England lose but emerge from twilight

England 251-8 Australia 252-3 Australia win by seven wkts

Before a ball had even been bowled, Australia were presented with a trophy yesterday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This, however, was not the ultimate act of arrogance from the No 1 Test side in the world. It was not the VB Series trophy. This shield was to confirm their status as the best one-day outfit on the planet.

The England captain, Nasser Hussain, did not have to look through his dressing room window to be told this. A few hours later he found out at first hand when his side were comfortably beaten by the green and gold of Australia. Their seven-wicket victory, with five overs to spare was emphatic, but England will take some consolation from their night under the lights because this was their most impressive performance so far in Australia. And to be suggesting so after being thumped again gives some indication of how poorly England have been playing.

Before this one-day series started Hussain had suggested that – in golfing terms – his side had been shaking hands at the 12th or 13th hole during the Test matches. Yesterday's defeat, which leaves England without a victory in any of their 12 games on this troubled tour Down Under was probably the equivalent of reaching the 15th.

For such progress all those following the touring side around Australia should be grateful. It may be a big call, but the thousands of England supporters who will turn up at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow – when Hussain's team take on the same opposition – can possibly do so with a little more optimism.

"We played some better cricket today," Hussain said. "It was pleasing to see the boys go out there and put on a show in front of a big crowd. I think we had our big game heads on. The crowd and the occasion lifted us a little bit, but it was not enough."

At a ground where there is a significant advantage in batting first, England's score of 251 – thanks mainly to a workmanlike century from Nick Knight – should have been enough. It was not and in reaching this total Australia had the satisfaction of pulling off the third-highest run-chase ever at the SCG.

That they reached their target so easily was due to an explosive opening partnership of 101 in 14 overs between Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. The first over of Australia's reply was a maiden, but after that sighter the pair flayed England's four seamers around the ground.

The two left-handers were helped by bowling that gave them too much width. The cut and the square-drive were played far too often for Hussain's liking. There was also some awesome striking, however. A straight six by Hayden off Andrew Caddick was the most punishing. It was hit with such velocity that it went at least 10 rows into the crowd over long-on.

Even losing Gilchrist, for a typically quick-fire 53, failed to quieten down Hayden. The Queensland opener has only become a fixture in the one-day side in the last 12 months when he replaced Mark Waugh at the top of the innings after Australia's failure to qualify for the finals of this tournament last year.

The 31-year-old, who is rated the No 1 Test batsman in the world, proved he is just as capable in the shortened form of the game. His half-century came off 38 balls and when he was finally caught by Marcus Trescothick, two runs short of his hundred, he had faced only 92 deliveries.

England continued to fight hard to get back into the match. They threw themselves around in the field, but by then the damage had been done. Hayden's departure left Damien Martyn and Darren Lehmann with the simple task of finishing the match off.

Talking of Hayden the England captain said: "We have got to try and work him out. He is in great nick and he has that arrogance, caused by having nothing to lose because of the runs he has scored. We are going to have to go back to the drawing board and have another look at him."

That this game was a contest was due to an equally impressive opening partnership from Trescothick and Knight. These two left-handers entered the match with no form behind them and that was how they looked in the early exchanges where they scratched around.

Each could have fallen to the first ball they faced. Trescothick edged the first ball of the match from Glenn McGrath between second and third slip and Knight missed one from the same bowler that shaved his off stump.

However, with a fair bit of fortune and positive intent they played themselves back into form with some splendid hitting. Trescothick was the first to pass 50 – in 46 balls – and his most memorable shot was a straight six off the medium-pacer, Shane Watson. It flew into the England contingent on the hill and they appeared happy at last to have to be watchful when an English batsman was at the crease.

When Trescothick's luck ran out, Knight, on this occasion, played sensibly. Rather than throw his wicket away, as he had during England's three warm-up games, the Warwickshire opener batted in a responsible manner and made sure his side posted a competitive total.

Helping the 33-year-old through this period and severe cramp which hampered his and the side's final onslaught, was Hussain. They put on 102 in 23 overs, but both struggled to get the ball away against the slow bowling of Shane Warne and Lehmann. Without this inconvenience England would have posted 270-plus.

Knight's hundred – which came up in 127 balls – was the fifth of his one-day international career and by hobbling off the field not out he became the first English batsman to carry his bat twice through the first innings of such cricket. On this occasion it was not enough. Against any other team it might have been.

* Ashley Giles has been ruled out of the final two Ashes Tests by the broken bone in his left wrist. The Warwickshire left-arm spinner returned home after he was struck by a ball from Steve Harmison in the nets before the second Test in Adelaide.