Australia overcame early England resistance to deservedly win the Tri-Series final, earning victory by 112 runs at the WACA Ground.
Having won the toss in unusually overcast conditions in Perth, the tourists took advantage to reduce Australia to 60 for four in the 18th over.
With sunshine replacing cloud, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh responded via a game-changing stand worth 141. Maxwell caressed an international-best 95 from 98 deliveries and Marsh overcame a slow start to register 60.
England rallied, ousting both half-centurions and Brad Haddin in quick succession to leave the hosts 224 for seven in 45 overs. Yet James Faulknerhit four sixes in a 34-ball fifty, which he completed from the last delivery of Australia’s 278 for eight.
Forced to score at a swift rate, England’s chase never really got going.
Mitchell Johnson, playing his only match of the series, made sure of that. He first snared James Taylor with what was almost a front-foot no-ball, but in his next over ousted Moeen Ali and Eoin Morgan in successive deliveries en route to 3-27 from seven overs.
With Joe Root gone to Faulkner’s first ball, soon after which the seamer left the field with a side problem, it was Maxwell’s turn to take two in two.
Although Stuart Broad’s cameo offered entertainment, the game was up with 10.5 overs unused.
Maxwell’s 4-46 in addition his vital innings made him man of the match.
Victory for Australia means they have they have won all five of their Tri-Series fixtures, perfect preparation for the World Cup which starts for them with a Valentine’s Day date versus England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Despite today’s disappointment, England can take heart from reaching the final thanks to two wins over World Cup holders India.
James Anderson earlier offered an ideal start, having Aaron Finch held at first slip for nought with a beautiful away-swinger in the opening over.
Anderson struck again in the mandatory powerplay when David Warner spooned a full ball to backward point.
Steven Smith, in the form of his life, countered with smooth scoring but Broad discomforted George Bailey with a short ball, which the skipper looped to short-leg.
It was 60 for four when the advancing Smith was stumped in Moeen’s first over, only just as Jos Buttler initially fumbled and Smith was slow to return to his ground.
Maxwell responded with a fluent fifty. Usually a big hitter, today he swept and reverse-swept to good effect.
Marsh found scoring difficult early in his innings but grew in fluency, greeting the batting powerplay with a leg-side six off Woakes. That lit the touch-paper in five overs costing 46.
Maxwell tried to reach three figures with a maximum only to top-edge Broad to Buttler, who then had a hand in Marsh’s run-out thanks to a direct-hit after Anderson’s relay.
Haddin’s miscue of Broad to midwicket halted Australia’s momentum, but Faulkner launched into some lusty hitting. His fourth six heralded his half-century.
Anderson was England’s outstanding bowler with 2-38 while Woakes was particularly expensive, his 10 overs costing 89.
In the reply Haddin’s excellent right-handed catch gave Josh Hazlewood the early wicket of Ian Bell before an even more impressive take, by Maxwell at gully, saw Taylor became Johnson’s first victim.
Moeen, who had again bowled well, was undone by a short Johnson ball for 26 immediately before Morgan paid for shouldering arms to the paceman.
Another left-armer, Faulkner, trapped Root in front for 25, but not long after the bowler left the field midway through an over.
Maxwell then secured the match award by having Buttler held on the reverse-sweep and accepting a return catch from Woakes.
Broad smote Maxwell for a midwicket maximum and cheekily flicked Johnson over slip for another six, yet fell to Maxwell on the slog-sweep for 24 in 20 balls.
Ravi Bopara and Steven Finn took few risks leading up to and for much of the batting powerplay, until Bopara perished for 33 attempting to attack Maxwell and Finn was yorked by Hazlewood, who returned 2-13 in 6.1 overs.
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Post-match reaction
England skipper Eoin Morgan blamed his side’s batting for defeat, saying: "We could have kept them to a bit less, 270 was certainly within our grasp but we didn't help ourselves with some of the decisions we made and the shots we played.
"Our batting let us down today.”
