With an ease that would have been quite unthinkable a few years ago, England cruised to victory over Australia in the fourth ODI in Durham, with 13 deliveries and eight wickets in hand. The result not only secured the five-match series with a game to spare but also completed England's ninth successive victory in completed one-dayers - a new record for them - and secured their seventh successive series win at home.
Steven Finn, with a devastating display of fast bowling, and Ian Bell, with an assured innings in testing conditions, were the main architects of England's victory, though Ravi Bopara, with another intelligent spell of bowling and another assured innings, and Jonathan Trott, with a typically calm innings of 64 not out also contributed. England will now consider resting players for the final game in Manchester on Tuesday, with a view to ensuring the freshness of key players for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa.
Australia might count themselves somewhat unfortunate. Not only did they lose two of their bowlers - Brett Lee and Shane Wason - to injury during the game, but by winning a disproportionately important toss, England's captain Alastair Cook forced Australia to bat in desperately testing conditions, which had eased a little by the time England began their reply. Mitchell Johnson was also forced out of the Australian team for the match with an ankle injury
But Australia would be deluding themselves if they put this result down to poor fortune. They might reflect that some of their top-order batsmen were lacking in technique and discipline against the moving ball and that their bowlers lacked the control to exploit conditions that remained helpful. While this touring squad, already missing Michael Hussey and Pat Cummins and further weakened by the absence of Johnson, is not short of potential, it is hard to recall a weaker Australian team.
That Australia were able to set any sort of competitive total was largely due to a defiant half-century from David Hussey. Hussey made 70 from 73 balls to help his side recover from the perilous position of 96 for 6 in the 33rd over. With Brett Lee he added 70 in 13 overs for the seventh wicket, helping Australia take 71 from the final 10 overs of their innings. Against a high-class attack in such conditions, their final total of 200 was not so far under par as it might have appeared.
Later Finn defeated Clarke's forward push with one that nipped back, before next ball Matthew Wade was brilliantly caught by a diving Craig Kieswetter off the inside edge by one that cut back into him.
James Anderson, who delivered three maidens and, with the wicket of Lee, secured his 500th international wicket, also utilised the conditions well. But it was Finn, generating sharp pace, maintaining an immaculate line and length and finding sharp seam movement, who really shone. It was another highly impressive performance from a man who still cannot be assured of a place in England's Test team.
It might have been even better for England. Eoin Morgan, at point, squandered a relatively simple chance at point as Clarke, on 8, attempted to drive Tim Bresnan - Australia would have been 17 for 3 had the catch been taken - while replays showed that Clarke should have been given leg before on 28 when he played across a straight one from Stuart Broad. England had already utilised their one unsuccessful appeal to the DRS. Clarke was also dropped, a tough chance, on 31 at first slip by Anderson off Broad.
Hussey, too, enjoyed some fortune. He narrowly survived a strong leg before appeal before he had scored and was then dropped on 15, when Bopara spurned a tough caught and bowled chance. Bell also missed a tough chance running in from the extra cover boundary when Hussey had 29, also off the deserving Bopara.
Hussey, too, enjoyed some fortune. He narrowly survived a strong leg before appeal before he had scored and was then dropped on 15, when Bopara spurned a tough caught and bowled chance. Bell also missed a tough chance running in from the extra cover boundary when Hussey had 29
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