Clarke's acceleration seals thrilling win

The boos from Brisbane turned to cheers in Sydney as Michael Clarke helped Australia hunt down a record 334, their highest successful chase, by two wickets with four balls to spare at the SCG. However, it was a tense finish after Clarke was run out for 82 with seven needed but John Hastings and Brett Lee held their nerve to see the home side across the line and leave a weary England with plenty of soul-searching to do

That will be particularly true of Jonathan Trott, who was involved in key pieces of action in the closing stages after earlier scoring a career-best 137 to anchor England's highest score in Australia and their highest total in a defeat. Then, in the space of five balls, he lost and almost won the match with two contrasting pieces of fielding. Firstly he failed to hold onto Clarke's clip at short fine-leg which burst through his hands for four, but he then produced a pin-point throw to find the Australian captain short as he came back for a second.

It was the third wicket to fall quickly with Australia faltering as the target approached. David Hussey edged behind against Steven Finn to end a key stand of 90 in 11 overs with Clarke - including 50 runs from the batting Powerplay - and Steven Smith, batting with a runner after a hip injury that has ruled him out of Perth, was run out after a chaotic mix-up. However, Hastings edged the winning runs down to fine leg off Chris Woakes - although there was still confusion as the umpires didn't realise the match was over. A match of 667 runs can frazzle the mind.

Australia's top order had laid the foundations in the chase as Shane Watson butchered a 32-ball fifty and Mitchell Johnson responded to his promotion to No. 4 with a well-made 57. As is his style, Clarke took time to play himself in and his strike rate was under 100 until he'd passed his half-century and took the batting Powerplay. He then whipped James Anderson, who conceded the second most expensive figures by an England bowler, over square leg for six and followed that with another boundary as the home side made their crucial push.

Hussey also located the rope after a sluggish start when he tore into the expensive Anderson and suddenly an asking rate over eight-an-over was down at a run-a-ball although an impressive effort from Finn, in his second ODI, gave England a chance at the end. They were handicapped by an injury to Paul Collingwood, who suffered a back spasm on the last ball of the innings and wasn't able to bowl. He came onto the field briefly after 16 overs, but his back began to stiffen up again. It meant England had to find 10 overs between Trott and Kevin Pietersen which cost 72 - although Pietersen did have Johnson stumped.

Johnson had responded with his second ODI fifty which built on a blistering opening from Australia against some wayward bowling. They had nine runs after just one legal delivery and Anderson came in for some fierce punishment in his third over as Watson collected four boundaries with 19 runs coming in total to bring up the fifty inside six overs.

England needed a stroke of fortune to break through when Brad Haddin flicked a leg-stump delivery to short fine-leg where Trott, who'd recently come into the field after recovering from cramp, took a sharp catch to his right. Watson went to his fifty off 32 balls but didn't go any further when he flicked Michael Yardy to midwicket. Callum Ferguson, replacing the injured Shaun Marsh, played nicely for his 46 until being run out but the required rate was never out of hand for Australia.Despite England's batting problems during this series, characterised by soft dismissals, this was the third time they had beaten their record total after the innings at Melbourne and Adelaide. Trott's hundred was his fourth of the trip following two in the Ashes series and his 102 at Adelaide last week. He took his time to play himself in and didn't strike a boundary until his 40th delivery, his first fifty taking 61 balls. But the next half of his ton came off 39 balls as he collected four boundaries during the batting Powerplay.

Shaun Tait thought he had him lbw on 82, but the decision was overturned on review with the ball sliding down leg, and Trott escaped again with a missed run-out opportunity on 88. He started to suffer from cramp as the hundred approached and, after passing three figures and slamming Johnson through the covers, was allowed a runner until falling in the final over. The last 87 of his runs came from 65 deliveries.

Ian Bell provided the innings with ideal acceleration as he got himself going in the batting Powerplay then showed his inventive skills by lapping Watson and John Hastings for boundaries. He and Trott added runs at nearly nine an over, the sort of dominant partnership England have struggled to produce even in their previous hefty totals.

Andrew Strauss had set a good tone with his second fifty of the series off 52 balls and looked set for three figures until he clipped Smith to midwicket. Kevin Pietersen was threatening to cut loose with two boundaries in three balls off Hastings, but his frustrating series continued when he drove the first ball of the batting Powerplay to mid-off.

The fielding restrictions again threatening to be a curse rather than a blessing, but the five overs produced 43 runs as Trott and Bell began their surge. Still, though, it didn't prove enough and another 6-1 drubbing is on the cards.

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Misbah-ul-Haq masterminds narrow win

Pakistan continued to show they are masters of making mountains out of molehills, but Misbah-ul-Haq's supremely paced innings and Sohail Tanvir's nerveless hitting took them to a tense win in Napier that puts them 2-1 up. New Zealand had earlier showed the benefits of stacking their side with allrounders as they recovered from an all-too-familiar top-order collapse to post a respectable total but it didn't prove enough.

On a pancake-flat track and with McLean Park's short boundaries and a quick outfield to assist them, Pakistan looked to be gliding towards victory when Misbah and Younis Khan played safety-first cricket to take them to 173 for 3 in 37 overs. With the batting Powerplay in hand, two set batsmen at the crease and a host of heavy-hitters to follow, New Zealand seemed down and out.

The first blip was the run-out of Younis who slipped when attempting to regain his ground after tipping the ball to point. The new batsman, Umar Akmal, meandered to 10 when the Powerplay was taken. As has the case in recent matches, the Powerplay resulted in immediate wickets: Umar holed out to extra cover and Shahid Afridi was trapped in front. With Pakistan at 198 for 6, New Zealand were back in it.

