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  England win by seven wickets and take the series 4-0

  A sentence that tells you all you need to know. A one-sided match to end a one-sided series. One assumes two wickets and more composed runs will see Bopara take the man of the match award. He'd be a decent shout for man of the series as well. England (apart from their catching) consistently excellent; Australia a bit of a shambles. Assessments that apply equally to this match and the series. Next up for England: three Tests against South Africa. Should be good. Do join us for that.
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  Over 28 Hilfenhaus 1

  138-3 - Morgan chips Hilfenhaus over cover for the run England need to complete another facile victory over a desperately disappointing Australia side. Given the one-sided nature of the four games we saw, you'd have to say that it was probably only the Birmingham weather that denied England a 5-0 whitewash and a dizzying rise to the top of the ODI rankings to go with top spot in the other forms. As it is, England must settle for third in the one-day table.
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  Over 27 McKay 1-1-0-1lb-0-0wd-3

  137-3 - McKay back into the attack. Bopara pulls him to deep square-leg for a single before Morgan gives him the charge and races a quick run to mid-on. Big leg-before appeal against Bopara, and Clarke grinningly signals the review. Might as well. Looked a bit high at first glance. Clipping the bails, says Hawk-Eye, so the original decision stands. Morgan gives McKay the charge, and the bowler responds with a ball down the legside that has to be called wide. Morgan tries to finish the match in the grand manner but his club over mid-on goes way, way up into the Manchester sky before plugging when it comes to earth a couple of yards short of the rope. Lovely wedge into the green. England need one to win...
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  Powerplay

  Three overs (in theory) of powerplay to end the innings. Eight runs to win.
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  Over 26 Hilfenhaus 0-1-0-2-W-4

  130-3 - Has Bopara done enough in this series to bag the number-six spot for the Tests against South Africa? Fair to say he could have done little more. A leading edge from Cook finds safety at mid-off as he aims legside and that brings two more for the England captain. WICKET! Luck runs out there, though, as Cook looks to force the ball away off the back foot and edges to slip where Clarke takes a sharp catch. Morgan in to apply the finishing touches, and he's off the mark straight away with a sweetly-timed cover-drive for four. Easy game, cricket.
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  Over 25 Pattinson 0-4-4-0-1-0

  123-2 - Bopara wants to finish this in style now, hammering a pull shot way in front of square for a one-bounce four after successfully predicting Pattinson's short ball. The next ball is fuller, and Bopara crunches it past short cover for four more. Crowd lapping it up. An angled shot to third-man takes Bopara to a cracking half-century from 51 balls. Came in when there was the chance of a wobble but has made sure England have sauntered to another victory without too much fuss.
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  Over 24 Doherty 1-0-4-1-2-2

  114-2 - Cook sweeps hard to deep backward square for a single before Bopara plays the same shot with even better results, splitting the two boundary fielders perfectly to pick up four. Another sweep brings a single before Cook almost holes out to long-on but the ball falls just short of Pattinson and the batsmen complete two more. Cook sweeps hard again, and Forrest does well in the deep to cut off the boundary. Just 24 more runs needed for victory now from five overs.
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  Over 23 Pattinson 0-1-0-2-2-0wd-0

  104-2 - A couple of dot balls early in Pattinson's over take England's target to a run a ball, but at this stage with eight wickets in hand it shouldn't be a problem. A miscued pull shot loops over mid-on and brings Bopara a couple of runs to take England to three figures. A good-looking square-drive and more good running (and fielder targeting - it's Hilfenhaus out on the fence) brings another two runs before a Pattinson bouncer sails way over Bopara's head and is rightly called wide.
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  Over 22 Smith 1-2-1-1-1-0

  98-2 - He's got all the toys has Smith. Here he shows his leg-stump half-volley which Bopara has to be right on top of his game to sweep away for a single. He follows that with the half-volley that Cook drives for two and then the full-toss which the England captain hacks to long-on for one. Bopara hits down the ground for a single before Cook nurdles to leg to bring up his half-century. Not his most fluent innings of recent times, but it's taking England to victory without much fuss here.
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  Over 21 McKay 0-2-0-1-0-0

