Crushing the enemy doesnt have to mean surrounding them, destroying their ability to offer combat is the target. Surrounding a portion of the enemy isnt the panacea, look at the encirclements on the Eastern Front and the continuation of battles there.

After Alamein, the DAK didnt counterattack until Medinine on the Mareth Line over 1000 miles of continued retreat, It offered battle at El Agheilia and Beurat but scarpered when flanking forces threatened them. It only held at Mareth, by using the French defenses which anchored on a major mountain range which was not easily flanked.

Musso, desert doesnt mean Sand, look at the Antartica.In the Western Desert there's mud flats, beautiful in the Dry, mud heaps in the wet. Rocks, Rocks and more Rocks. Wadis which become raging torrents when it rains. Plus the movement of hundreds of AFV and trucks grind the soil into a talcum powder consistancy. Add to this the effect on the supporting air power which flew out of desert strips makes it hard to move across country .

But, I will add that the British forces were "sticky" and may have been capable of more, who knows?

__________________
Whe're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful wizard of OZ - 6 Australian Infantry Div, Bardia January 1941