Cricket: Tait leads Australia to victory

LONDON - Fast bowler Shaun Tait led Australia to a 42-run win over England in the fifth and final one-day international at Lord's here on Saturday as they reduced the hosts' series-winning margin to 3-2.

England, chasing 278, were rocked by an early double strike from Tait as they collaped to 19 for two and their innings never really recovered despite Paul Collingwood's gutsy 95.

Man-of-the-match Tait finished with figures of four wickets for 48 runs from 8.3 overs, ending the match with 21 balls to spare when Graeme Swann holed out to mid-off as England finished on 235 all out.

England were in danger of a humiliating loss at 73 for five before Collingwood shared a stand of 56 with Luke Wright.

England, thanks to a partnership of 65 between Collingwood and Tim Bresnan, needed 85 to win off the last 10 overs for a sensational victory.

But four balls later Bresnan was run out for 34 by Ricky Ponting's direct hit from mid-on in what was possibly the Australia captain's last one-day international at Lord's.

And Tait, two balls afterwards, bowled Collingwood, to end a 121-ball innings featuring two sixes and seven fours and leave England on 194 for eight.

Tait, only brought into the squad following the second ODI when off-spinner Nathan Hauritz was ruled out with a foot injury, was hostile from the start, with his sixth delivery, according to one timing device, touching 100mph.

"Very few blokes in the world can do what Shaun can do with the ball," Ponting told reporters.

Tait added: "I'm pretty excited to be called up to the ODI side, I haven't been in it for 12 months."

Crucially, the often wayward Tait was accurate as well as fast and he knocked back England captain Andrew Strauss's off-stump by several yards with a superb inswinger to the left-handed opener.

"It was disappointing we lost the last two (matches), but we won the series so it's something we should be proud of," Strauss said.

"Tait was pretty quick and he got the ball swinging. It was up there with spells I've faced from Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee."

Michael Yardy, in next because of Kevin Pietersen's thigh strain, departed three deliveries later, clean bowled leaving a Tait ball that hit leg stump

England were then 19 for two in the fifth over.

That Australia posted a good score was down to a fifth-wicket stand of 107 between left-handers Michael Hussey (79) and Shaun Marsh (59) that revived the world champions' innings from the depths of 106 for four.

But there was no such recovery for England, who were 73 for five when Pietersen - who has now gone 16 ODI innings without a fifty - was bowled for a four-ball nought by leg-spinner Steven Smith.

Marsh, only playing because vice-captain Michael Clarke was out with a back injury, made 59 off 50 balls while Hussey, as he's done so often, played himself in before cutting loose.

Hussey, who faced 60 balls with two sixes and five fours, fell in the final over to Stuart Broad as the fast bowler finished with the flattering figures of four for 64 off his maximum 10 overs.

Swann, England's only other wicket-taker, had three for 32 yet the off-spinner only bowled eight overs.

Australia went 81 balls without a boundary before Marsh struck two in as many deliveries off Broad in the batting powerplay to spark a flourish that saw 115 runs added in the final 10 overs of the innings.

"Well played Mike Hussey and Shaun Marsh," said Strauss.

"It was a big momentum swing."

All of Australia's top four made scoring starts but only opener Tim Paine, with 54, cashed in after Ponting won the toss.

Ponting, fresh from his 92 in Australia's 78-run win at The Oval on Wednesday, got off the mark with a superb back-foot force through the covers for four off Broad.

However, the 35-year-old Ponting's recent vulnerability to the hook proved his undoing again when, on 15, he gloved a catch off Broad to wicketkeeper Kieswetter.

- AFP