England play a couple of warm-up games against Pakistan and West Indies in Sydney before the World Cup opener against Australia and Morgan said his players will pick themselves up, adding: "We keep grafting and learning as we go along. For the three, four weeks that we've been here we have made huge strides from where we were before that and huge credit goes to some guys' individual performances that they have put in have lead us to this final.
"To earn a place in the final we've played some good cricket. Although today will be hard to take, the test will be how we come back from it."
The England team at the post-match presentation #AusvEng#triseriespic.twitter.com/rIIrc8rvN9
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 1, 2015
Australia captain George Bailey was enthused by Mitchell Johnson’s return to action as he took three wickets, saying:“Absolutely. (It’s) always lovely to have him in the team and backing up some wonderful fast bowling throughout the series from Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood so we have a nice little quartet there at the moment.
Bailey also praised man-of-the-match Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh for their match-changing partnership, adding: “That’s really promising to see Maxi and Mitch Marsh rein in their natural games to get the partnership going and get themselves back into a position where they could launch again.”
Maxwell hit 95 before taking four wickets and said:“It was nice to do that role. I’ve screwed it up a few times before so it was nice to get through that and have a platform to launch. James Faulkner just showed the class that he is and he finished it off for us.”
England innings
10.25am – AUSTRALIA WIN TRI-SERIES FINAL BY 112 RUNS!! WICKET! Finn b Hazlewood 6; Eng 166 all out, Anderson 5 – Hazlewood wraps the game up by crashing a yorker into Finn’s middle stump. Australia are victorious with 10.5 overs to spare. Reaction to follow…
10.21am – WICKET! Bopara c Bailey b Maxwell 33; Eng 160/9 – Bopara attempts to attack and succeeds only in giving a catch to extra-cover. Anderson announces himself by reverse-sweeping Maxwell for four.
10.20am – The fielding restrictions are making little difference to the scoring rate. Bopara and Finn are taking no risks. Odd.
10.06am – With the game all-but up, Bopara and Finn appear to be making the most of time in the middle. They are scoring steadily at best. That could change given the powerplay is being forced.
9.55am – CHANCE! – Bopara miscues Marsh to mid-on where Johnson, perhaps daydreaming, spills a simple opportunity. Bopara survives on 19.
9.49am – After a Johnson maiden to Steven Finn, confirmation comes from Australia’s dressing room that Faulkner’s problem is with his side, in the rib area in particular.
James Faulkner left the field with side (ribs) soreness. Medical staff will assess him and a further update will be provided in due course.
— Cricket Australia (@CAComms) February 1, 2015
9.42am – WICKET! Broad c sub (Cummins) b Maxwell 24; Eng 130/8 – The ball after surviving a stumping appeal, Broad falls on the slog-sweep. His entertaining innings occupied just 20 deliveries.
9.33am – Broad shows some fight by launching Maxwell for a midwicket maximum. He slices the next ball into the covers but it again falls safely. Broad then drives Johnson down the ground for four and flicks a short ball over slip for six.
9.21am – WICKET! Woakes c & b Maxwell 0; Eng 98/7 – Chris Woakes tamely chips his first ball back to the spinner. Stuart Broad lets a wide-ish hat-trick delivery go by. Broad lives dangerously later in the over when he miscues to a vacant mid-off where the ball drops to safety.
9.18am – WICKET! Buttler c sub (Cummins) b Maxwell 17; Eng 98/6 – Buttler reverse-sweeps the spinner low to Pat Cummins, on for Faulkner, at short third man. The umpires check that the ball carried. It did, so Buttler is on his way.
9.14am – Buttler takes the returning Starc for two off-side fours before Bopara charges at Faulkner and smashes him down the ground for four. Two balls later Faulkner has to leave the field midway through his over, hinting a side problem. That could be a cruel twist with the World Cup less than two weeks away.
8.57am – WICKET! Root lbw b Faulkner 25; 71/5 – James Faulkner strikes with his first ball, a full one from the left-armer from over the wicket that pitched in line with leg stump. Jos Buttler straight-drives his opening delivery for four.
