reuters)
Australian cricket captain Adam Gilchrist has been applauded for the sporting declaration that enabled England to win the fourth Ashes Test. Former Australian captains Bill Brown and Greg Chappell both said they supported Gilchrist's decision to let England back intothe game by setting them a reachable target rather than settling for a draw.

"The Ashes has already been won by Australia, so what did they have to lose?" said 89-year-old Brown, Australia's oldest living Test captain. "I'm glad he had the courage to do it...he has to be commended for the closure because cricket has benefited tremendously from the outcome of the match."

With the Ashes safely wrapped up after Australia comfortably won the first three matches in the best-of-five series, Gilchrist risked defeat in the fourth Test by setting England a modest total of 315 to win the match. Everything looked to be going according to the script when England lost two early wickets, but the home side turned the match around to reach their target with six wickets to spare thanks to an unbeaten 173 by Mark Butcher.

But Chappell said it was unfair to blame Gilchrist for the defeat. "History tells you that you don't get beaten too often when you set a team more than 300 runs on the last day," Chappell said. "I have some empathy for him in that situation. He shouldn't be judged too harshly."

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