By Glen Robertson
George Bailey's blistering 49 set the stage for a resounding 84-run victory by Australia in the third and final Twenty20 international.
The Australia skipper smashed 49 from 20 deliveries, including 26 runs off the final over from Jade Dernbach, as Australia recovered from a mid-innings wobble to post 195 for six.
England never threatened to get close to the target, with dismissals courtesy of catches on the leg-side boundary all too common - Eoin Morgan's brisk 34 the only highlight.
Australia's bowlers were all on form, with each of them taking a wicket, while the fielders were ruthless.
Earlier, T20I debutant Chris Jordan impressed with the ball, returning an economical 1-23, while Stuart Broad took 3-30 as Australia slipped from 130 for three to 139 for six.
Surprise starter Ben Cutting hit 29 from 16 deliveries, including three sixes, while Cameron White shone once again with 41 before their captain stole the show.
Match Scorecard / Live ball-by-ball commentary
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Post-Match Presentation
Player of the match George Bailey: “It’s been very very pleasing. We put in our best performance tonight. Credit to the guys. The key for us has been the starts from Cameron White and Finchy.
"It’s given us a great headache (for Bangladesh World T20) which is pleasing."
England skipper Stuart Broad, typically booed on his way to the podium, admitted he has enjoyed the banter with the Aussie crowd this winter.
He said: "It’s been good fun throughout the tour. From an English cricket point of view it’s been disappointing but we’ve been very fortunate to play in front of fantastic crowds and against fantastic Australian team.
"We’ve not been at the races these three months but you have to give huge credit to the way Australia have played cricket."
On the World T20 Broad added: "We’ve got a two-week break at home which will be good to get our minds away from cricket. Then we go to the Caribbean for one-dayers and T20 cricket leading into the World Cup in Bangladesh.
"We’ve got areas to perform. We’re a decent T20 side. We’ve not performed over the past week. When we get together as a group - we get together sporadically - it’ll be good to get together for a decent period so we can work on certain things.
"We need to learn from this week and push forward and we’ll still have a decent chance in Bangladesh."
England Innings
11.50am - WICKET! Dernbach run out 1; Eng 111; AUSTRALIA WIN BY 84 RUNS - England are put out of their misery when a mix-up between Jordan and Dernbach leaves the latter stranded in the middle. Christian picks up the ball at deep midwicket and throws to Wade, who has all the time in the world to remove the bails and secure a 3-0 series victory .
11.47am - A full toss from Muirhead was heaved towards midwicket by Dernbach, where it fell just in front of George Bailey. Jordan then goes over the covers for four. He goes aerially again into the off side for a single from the final ball to keep the strike.
11.45am - WICKET! Broad b Muirhead 2; Eng 104/9 - The captain is cleaned up by Muirhead, who is enjoying himself out there. Jade Dernbach joins Jordan in the middle.
11.43am - Chris Jordan, who is looking to go down swinging, gets off the mark with a pull to fine-leg for four as England pass 100 in the 16th over.
11.37am - WICKET! Bresnan st Wade b Muirhead 14; Eng 98/8 - Australia turn to leg-spinner Muirhead and Bresnan welcomes him by hammering a six straight down the ground. But next ball, when attempting a repeat shot, he is deceived by the spin and Matthew Wade whips off the bails.
11.32am - WICKET! Bopara b Coulter-Nile 4; Eng 92/7 - When it rains... Tim Bresnan sneaks one past long-on for four before picking up a single. Ravi Bopara then goes for a big one off Coulter-Nile but gets an inside edge that trickles past his off stump and just manages to flick the bail off. It took the crowd a while to realise what had happened, but that piece of misfortune leaves England with just their bowlers to come.
11.26am - WICKET! Morgan c Starc b Cutting 34; Eng 82/6 - A huge blow as Morgan departs to Cutting after picking out Starc at deep square-leg. The umpires go upstairs to check it carried, which it did, and England are six down and need 114 from 44 balls for an unlikely victory.
Another excellent attendance, 48,762 inside the former Olympic Stadium, Stadium Australia. #AusvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
11.22am - WICKET! Buttler c Maxwell b Christian 8; Eng 79/5 - Another England player departs after being caught in the deep. Buttler takes on Christian but his mistimed heave, to one of the longest boundaries, is snared by Maxwell at deep midwicket.
11.18am - Morgan goes over the top of the covers for a four, and forces a quick double from the final ball of the innings. He looks in the mood today and England's hopes are resting on him.
11.15am - Lovely flick over the wicketkeeper's head from Buttler brings him a first four. England need to start exploiting the short boundaries and Buttler appears keen to do so.
