Cricket: England add ODI series to bag after nailbiter finish

MANCHESTER - Australia just failed to pull off a miraculous one-day cricket victory over England as the home side held on to claim an unbeatable 3-0 series lead at Old Trafford yesterday.

Needing 213 to win, England lost 6-18 in 39 balls late in the run chase before all-rounder Tim Bresnan (14no off 15 balls) squeezed out the one-wicket win in Manchester by edging James Hopes for four with five balls to spare.

The hosts had been cruising at 3-185 in the 42nd over before inspired pacemen Shaun Tait (3-29 off 10 overs) and Doug Bollinger (3-20 off 10 overs) threatened to produce a hell of a rescue act. The result snapped Australia's streak of seven straight one-day series and tournament wins since a 3-2 loss to South Africa in April 2009. It also left the home side with bragging rights over the tourists in all three formats.

England hold the Ashes, won the World Twenty20 final against Australia last month and can now boast a one-day series triumph.

Ricky Ponting thought Australia should have been able to snatch victory in the end after having England nine down with 10 runs still required.

"Tait and Bollinger were fantastic and [Steve] Smith, whenever he got an opportunity today, was very good as well," the skipper said. "There were some positives there, but not enough to win the game.

"That sort of performance was a reasonable bowling performance, a poor batting performance again, and at the end of the day you look back and it's happened in three games, so it's a series gone.

"What we have to do now is show a bit of pride in our performances in the last two games and try and salvage whatever we can out of the series."

Game four is at The Oval on Thursday.

Spinner Graeme Swann (4-37 off 10 overs) and local seamer James Anderson (3-21 off eight overs) exposed Australia's faltering batting lineup as the visitors were bundled out for a modest 212 from 46 overs.

England captain Andrew Strauss (87 off 120 balls) produced his highest one-day score against Australia to set up the response.

Tait blasted out opener Craig Kieswetter for a golden duck while Kevin Pietersen (25 off 36 balls) had a painful stay on his 30th birthday, a Ryan Harris ball thudding into his groin area and leaving him flat on his back in agony.

Strauss enjoyed a much better time of it, being handed a major let off by English umpire Ian Gould when he was trapped plumb in front on 23 by spinner Michael Clarke.

But the run chase was always well in hand until the home side hit the skids when Eoin Morgan departed on 27.

"Quite horrendous those last 10 overs," said Strauss after his side lifted some of the gloom in England from their 4-1 loss to Germany in the football World Cup final-16 tie.

"Having gone into the 40th over three wickets down and needing 35 odd to win and we thought we would just cruise over but it goes to show the job is never done."

- AAP