Australia Clinch Series With Emphatic Victory

Australia Clinch Series With Emphatic Victory

Australia ran out comfortable winners in the fifth ODI, clinching the series in the process

©REUTERS/Brandon Malone (AUSTRALIA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Australia 249 (Clarke 54, Woakes 6-45) beat
England 198 (Watson 3-25) by 51 runs
Fifth One-Day International, Brisbane
Scorecard

Australia clinched their One-Day International series against England with two games to spare by moving into an unassailable 4-1 lead with a 51-run win in the fifth match in Brisbane.

After they were dismissed for 249 they hit back to bowl England out for 198 with Shane Watson taking three wickets as England's batting faltered once again.

Australia's batting delivered with Michael Clarke leading the way by scoring 54 and he was backed up by Brad Haddin (37), David Hussey (34) and Steven Smith (24 not out).

Fast bowler Chris Woakes kept England in the game, however, by returning figures of six for 45 - dismissing Watson (16), Clarke, Cameron White (16), Hussey, John Hastings (13) and Brett Lee (0).

There was a wicket apiece for James Anderson, Steven Finn and Ajmal Shahzad although England's batsmen failed to buid on the efforts of their young bowling attack.

For all their experience, they were undone by Australia's performance, led in the first instance by Brett Lee, who removed Matthew Prior (14) and Jonathan Trott (0) early while fellow quick bowlers Doug Bollinger and Hastings also took two wickets as England slumped to 103 for six.

Despite 40 from Kevin Pietersen and 36 from Ian Bell, they were always struggling and Watson all but finished off the match when his spell removed Paul Collingwood (18), Woakes (8) and finally Finn, who hammered 35 in 24 balls.

Anderson was left unbeaten on 20 after he and Finn were left to bat in the Power Play.

© Cricket World 2011