  92-2 - Bopara breaks his bat attempting a cover-drive. He replaces it and promptly times the pants off another cover-drive and picks up two. They have some good lumps of wood these lads. A slower ball slightly befuddles Bopara, but he manages to get bat on ball and collect a single
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  Over 20 Smith 0-0-1-2-0-0

  89-2 - Clarke playing his joker here, turning with an air of desperation to the leg-spin stylings of Steve Smith. He starts with a long-hop, a half-volley and another long-hop which Bopara somehow manages to get away for just one run. Another long-hop is shovelled round to long-leg for a couple by Cook who then hits a full-toss straight to midwicket. The last ball of the over is pitched where intended and Cook defends. Five boundary balls in an over that somehow went for only three runs.
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  Over 19 McKay 4-1-1-0-0-0

  86-2 - Clarke goes back to his best bowler, but he's immediately tickled away fine on the legside by Cook for four more to bring up the 50 partnership at a tick under a run a ball. A chip into the legside brings a single before Bopara nails a hook shot but has to settle for just a single after picking out long-leg.
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  Over 18 Pattinson 0-2-4-0-1-0

  80-2 - Cook into the game now after a quiet spell as he whips Pattinson through midwicket for a couple of runs before hammering a pull shot past the boundary rider's despairing dive. A tip-and-run brings a single for Cook to make it seven runs from the over, which will do nicely. Required target now 58 from 66. Two overs to go until we have an official match. England currently seven ahead on D/L.
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  Over 17 Doherty 1-2-0-1-1-4

  73-2 - Doherty's field set almost exclusively on the offside for Bopara, so he changes his tactics and goes on the sweep. Picks up a two and a single before somehow threading a sumptuous drive through that packed offside field to pick up four. England need 65 from 72.
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  Over 16 Pattinson 0-0-0-1-1-0

  64-2 - With Bopara and Cook looking increasingly comfortable against the spinners, Clarke goes back to pace in the shape of Pattinson. Starts his spell well too, with Bopara unable to find the middle of the bat and finally collects a single with a thick inside edge to midwicket. Cook works easily off the hip for a single before Bopara digs out a yorker. Good over.
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  Over 15 Doherty 0-0-1-1-1-1

  62-2 - Singles. Easy.
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  Over 14 Clarke 2-0-1-3-4-0

  58-2 - Neat play from Bopara, using good footwork and flexible wrists to maneouvre the ball into offside gaps for two and then a single. Clarke then drops a couple of balls short of a length and gets punished. First by Cook, who back-cuts for three and then more brutally by Bopara who smashes the ball past cover and gives the boundary rider no chance. The geek within me wanted to see the last ball hit for six in order to complete the full house (dot, one, two, three, four, six) in the over. Wasn't to be.England need 80 runs to win from 90 balls and are two runs ahead now on D/L.
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  Over 13 Doherty 0-1-1-0-1-0

  48-2 - Better over from Doherty. England actually behind on D/L at the moment which seems faintly farcical. I think you'd still make the batting side pretty clear favourites from here.
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  Over 12 Clarke 0-1-0-0-1-0

  45-2 - Good over again from Clarke, well backed up by some livewire fielding from Smith in the covers. Australia fancy this.
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  Over 11 Doherty 2-1-0-1-1-3

  43-2 - Spin from both ends now as Doherty comes into the attack. Poor over really in helpful conditions as he offers width to Bopara, allowing the right-hander to guide past short third-man for two and then punch off the back foot for a single before Cook sweeps for one, Bopara works a full-toss for one and Cook then clips the ball fine off his pads for three. Untidy stuff and a bit of momentum in the England innings. Cook goes past 2000 ODI runs there.

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