England's tour of Australia ends on losing note

Australia 279-7 England 222 (Australia win by 57 runs)

(GETTY IMAGES)

England ended a forgettable one-day international series against Australia with a 57-run defeat in Perth.

England's batsmen were again culpable in defeat after they lost their first five wickets in the opening 15 overs before being bowled out for 222 - the fifth time in the series they have failed to complete their full quota of overs.

Half-centuries from the recalled Adam Voges and David Hussey helped Australia post 279 for seven, and an injury-hit England never threatened to chase down that total after they lost openers Andrew Strauss and Steven Davies without scoring.

A triple strike from Mitchell Johnson (three for 18) then sucked the life out of the dead rubber match, and while Michael Yardy battled to an unbeaten 60 late on, England succumbed to a 6-1 series defeat to end a tour that will be remembered for their historic Ashes success rather than the limited overs humbling.

With the series long decided and both sides depleted by injury - Eoin Morgan becoming the sixth England player to fly home earlier today due to a fractured finger - the match had taken on an end-of-season feel.

After an unbeaten 80 from Voges - who was only called up on his home ground after Australia opted to rest Shane Watson and Michael Clarke - and Hussey's run-a-ball 60 helped inspire a challenging total, any intensity in the contest was drawn out by England's early loss of wickets.

Strauss was bowled from the second ball of the innings when he was beaten for pace by Shaun Tait (three for 48) before Davies, who was preferred over World Cup selection Matt Prior with the gloves and at the top of the order, top-edged a pull off Doug Bollinger that Brad Haddin needed only to wait under to hold.

Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen started a repair job in a 43-run stand but their work was undone when Johnson claimed three quick wickets.

Trott (14) edged a rising delivery to Hussey at first slip before Pietersen (26) flapped a wide ball to debutant Jason Krejza at backward point.

Johnson struck for the third time when Ian Bell loosely sliced to third man where Tait held the chance to leave England 64 for five in the 15th over.

Despite the early loss of wickets, England stayed in touch with the required rate as Prior and Michael Yardy combined in a stand of 55.

Krejza claimed his first one-day wicket when Prior (39) was well caught by Hussey at cover before Luke Wright added 24, from 19 balls, until he sliced the spinner to Bollinger at backward point.

With Yardy battling away, England retained a faint hope of pulling off an unlikely win, but in the end his second one-day half-century only helped to reduce the margin of defeat, as Tait returned to fire out tailenders Liam Plunkett (20) and Steven Finn (nought).

James Anderson was last man out when he skied a catch off John Hastings that Haddin held after running to short cover.

Earlier, half-centuries from Voges and Hussey, as well as 19 wides, helped Australia recover from a slow start to reach 279 for seven.

The hosts had begun at a plodding pace after Plunkett (two for 49) and Anderson (three for 48) had claimed the early wickets of Tim Paine (five) and Callum Ferguson (15) respectively.

England's position could have been even stronger had Yardy not dropped Haddin before he had scored, but the off-spinner eventually made amends when he dismissed the left-hander, who scuffed his way to 27 from 58 balls, following a clever catch by Finn at long-on.

Finn was falling back over the rope after making the catch but threw the ball in the air to re-gather once he returned to the playing area.

Yardy struck again when acting captain Cameron White, who also scratched around in making 24 from 47 balls, offered a return catch to leave the hosts 102 for four at the halfway stage.

The scoring rate was increased dramatically, however, when Voges joined his fellow Western Australian Hussey at the crease.

Their local knowledge clearly aided Australia's rate as they combined in a 95-run stand from 85 balls.

Hussey was given a life on four when Wright dropped a difficult return chance and he made the most of it to reach his half-century from 44 balls, while Voges took one ball longer to reach the mark.

Plunkett returned to dismiss Hussey, who got a leading edge that Bell held diving in from gully, but the stand set the stage for Australia to hit out in the last 10 overs.

While Anderson grabbed two wickets in the batting powerplay, removing the dangerous Johnson (26) to a superb diving catch by Prior at deep midwicket and Hastings (six), Australia still took 48 from the five overs thanks to Voges' guiding hand as he remained unbeaten until the end.

Scorecard

Australia Innings

T D Paine lbw b Plunkett 5

B J Haddin c Finn b Yardy 27

C J Ferguson c Strauss b Anderson 15

C L White c & b Yardy 24

D J Hussey c Bell b Plunkett 60

A C Voges not out 80

M G Johnson c Prior b Anderson 26

J W Hastings c L J Wright b Anderson 6

J J Krejza not out 6

Extras lb11 w19 pens 0 30

Total 7 wkts Innings Complete (50 overs) 279

Fall: 1-16 2-35 3-72 4-103 5-198 6-243 7-263

Did Not Bat: S W Tait, D E Bollinger.

Bowling: Anderson 10 1 48 3

Plunkett 10 0 49 2

Finn 10 1 57 0

L J Wright 9 0 47 0

Yardy 10 0 59 2

Trott 1 0 8 0

England Innings

A J Strauss b Tait 0

S M Davies c Haddin b Bollinger 0

I J L Trott c Hussey b Johnson 14

K P Pietersen c Krejza b Johnson 26

I R Bell c Tait b Johnson 8

M J Prior c Hussey b Krejza 39

M H Yardy not out 60

L J Wright c Bollinger b Krejza 24

L E Plunkett c Haddin b Tait 20

S T Finn b Tait 0

J M Anderson c Haddin b Hastings 4

Extras lb3 w19 nb5 pens 0 27

Total (44 overs) 222

Fall: 1-0 2-5 3-48 4-56 5-64 6-119 7-152 8-200 9-200

Bowling: Tait 8 1 48 3

Bollinger 7 0 46 1

Johnson 7 0 18 3

Hastings 9 0 39 1

Krejza 9 0 53 2

Hussey 4 0 16 0