11.10am - WICKET! Root c Cutting b Maxwell 11; Eng 60/4 - After Morgan picks up another boundary, this time a four to deep backward-point helped by a Cutting misfield, Root departs attempting a slog into the leg side where Cutting atones for his earlier error by taking a simple catch at deep midwicket. Jos Buttler joins Morgan in the middle.
SIX! Christian drifts on to the legs of @Eoin16 and he sweeps into the crowd. Super shot. 50/3. #AusvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
11.03am - Morgan lifts the gloom with a big six, over extra cover, off Maxwell. England score 12 runs from the over and are 43 for three after seven. Daniel Christian gets his first bowl.
10.58am - A rare mistake in the field for Australia. Joe Root slaps a lovely drive towards the deep midwicket boundary. Muirhead tries to flick the ball away from the ropes, but can only push it for four. Root and Eoin Morgan need to hang around for a while.
10.54am - WICKET! Stokes c Cutting b Maxwell 5; Eng 23/3 - Another wicket falls. Stokes, having opened his account at the beginning of Glenn Maxwell's over with a four through the covers, goes for a big heave but a thick edge loops high into the air, and Cutting accepts his second catch of the innings. England are in a spot of bother.
10.46am - WICKET! Hales c Muirhead b Coulter-Nile 6; Eng 19/2 - Hales departs in similar circumstances. Nathan Coulter-Nile drops short, Hales hooks to the leg side but James Muirhead takes a running catch at deep square-leg.
10.44am - WICKET! Wright c Cutting b Starc 8; Eng 11/1 - A short one from Starc is hooked by Wright, but he can only pick out Ben Cutting at deep square-leg. Not the start England had in mind. Ben Stokes is out at three.
Lovely hook shot from @lukewright204 takes England to 9/0 from 2 overs. #AusvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
10.37am - Wright and Hales pick up five from the opening over from Mitchell Starc. It's important an England batsman goes big if they are going to end the tour with a victory.
10.30am - Luke Wright and Alex Hales head out to start England's response.
10.20am - While we have our break between innings, here's Kate Cross and Sarah Taylor celebrating with the Women's Ashes trophy.
Here it is!! And it's coming back to England with us tomorrow! #womensashes pic.twitter.com/Q2BbDCAwWx
— Kate Cross (@katecross16) February 2, 2014
Australia Innings
10.12am -AUSTRALIA 195/6; Wade 19, Bailey 49 - Bailey smashes 26 runs from the last over, almost taking him to a half-century. The Australia skipper clubs through wide long-on for four, then heaves Dernbach over long-off and long-on for successive maximums. Back-to-back fours through the covers follow, before a well-run two from the final delivery. England have a tough task ahead of them.
10.07am - That maximum is followed by six more runs from the penultimate over. Australia are 169 for six, with Dernbach to bowl at the death.
Wade is swinging from the hip and he despatches Bresnan over midwicket for six. Nailed that. 163/6. #AusvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
10.02am - DROPPED CATCH - Matthew Wade sends one miles up into the air and Ravi Bopara does well to make the ground from deep midwicket, but having managed to get in position he shells the catch. Wade punishes the missed opportunity with a four to fine leg.
146/6 with 3 overs remaining. Dernbach returns to the attack. #AusvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
9.57am - CHANCE - Bailey pushed for a risky two, but Stokes' throw from square-leg was not accurate enough and the Australia skipper was able to make his ground. Jordan finishes with 1-23 - an impressive showing on his international format debut.
9.54am - WICKET! Christian b Broad 0; Aus 139/6 - The skipper continues to lead the fightback, bowling Daniel Christian, who fails to score from his two deliveries. Broad ends with 3-30 and that over could help shift the momentum in England's favour.
9.52am - WICKET! Hodge c Dernbach b Broad 7; Aus 139/5 - A short one from Broad is hooked straight to fine leg where Dernbach accepts the chance.
9.49am - Hodge picks up his first boundary in fortuitous circumstances, edging an attempted cut close to his own stumps, but the bounce deceives Buttler and runs away to the fence.
Here's @bradhodge007 ! #AUSvENG
— CA Digital Media (@CricketAus) February 2, 2014
9.45am - WICKET! White c Buttler b Jordan 41; Aus 130/4 - George Bailey wastes little time in getting started, picking up a four and a six from Root, but Jordan strikes - his first T20I wicket - as White, chasing one down the leg side, gets the faintest of edges through to Jos Buttler.
9.40am - WICKET! Cutting c & b Root; Aus 118/3 - What a catch! Broad turns to spin and, with the commentators discussing how Cutting would be eyeing up the short, straight bounadaries against Root he can only nudge down the ground at knee height and the Yorkshireman takes a stunning one-handed take to his left. It's an important wicket, with Cutting in dangerous form.
