Manchester (England) Jul 11: England won the fifth and final one-day international against Australia by seven wickets Tuesday, clinching a 4-0 series win.
Alastair Cook hit 58 from 78 balls with four fours, and Ravi Bopara made 52 not out (56 balls, 5 fours) as England closed on 138-3, chasing a rain-revised target of 138 at Old Trafford.
“The lads played really well,” Bopara said, after being named man-of-the-match. “The pitch was a little bit stoppy but I think it got a little bit better as the night went on.
It's about time I was there at the end.”
Australia's captain Michael Clarke said his side had learned a lot from the series.
“For the young Australian players who haven't spent much time in the U.K. playing in these conditions it was a great opportunity for them,” he said.
“And for the older guys like myself who have seen England again it's another reminder of what a good team they are and how well prepared we're going to have to be come the Ashes in 12 months time.”
Clarke was the pick of the bowlers with 1-14.
Earlier Australia posted 145-7 from 32 overs after the start was delayed by 3 ½ hours.
In treacherous batting conditions, George Bailey was Australia's top scorer with 46 not out from 41 balls after hitting two sixes and three fours. Opener David Warner made 32.
Part-time medium pacer Bopara took 2-8 and spinner James Tredwell 2-23 after England won the toss and chose to bowl.
Australia survived a tough early spell in which England dropped three catches in as many overs—only to lose four wickets for 12 runs.
Matthew Wade was spilled by Anderson at first slip when he edged Broad in the eighth over, and Warner was put down down by Tredwell at second slip off Steven Finn an over later.
In the 10th over, Warner holed out to Stuart Broad, only for Samit Patel to miss an easy chance at third man. But England's fielding then improved drastically.
Tredwell atoned for his error by removing Warner lbw for 32 at the start of the 11th and running out Peter Forrest for 3 at the start of the 15th, brilliantly gathering Patel's throw and removing the bails in the same motion.
Two balls later, Wade wandered down the pitch to be deceived by Tredwell and stumped by Craig Kieswetter. In the next over, Eoin Morgan threw down the stumps from the covers to run out Australia skipper Michael Clarke for 1.
Steve Smith added 21 from 20 balls before he was caught by Kieswetter after nudging a ball from Bopara down the leg side in the 20th over.
Bopara struck again in his next over, having David Hussey caught behind for 9, but England then wasted its review with an unsuccessful appeal for lbw from Tredwell against Bailey.
Bailey smacked a six from Tredwell in the 29th over, before James Pattinson was given after a lengthy delay by third umpire, caught behind off a bottom edge to Finn for 13 in the 30th over.
Australia took 25 from the last two overs, with Bailey smashing a six and a four off the last three balls from Anderson and England's chase started badly.
Ian Bell lazily chipped the final ball of Clint McKay's first over to Bailey at midwicket and was caught for 4.
Cook was then given out caught behind off McKay in the fifth over but he successfully referred the decision and England were on 24-1 when three overs were lost to a rain delay.
When play resumed Clarke bowled Jonathan Trott for 10 with his fourth delivery, but Cook and Bopara put on a stand of 92 for the third wicket before Cook edged Ben Hilfenhaus to Clarke at first slip.
By then England only needed 12 to win and although Bopara survived an lbw referral from McKay, Morgan hit the winning runs with 11 balls to spare.
