Ricky Ponting's second man-of-the-match award in 24 hours condemned England to their seventh successive one-day defeat, which equalled their worst sequence in limited-overs internationals, but at least the side could retreat into visions of a brighter future as they pushed Australia to the final over yesterday before succumbing to a five-wicket defeat.
No team approaches a run chase more clinically than Australia. No batsman is more calculating than their captain, Steve Waugh. But even Waugh's projections do not automatically translate into victories and, with five runs needed from Mark Ealham's final over, it required him to chip twice over the infield for everyone to proclaim that an Australian victory had been inevitable from the start.
A benign pitch, clear skies and a fast outfield ensured a day of batting dominance, with 12 sixes flying over Nevil Road's diminished boundaries. Three times in the closing overs, an Australian batsman relieved mounting pressure by clearing the ropes from the last ball of the over. Andrew Symonds bulldozed the first two before he was bowled, slogging at Darren Gough. The last occasion - Ian Harvey's long-off blast against Ben Hollioake with 11 needed from seven balls - proved terminal.
It was Ponting, though, who possessed the master's touch. England deferred to his 102, from 116 balls.
Ponting has begun this Ashes tour in immaculate form. If his run-a-ball 70 against Pakistan in Cardiff on Saturday possessed great panache, yesterday's hundred was more controlled, always confident that England's total was within his compass.
England's three seamers bowled impressively straight, but Ponting bats straighter than all his contemporaries. There is no more certain way to cricketing heaven than by his high left elbow. At his best, he also possesses an air of fascination that is almost a throwback to the great Australian batsmen of the past. It took a run out to remove him, with 57 still needed off 45 balls. Alan Mullally adroitly transferred Ally Brown's throw from long-off to the wicketkeeper's end to beat Ponting's scramble back after Symonds had refused his overtures for a second run.
England M Trescothick run out - 69 A Brown c Gilchrist b McGrath - 12 N Knight c Warne b Lee - 84 A Stewart lbw b Lee - 25 O Shah not out - 28 B Hollioake not out - 37 Extras (lb10, w2, nb1) - 13 - Total (for four wickets) 268 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-137, 3-189, 4-198.
Did not bat: R Croft, D Cork, M Ealham, D Gough, A Mullally. Bowling: McGrath 10-1-45-1; Lee 10-1-55-2 (1nb, 1w); Harvey 10-0-59-0 (1w); Warne 9-0-48-0; Symonds 3-0-24-0; M Waugh 8-0-27-0.
Overs: 50 AUSTRALIA A Gilchrist c Shah b Gough - 4 M Waugh b Cork - 46 R Ponting run out - 102 D Martyn b Mullally - 46 A Symonds b Gough - 23 S Waugh not out - 23 I Harvey not out - 19 Extras (b1, lb4, w1) - 6 -
Total (for five wickets)
269 Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-101, 3-198, 4-211, 5-230. Did not bat: M Hayden, S Warne, B Lee, G McGrath. Bowling: Gough 10-2-44-2; Mullally 10-1-50-1; Ealham 8.3-0-57-0; Cork 10-0-39-1; Croft 7-0-46-0; Hollioake 4-0-28-0 (1w). Australia won by 5 wkts.
