England suffer third one-day defeat

Australia 215-6 England 214 (Australia beat England by 4 wickets)

(GETTY IMAGES)

A poor batting display cost England as they lost the third one-day international against Australia in Sydney by four wickets, to trail the seven-match series 3-0.

Only a defiant unbeaten 84 from Jonathan Trott, who batted through the innings after coming in during the first over, helped England reach 214 all out from 48 overs.

It proved too few for a depleted attack to defend, despite reducing Australia to 100 for five at one stage, as half-centuries from Brad Haddin and David Hussey were enough to ensure the hosts chased down the target with four overs to spare and move to the brink of winning the series.

The defeat was soured further for England as their injury worries deepened with all-rounder Tim Bresnan ruled out for the remainder of the series with a calf injury he picked up in Hobart on Friday, while Kevin Pietersen also failed to take his place with a groin problem.

In their absences Paul Collingwood was recalled, after being dropped for the previous two matches, while Chris Woakes was handed his one-day debut in an attack without front-liners James Anderson (rested), Stuart Broad (stomach) and Graeme Swann (knee).

While England will welcome the return of Anderson in Wednesday's game in Adelaide, a second-string attack was not to blame for the defeat after soft dismissals again undermined their batting with Trott, who at one stage hit 40 consecutive singles, the only batsman to grit his teeth as they failed to see out their full quota for the third successive game.

That left England's attack needing to bowl out Australia and they made immediate inroads when Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh, the centurions from the first two matches, fell inside the first five overs.

A Chris Tremlett off-cutter ducked inside a full-blooded Watson (nine) drive to crash into his stumps before Ajmal Shahzad trapped Marsh (six) lbw playing across the line.

Brad Haddin threatened to take the game away from England early, however, as he threw caution to the wind, slapping Tremlett for back-to-back boundaries before impressively cutting the tall quick for six.

Woakes took a wicket in his first over when Michael Clarke clipped to mid-wicket where Michael Yardy held on, but Haddin continued to play freely to bring up his half-century, from 49 balls, with his eighth boundary.

Collingwood then struck twice in his first two overs trapping Cameron White (seven) lbw before Haddin's dangerous innings was stopped on 54, when he lofted straight to Shahzad at long-on, to leave Australia in trouble at 100 for five.

England's inexperienced attack where unable to land the killer blow, however, as a 63-run stand between David Hussey and Steve Smith swung the momentum back towards the hosts.

Tremlett ended their stand when Smith (26) top-edged a pull straight up in the air, which Yardy held onto, but Hussey guided the hosts home with an unbeaten 68, from 89 balls, alongside fellow Victorian John Hastings (18 not out).

Earlier, Trott was the steady force a poor England batting display after he came to the crease in the first over, when Matt Prior was trapped lbw by Brett Lee (three for 27) for his second consecutive duck since his surprise World Cup call-up last week.

A calamitous mix-up between Strauss and Trott then accounted for the skipper on 23, with both batsmen ending up at the same end after a mis-field caused their indecision.

It prompted a run of preventable dismissals with Ian Bell (10) jabbing a return catch that Watson held onto athletically in his follow through before a blossoming 57-run stand between Trott and Eoin Morgan was ended with in frustrating style.

Morgan had sensibly progressed to 30, from 41 balls, before he recklessly pulled a Hussey long-hop straight to Clarke at mid-wicket.

The recalled Collingwood's horror tour with the bat continued in the next over from Xavier Doherty, as he was bowled by the merest of turn after offering a defensive blade, before Yardy (seven) offered the spinner a simple return catch to leave England 130 for six.

Trott was in a defiant mood, however, and brought up his half-century from 62 balls aand he added just 10 runs between overs 25 to 35 as he set about remaining until the end.

He was reprieved by the Decision Review System on 60 after he had been adjudged lbw attempting to sweep Doherty, and with Wright offering stable support the pair added 49 for the seventh wicket.

Wright battled hard to 32 before he chased a wide Hastings delivery and feathered a catch behind, before Lee mopped up Woakes (12) and Shahzad (four).

England's innings was then ended by some more poor batsmanship when last man Tremlett was run out after failing to ground his bat and leave Trott stranded.

Australia v England

England won the toss

England innings

Andrew Strauss run out 23

Matt Prior lbw b Lee 0

Jonathon Trott not out 84

Ian Bell c&b Watson 10

Eoin Morgan c Clarke b Hussey 30

Paul Collingwood b Doherty 1

Michael Yardy c&b Doherty 7

Luke Wright c Haddin b Hastings 32

Chris Woakes c Haddin b Lee 12

Ajmal Shahzad c White b Lee 4

Chris Tremlett run out 1

Extras: (3lb, 6w, 1nb) 10

Total: (all out) 214

Overs: 48; Batting time: 211 minutes.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-38, 3-61, 4-118, 5-119, 6-130, 7-179, 8-199, 9-208, 10-214.

Bowling: Brett Lee 8-0-27-3 (1w, 1nb), Doug Bollinger 8-0-36-0, John Hastings 10-0-51-1 (3w), Shane Watson 6-0-17-1, Steve Smith 3-0-19-0, Xavier Doherty 10-0-37-2 (1w), David Hussey 3-0-24-1 (1w).

Australia Innings

Shane Watson b Tremlett 9

Brad Haddin c Woakes b Collingwood 54

Shaun Marsh lbw Shahzad 6

Michael Clarke c Yardy b Woakes 9

Cameron White lbw b Collingwood 7

David Hussey not out 68

Steve Smith c Yardy b Tremlett 26

John Hastings not out 18

Extras: (7lb, 11w) 18

Total (for six wickets) 215

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-27, 3-59, 4-92, 5-100, 6-163.

Did not bat: Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, Doug Bollinger.

Overs: 46: Batting time: 193 minutes.

Bowling: Ajmal Shahzad 10-0-45-1 (6w), Chris Tremlett 9-0-50-2 (4w), Chris Woakes 7-0-31-1, Luke Wright 2-0-12-0, Michael Yardy 10-0-45-0, Paul Collingwood 8-0-25-2 (1w).

Umpires: Gary Baxter, New Zealand, and Paul Reiffel, Australia.

TV Umpire: Tony Hill, New Zealand. Match Referee: Javagal Srinath, India.

Result: Australia won by four wickets; leads best-of-seven series 3-0.