Australia end England's whitewash hopes(01-Jul-2010)
England's hopes of a clean sweep in the NatWest Series disappeared as Australia cruised to a 78-run win in the fourth match at the Brit Oval.
The tourists restored some pride after losing the opening three one-dayers, though the series could still have been in the balance had they taken just one more wicket at Old Trafford on Sunday.
This time there was no late drama, though, Michael Clarke making an unbeaten 99 while Ricky Ponting hit 92 to help the tourists reach a competitive total of 290-5.
Any thoughts England had of an unprecedented 5-0 whitewash then disappeared as they were bowled out for 212, Ryan Harris picking up 5-32.
The seamer removed Craig Kieswetter (12) and Kevin Pietersen (eight) in the space of six balls to help peg back the home side in their run chase.
Andrew Strauss did make 37 before edging Shaun Tait through to wicketkeeper Tim Paine, while Paul Collingwood's innings was cut short on 15 when he was the victim of a poor lbw decision from umpire Aleem Dar.
However the key wicket for Australia was that of Eoin Morgan, who crashed three leg-side sixes off the bowling of James Hopes to reach 47.
This time the left-hander couldn't see the job through, Harris finding his outside edge to leave the score at 140-5. Michael Yardy did hit his maiden one-day half-century but the run-rate spiralled to more than 10-an-over.
The batting powerplay resulted in an early finish; Harris coming back again to have Tim Bresnan (22) caught in the deep before putting the final nail in England's coffin by getting Stuart Broad caught at cover.
In between Doug Bollinger dismissed Graeme Swann and Yardy in the space of three balls, the latter having hit five fours in his knock of 57.
Clarke had earlier missed out on a hundred by the smallest possible margin after sharing a superb stand of 155 with Ponting; the captain and his first lieutenant turning Australia's innings around after a somewhat laboured start.
Shane Watson once again failed to turn a solid start into a big score, the right-hander easing his way to 41 before slog-sweeping Swann straight out to Morgan at deep mid-wicket.
The method of his dismissal did not impress Ponting, who gave his team-mate a long, hard stare before dropping his bat and gloves to the floor.
Watson's opening partner Paine had already fallen in the final over of the mandatory powerplay, Bresnan's first wicket of the series stopping Australia posting a fourth successive half-century stand for the first wicket.
Having made just eight out of a total of 33 the wicketkeeper-batsman perished trying to be positive, though his attempts to get after the Yorkshire seamer only resulted in him spooning a simple catch to Morgan at cover.
Ponting made the most of an early escape when on four, a mis-timed pull falling short of any fielder, as he hit 10 fours in his 93-ball knock.
There was a landmark moment for the Tasmanian too, as he became only the third batsman in the history of the game to top 13,000 runs in the 50-over format.
However he fell seven runs short of reaching three figures for the 30th time, chipping the first ball of the batting powerplay from James Anderson to cover.
Cameron White and Michael Hussey both fell cheaply in the closing overs but a lively cameo of 18 not out from eight balls by Steven Smith helped yield 77 from the last 10 overs, though his efforts starved Clarke of the strike and a possible century.
The tourists restored some pride after losing the opening three one-dayers, though the series could still have been in the balance had they taken just one more wicket at Old Trafford on Sunday.
This time there was no late drama, though, Michael Clarke making an unbeaten 99 while Ricky Ponting hit 92 to help the tourists reach a competitive total of 290-5.
Any thoughts England had of an unprecedented 5-0 whitewash then disappeared as they were bowled out for 212, Ryan Harris picking up 5-32.
The seamer removed Craig Kieswetter (12) and Kevin Pietersen (eight) in the space of six balls to help peg back the home side in their run chase.
Andrew Strauss did make 37 before edging Shaun Tait through to wicketkeeper Tim Paine, while Paul Collingwood's innings was cut short on 15 when he was the victim of a poor lbw decision from umpire Aleem Dar.
However the key wicket for Australia was that of Eoin Morgan, who crashed three leg-side sixes off the bowling of James Hopes to reach 47.
This time the left-hander couldn't see the job through, Harris finding his outside edge to leave the score at 140-5. Michael Yardy did hit his maiden one-day half-century but the run-rate spiralled to more than 10-an-over.
The batting powerplay resulted in an early finish; Harris coming back again to have Tim Bresnan (22) caught in the deep before putting the final nail in England's coffin by getting Stuart Broad caught at cover.
In between Doug Bollinger dismissed Graeme Swann and Yardy in the space of three balls, the latter having hit five fours in his knock of 57.
Clarke had earlier missed out on a hundred by the smallest possible margin after sharing a superb stand of 155 with Ponting; the captain and his first lieutenant turning Australia's innings around after a somewhat laboured start.
Shane Watson once again failed to turn a solid start into a big score, the right-hander easing his way to 41 before slog-sweeping Swann straight out to Morgan at deep mid-wicket.
The method of his dismissal did not impress Ponting, who gave his team-mate a long, hard stare before dropping his bat and gloves to the floor.
Watson's opening partner Paine had already fallen in the final over of the mandatory powerplay, Bresnan's first wicket of the series stopping Australia posting a fourth successive half-century stand for the first wicket.
Having made just eight out of a total of 33 the wicketkeeper-batsman perished trying to be positive, though his attempts to get after the Yorkshire seamer only resulted in him spooning a simple catch to Morgan at cover.
Ponting made the most of an early escape when on four, a mis-timed pull falling short of any fielder, as he hit 10 fours in his 93-ball knock.
There was a landmark moment for the Tasmanian too, as he became only the third batsman in the history of the game to top 13,000 runs in the 50-over format.
However he fell seven runs short of reaching three figures for the 30th time, chipping the first ball of the batting powerplay from James Anderson to cover.
Cameron White and Michael Hussey both fell cheaply in the closing overs but a lively cameo of 18 not out from eight balls by Steven Smith helped yield 77 from the last 10 overs, though his efforts starved Clarke of the strike and a possible century.