Ponting piles on the misery

The Australia captain makes a relentless 126 as the tourists go 5-0 in the one day series against England.

A majestic century from the Australia captain Ricky Ponting piled on the misery for England's faltering one-day side, as the tourists went 5-0 up in the one day series at Trent Bridge. Ponting, who was rested from the first three games of the seven-match series, made a relentless 126 off 109 balls to see his side to a four-wicket win with 1.4 overs to spare. England had earlier made their best score of the series, Eoin Morgan top-scoring with a breezy 58 as they made 299 all out. But Ponting's innings was a class apart, his 27th one-day hundred including 14 boundaries and three big sixes. Opener Tim Paine (16) was first out in the tourists' reply, mistiming a hook off Tim Bresnan and providing Adil Rashid with a simple catch.

That brought the captain Ponting to the crease alongside Shane Watson and the pair moved along quickly before the latter went for 36, Bresnan again the bowler as he chipped to Dimitri Mascarenhas at mid-on. Ponting looked in fine touch, though, smashing Ryan Sidebottom high into the stands for Australia's first maximum in the 12th over. Ponting and vice-captain Michael Clarke pushed their side past three figures after 19 overs, but Mascarenhas successfully stemmed the flow with a tidy stint at the Radcliffe Road End. Nevertheless, a four off the Perth-raised all-rounder brought up Ponting's half-century off 51 balls. The 34-year-old continued to look untroubled as the third-wicket stand passed 100 and moved to 97 with consecutive sixes off Rashid.

He soon had his hundred, a dabbed single bringing up the landmark in 92 balls, but Clarke fell for 52 immediately afterwards when he lifted Rashid to Shah on the rope. Mike Hussey made just six before Mascarenhas sent him back, courtesy of Ryan Sidebottom's catch. Callum Ferguson was given lbw to Broad for 17 and the Nottinghamshire bowler took the crucial wicket of Ponting, who found Owais Shah at long-off, in the same over to give England hope. Ponting had done enough, though, with Cameron White (24 not out) and Johnson, who ended proceedings with a six, finishing the job. Morgan had earlier played the key innings as England set a tough target. After two maidens to start the day, Andrew Strauss and Joe Denly put on a promising stand of 61, with the captain in particularly authoritative form as he hit Peter Siddle for three fours in four balls. Siddle succeeded in matching the rested Brett Lee by getting above 90mph - but he offered a fraction of the latter's wicket-taking threat. It was spin, not pace, that saw for Strauss, who was out for 35 reverse-sweeping Nathan Hauritz. The out-of-form Ravi Bopara followed him for 18 after skying Shane Watson to Hauritz at deep midwicket. A Denly single brought up the England hundred off 126 deliveries, but the Kent opener was next to go for 45, lofting Mitchell Johnson to Hussey to make it 105 for three. Shah joined Matt Prior to put on a brisk 60 before the latter was stumped off the bowling of Hauritz, then Johnson returned to see off Shah, for 31, - bringing Morgan together with the lower order. Morgan stole the show with three sixes, including an effortless clip off the pads which crashed into the advertising boards on the square-leg boundary. Australia gave him one life, on 38, when Hussey juggled a chance four times before dropping it. The Irishman's 58, his first half-century for England, took only 41 balls with 34 coming in boundaries. Mascarenhas (19) and Broad (22) scored at better than a run-a-ball and Rashid made 18 off nine deliveries before being last man out on the final ball of the innings. * PA Sport