9.35am - Stokes returns but is instantly sent straight over long-on by White for a six. Three balls later, Cutting hits the Durham all-rounder over long-off to bring up a fifty-partnership.
9.33am - Cutting goes down the ground to Jade Dernbach, and a diving Joe Root can't prevent a four. Cutting then flicks the next one away with his elbow, but can't get a run, before swinging and missing at the final ball. Dernbach has done well so far, with his first two overs going for 12 runs.
9.28am - Cutting shows off his talent, smashing Bresnan over the longest boundary on the pitch. It's been a very impressive start from the 27-year-old in his third T20I appearance and first in almost a year.. Bresnan's latest over costs 18 runs and the hosts look set for a good total.
Good over from Dernbach, and Australia reach 79/2 at the halfway point. #AusvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
9.21am - MISSED CHANCE - Michael Lumb, on as a substitute fielder for Eoin Morgan, fields well at backward point and has a shy at the stumps with Ben Cutting stranded miles out of his crease, but the throw misses. Cutting responds with a maximum over wide long-on.
9.18am - WICKET! Maxwell c Hales b Broad 14; Aus 65/2 - Maxwell welcomes Broad with another six, pulled high over deep square-leg, but the skipper strikes with his next delivery as Maxwell picks out Hales at long-on.
9.16am - Stokes starts his second over well but Glenn Maxwell picked off a full delivery, smashing it over wide long-off for another maximum. The Australians are taking advantage of the short boundaries. Stokes responds with a snorter, that narrowly misses leg stump.
Good pace from @benstokes38 as he get's into the 142kph range #AusvEng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
9.10am - WICKET! Finch c Broad b Bresnan 30; Aus 48/1 - Two runs after Alex Hales dropped him on the long-on boundary, conceding a six in the process, Finch chips one to Broad at midwicket from a short ball by Bresnan.
9.06am - Ben Stokes is welcomed to the T20 leg of the tour with two huge sixes from Finch, the first over fine-leg and the second down the ground. It had been a good start for England until then. Australia are 41 without loss after the powerplay.
9am - DROPPED CATCH - Tim Bresnan almost forces an early wicket, but Chris Jordan is unable to take the chance at midwicket to get rid of Aaron Finch. A good first over from the Yorkshire seamer, though.
Jordan digs one in short to Finch, but he's equal to it and pulls it through mid-wicket. Boundaries starting to flow now - 21/0 in the 4th.
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
8.55am - White sends Broad down the ground for the game's first boundary, then immediately follows it up with a second, pulling the England skipper through midwicket. It wasn't a bad over from Broad - he almost found an outside edge from the final delivery - but White produced two lovely strokes.
8.50am - White tries to hit Jordan to one of those short boundaries, but almost plays on to his stumps. It's a good start for Jordan, with the over costing four runs.
The straight boundaries are very short here at Stadium Australia...68m and 50m! #nospinner
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
8.45am - Stuart Broad keeps things nice and tight in the opening over, with just three singles conceded. Chris Jordan opens at the other end on his T20I debut.
Pre-Play News
8.38am - Aaron Finch and Cameron White make their way to the middle, while Stuart Broad leads out the England players.
Pretty decent view! Come on lads! pic.twitter.com/elv1Fz5Yqy
— Sarah Taylor (@Sarah_Taylor30) February 2, 2014
8.34am - We're minutes away from the start. Early wickets are likely to be key for England, to prevent Australia building the same momentum they did in the opening T20I, when openers Aaron Finch and Cameron White put on a century-partnership.
8.20am - The series might have been lost, but with a World T20 rapidly approaching, skipper Broad is targeting victory in Sydney .
Eng: Hales, Wright, Stokes, Root, Morgan, Buttler, Bopara, Bresnan, Jordan, Broad, Dernbach. It's a debut for Jordan. #ausveng
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
Australia: Finch, White, Maxwell, Bailey, Hodge, Wade, Christian, Cutting, Starc, Coulter-Nile, Muirhead. #AUSvENG
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) February 2, 2014
8.12am - AUSTRALIA WIN THE TOSS AND WILL BAT - Stuart Broad calls incorrectly and his side will bowl first.
Chris Jordan makes his T20I debut, while Ben Stokes is also invovled. James Tredwell and Michael Lumb make way. Luke Wright will open the batting with Alex Hales.
George Bailey confirms two changes for Australia, with Josh Hazlewood and Chris Lynn replaced by Daniel Christian and Ben Cutting.
Fielding drills going on ahead of the men's T20. 50,000 expected at the Olympic Stadium tonight pic.twitter.com/eVo41cB7Qf
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 2, 2014
8am - Good morning and welcome to ecb.co.uk's live coverage of the final game of England's tour of Australia. It's the third Twenty20 in Sydney, with the impressive Stadium Australia our venue.