8.50am – CHANCE! – Bopara plays Maxwell’s spin to leg and sets off for a risky single. David Warner swoops but misfields, otherwise a retreating Bopara would almost certainly be out.
8.38am – Root and Bopara dig in, leaving England 54 for four from 14 overs. In the next, Root drives Maxwell past backward point for four.
8.23am – WICKET! Morgan b Johnson 0; Eng 46/4 – Eoin Morgan pays for shouldering arms as the ball clatters into off stump. Ravi Bopara lets the hat-trick ball go by outside off stump in a double-wicket-maiden that has turned the game in Australia’s favour.
8.21am – WICKET! Moeen c Finch b Johnson 26; Eng 46/3 – Joe Root announces himself by pulling Hazlewood for four, but Moeen then gloves a fearsome Johnson delivery to slip. England are in a spot of bother.
Your call? LIVE: http://t.co/5IMKIUgFyP#AUSvENGpic.twitter.com/YCQqfxbuFV
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 1, 2015
8.10am – WICKET! Taylor c Maxwell b Johnson 4; Eng 35/2 – Taylor edges a drive to gully where Glenn Maxwell dives to his left to hold a sensational catch. Replays show it was touch-and-go as to whether it was a front-foot no-ball, but Taylor has to go. Moeen caresses Johnson through the covers for his fifth four.
He's back bowling at England... Johnson has the ball and the Perth crowd are jubilant. #AUSvENGpic.twitter.com/QwhRsysP4j
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) February 1, 2015
8.04am – Mitchell Johnson, playing his first game of the Tri-Series, is on. Moeen marks Johnson’s opening over with the sweetest of cover-driven fours.
7.56am – Moeen, who is in excellent touch, whips Starc for two leg-side fours to keep England’s momentum up. Hazlewood follows up with his second maiden, to Taylor.
7.49am – WICKET! Bell c Haddin b Hazlewood 8; Eng 18/1 – The right-hander nicks a leg-cutter behind and wicketkeeper Haddin, who was moving to his left, does well to hold on low to his right. Hazlewood completes a wicket-maiden to James Taylor.
7.44am – Moeen flicks Starc behind square-leg for four and then keeps out a yorker that was right on the money.
7.38am – We are back under way with Mitchell Starc bowling. Ian Bell digs out a full ball to guide four through the covers and then cover-drives another boundary. Moeen Ali plays a similar shot to the latter for three against Josh Hazlewood in the next over.
Australia innings
6.56am – END OF INNINGS & FIFTY! Faulkner (24b 4x4 4x6) – Aus 278/8; Faulkner 50, Starc 0 – Finn’s last over is strong until the final ball, which Faulkner launches over midwicket to emphatically register a half-century. England need 279 to win the Tri-Series and go to the World Cup on a high.
6.52am – WICKET! Johnson c Morgan b Finn 3; Aus 269/8 – Johnson, looking far from fluent in his first game of the Tri-Series, skies Finn to Morgan, who keeps his composure to hold a steepling catch at cover.
6.50am – A huge over for Australia, which yields 22. Faulkner smites Woakes for three leg-side sixes amid an edged four. Woakes has sorry figures of 10-0-89-0.
6.44am – Anderson concedes two leg-side fours to Faulkner but responds with a tight rest of the 48th over.
6.39am – Following an outstanding Anderson over, mainly to Mitchell Johnson, costing just one run, James Faulkner steers Broad through the covers for four. Australia are 232 for seven with three overs to go.
6.29am – WICKET! Haddin c Taylor b Broad 9; Aus 224/7 – Haddin, having hit Finn for a straight four, miscues a pull against a Broad slower ball to midwicket where Taylor, who had just been moved from square-leg, holds a simple catch. England have fought back excellently here.
6.20am – WICKET! Marsh run out 60; Aus 217/6 – In the over after taking Broad for two successive fours, Marsh is gone. Brad Haddin steered Finn to third man and came back for a second run. Anderson relayed to Buttler, who threw down the non-striker’s stumps!
6.14am – FIFTY! Marsh (64b 5x4 1x6) – Marsh raises an important half-century in front of his home crowd.
Maxwell (95) hangs his head after miscuing Broad with his maiden ODI ton in sight. Aus 201-5 http://t.co/GZwm87jP0xpic.twitter.com/8uZH5k62mI
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 1, 2015
6.10am – WICKET! Maxwell c Buttler b Broad 95; Aus 201/5 – Marsh cracks Broad for two fours, advancing to 47, before Maxwell, attempting to reach three figures with a six, top-edges a pull to gloveman Buttler. That’s Maxwell’s highest international score. It came from just 98 balls and contained 15 fours. The stand was worth 141.
6am – Maxwell strikes Woakes and Anderson for off-side fours either side of only just surviving a yorker from the latter that missed leg stump by a coat of varnish. In the last over of the powerplay, which costs 46, Maxwell gets four more fours off Woakes, the third via a brave reverse-hit. Maxwell now has 95.
5.52am – CHANCE & HUNDRED PARTNERSHIP!– Maxwell greets the returning Anderson with four to fine-leg and then looks to go after the seamer. Maxwell is lucky to survive when he drives on the up to extra-cover where Ravi Bopara can’t quite take what would have been a stunning low catch. A single next ball brings up a century alliance.
5.40am – Marsh whips Finn to leg for four just before the batting powerplay is forced at 146 for four. In the opening over of restrictions Marsh lifts Woakes for a huge six over backward square-leg, the first maximum of the innings.
Just 14,234km to go for @KBrunt26@GunnJenny@natsciver& @Heatherknight55 On route to NZ #EngWomenpic.twitter.com/9sjB5xO3co
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 1, 2015
5.33am – Moeen is again doing an excellent job, so far with figures of 8-0-28-1. Marsh, who is finding scoring hard, pulls Finn for four but the paceman soon replies with some testing deliveries to Maxwell.
5.20am – FIFTY! Maxwell (64b 7x4 0x6) – The powerful right-hander, who is set to play for Yorkshire this summer it was announced this week, raises a half-century with the cutest of reverse-sweeps off Moeen. Finn then cuts Maxwell in half with an in-ducker, but a caught-behind appeal is turned town. The ball hit trouser, not bat.
5.15am – England regain control with tight overs from Woakes, who was a tad expensive earlier, and Moeen. However, Maxwell and Marsh’s fifty partnership is up.
5.03am – Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh continue to rebuild with a flurry of fours, each shot narrowly beating a fielder to the boundary rope. The third, off Broad, of three takes Australia to 100 in the 25th over.
The view from our position at the WACA. England going well here. #Aus 89-4 off 23 overs. #AusvEng#triseriespic.twitter.com/j0vu3ymL4j
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 1, 2015
4.51am – Maxwell again gets two fours in an over, this time off Finn, the first a straight drive and the second a tickle to fine-leg.
Australia are now 60-4 as Buttler stumps Smith (40) at the second attempt. http://t.co/GZwm87jP0xpic.twitter.com/vpEQNgcIER
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 1, 2015
4.38am – WICKET! Smith st Buttler 40; Aus 60/4 – Spinner Moeen Ali strikes in his first over with the vital scalp of Smith, who advances only to see the ball pass his outside edge. Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler fumbled it but Smith, assuming he was comfortably out, was slow to react and Buttler gathered to break the stumps. An umpire review shows it was just out. Maxwell responds with a four either side of the wicket off Finn.
4.28am – England stem Smith’s free scoring and keep Glenn Maxwell under wraps as Broad follows Finn’s over costing one with a maiden, the third of the innings. Australia are 55 for three from 16.
4.22am – Australia move to 50 in the 14th over, which Smith ends with a brilliant flicked four through midwicket off Broad. Steven Finn has taken over from Anderson, whose excellent figures read 6-2-11-2.
4.11am – WICKET! Bailey c Taylor b Broad 2; Aus 46/3 – Bailey finally gets off the mark from his 16th ball with a cut for two but the next delivery is just short of a length from Broad and Australia’s skipper can only loop it to short-leg, a bold fielding position from Eoin Morgan.
4.02am – Stuart Broad replaces Woakes, who has been a bit expensive. Australia are 42 for two from 10 overs with Smith going well on 30. He is frequently moving across his stumps to counter away-swing, particularly Anderson’s.
3.46am – WICKET! Warner c Taylor b Anderson 12; Aus 33/2 – And there’s one of them! A full Anderson ball stops slightly on Warner, who offers a straightforward catch to James Taylor at backward point. That ends a dangerous partnership. Anderson completes a wicket-maiden with five dots to George Bailey.
3.44am – The same pitch which caused such uneven bounce on Friday is being used today. The ground staff have worked hard on it since and so far it’s playing well as Smith shows with straight-driven and midwicket-flicked fours off Woakes. The humid conditions are England’s best ally, and they need to take full advantage with more early wickets.
3.31am – Chris Woakes again opens the bowling with Anderson. Smith, batting alongside David Warner, almost chips the last ball of the over to Moeen Ali at square-leg but evades the fielder and gets an all-run four. Warner and Smith respond to the early scalp with a flurry of boundary fours, three of them in five balls.
WICKET! Anderson strikes third ball, finding Finch's edge and Root safely takes the catch at first slip. pic.twitter.com/lraIuX0q0y
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 1, 2015
3.23am – WICKET! Finch c Root b Anderson 0; Aus 0/1 – James Anderson is right on the money and his third ball is a beauty that moves away from Aaron Finch, takes the right-hander’s edge and gives Joe Root a regulation catch at first slip. What a start for England! Steven Smith, batting at three in the absence of Shane Watson and Michael Clarke, gets going first ball with a single to leg.
Pre-play news
3.19am – Australia’s national anthem follows England’s. The action is about to start!
The two teams walk out onto the field #triseries#AusvEnghttps://t.co/fEJVnwC93p
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 1, 2015
3.10am – While we wait for the start in 10 minutes, here are our previews with Jos Buttler, whose fifty on Friday turned the match in England’s favour, and Bailey.
3.04am – Eoin Morgan says his decision to chase is due to a combination of the conditions and Friday’s successful chase. Australia captain George Bailey is unsure what he would have done.
Here's the pitch which England will bowl on first. Would you have elected to bowl on this track? #AusvEng#triseriespic.twitter.com/RRehL7OYF7
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 1, 2015
AUS XI: A Finch, D Warner, S Smith, G Bailey, G Maxwell, M Marsh, B Haddin, J Faulkner, M Johnson, M Starc, J Hazlewood
— ICC Live Scores (@ICCLive) February 1, 2015
England have won the toss and elected to bowl first. Overcast conditions at the WACA. #AusvEng#triseriespic.twitter.com/IgTrQIcTZK
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 1, 2015
2.51am – ENGLAND WIN THE TOSS AND BOWL – As the below tweet confirms, England are unchanged while Australia, as expected, welcome back paceman Mitchell Johnson, the leader of their attack, in place of spinner Xavier Doherty.
England team to play Australia: Ali, Bell, Taylor, Root, Morgan (C), Bopara, Buttler, Woakes, Broad, Anderson, Finn #AusvEng#triseries
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 1, 2015
2.45am – Hello and welcome to ecb.co.uk’s live coverage of the Tri-Series final between Australia and England at the WACA Ground in Perth. With their World Cup meeting less than a fortnight away, today’s game is much more than the finale of the three-team tournament also featuring India. The toss is due in five minutes.
Coach Peter Moores works with the players #triseries#AusvEnghttps://t.co/9jOTpBAg38
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 1, 2015