The match swung again in the next over as Abdul Razzaq clubbed a mighty six, and Misbah calmly picked off two effortless, wristy boundaries as Tim Southee went for 17. New Zealand clawed back again when Hamish Bennett had Razzaq skying a catch to Vettori in the 47th over.

Twenty-four needed off the final three overs - enough time for more twists. Misbah, yet again, seemed to have sealed it when he slammed Scott Styris beyond midwicket off the first ball of the 48th, and then followed it up with a punch past mid-on for four. No. 10 Wahab Riaz then decided to go for glory instead of turning over the strike to Misbah, and his swipe ballooned to the keeper.

Only two wickets remained, and there was a genuine threat of Pakistan being bowled out. Tanvir then showed that though his bowling isn't at the level it was before his back injury, his hitting retains the ferocity of old. He forehanded three fours in the penultimate over from Southee to sew up the victory with six balls remaining.

Tanvir may have applied the finishing touches but it was Misbah who had done the grunt work earlier on. When Pakistan were wobbling at 84 for 3, Misbah and Younis stroked the ball into the gaps for singles to keep the required rate in check. Their 89-run partnership had put Pakistan in charge, before the slew of wickets led to an exciting denouement.

It was Misbah's finest one-day effort, and his first significant contribution in the format in a long time. With 18 days to go for the World Cup, Pakistan are still without a captain, and this series hasn't made the decision easier for the selectors. Afridi was panned after the heavy defeat in the first match, then praised after his electric half-century in the Christchurch victory, and Misbah has now pushed his case with this match-winning innings.

New Zealand continue to desperately seek someone who can provide Misbah-like calmness to their famously fragile top order. Today, their stuttering batting unit squandered another chance to hit form on a placid track, with shot-selection that will leave John Wright fuming. Martin Guptill flicked to midwicket after impressing early on, Jamie How pulled imperiously but straight to deep square leg, Ross Taylor's expansive drive ended in first slip's hands, and Kane Williamson chipped the ball to long-on.

The home side had tumbled to 79 for 5 before Brendon McCullum jumpstarted the innings with a typically energetic cameo. James Franklin then led the rescue with his third half-century in four innings; after a watchful start, he cut loose in the Powerplay reeling off four boundaries in two overs. Afridi handcuffed him with a legstump line in the 44th over and had him holing out to deep fine leg.

The batting recovery was completed by Nathan McCullum, who blasted his way to his maiden one-day half-century. The highlights of his innings were a couple of high-risk paddles for four against the quicks and a murderous carve over cover for six in the penultimate over.

Franklin and the McCullum brothers helped New Zealand put on 170 in the second half of the innings despite the top-order collapse, but even that proved insufficient as Misbah continued his prolific tour.

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Australia take series with 51-run win

Australia secured the one-day series with two matches to spare after a comprehensive 51-run victory at the Gabba as England's batting once again flopped. The top order was rocked by the pace of Brett Lee, then John Hastings removed the key pair of Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell before the innings subsided rapidly to give Australia their first piece of silverware since March last year.

The hosts' innings had been far from problem-free but Michael Clarke registered a much-needed half-century, which was his first since the Adelaide Test. He fell to the Man of the Match Chris Woakes, who took 6 for 45, England's best overseas analysis in one-day internationals, but he was a lone shining light. Although the visitors have twice nudged 300 in the series - at Melbourne and Adelaide - there has been far too much inconsistency and soft dismissals.

Pietersen and Bell battled nicely to steady England from 3 for 22, but having been given a life on 34 when Steve Smith missed a return catch, Pietersen picked out mid-on as he tried to pull a Hastings slower ball. Eoin Morgan continued his poor series when he lofted his fourth ball to long-off against Smith, even though the required rate was below a run-a-ball. Morgan has struggled to live up to his reputation as a world-class finisher in the series after his extended period on the sidelines during the Ashes.

England's last real hope disappeared when Bell, who had been at his most fluent, dragged Hastings into his stumps. Shane Watson bagged two in his first over in front of an appreciative home crowd, who could put the troubles of the past month behind then at least for an evening. A record-last wicket stand of 53 between James Anderson and Steven Finn, on his ODI debut, only narrowed the margin and showed up the batsmen.

Australia's bowlers hunted as a unit and the one-day attack has most bases covered, even though Xavier Doherty was left out with a stiff back. Lee bowled with real venom early on, twice whistling rapid bouncers past Andrew Strauss's helmet and Doug Bollinger wasn't far behind when he struck Matt Prior in his opening over. But neither of England's openers wanted to back down and Prior responded with three boundaries against Bollinger. However, Lee was a different prospect and Prior lost his off stump when he tried to play square on the off side.

From the next delivery, the first ball of Bollinger's third over, Strauss picked out square leg with a pull and it became worse when Lee put himself on a hat-trick as Jonathan Trott flicked a delivery off his hip straight to short fine-leg. Although the hat-trick ball to Bell was a no-ball it was also a rapid bouncer and Australia were in no mood for this series to stay alive.

Even though their total proved plenty, it was a tale of missed opportunity as several batsmen made starts only to give their wickets away. Watson (16) cut to point and Brad Haddin (37) walked across his stumps to give Finn his first ODI wicket. Shaun Marsh (16) lazily flicked to midwicket and David Hussey chopped on against Woakes for 34, having set a platform alongside Clarke with a 65-run fifth-wicket stand. Cameron White couldn't do much about his dismissal as an excellent ball from Woakes bounced and took the edge.

Clarke's innings had three distinct phases. After being booed to the crease, he began with aggressive intent and moved to 17 off 13 balls, but then slowed considerably with 18 off his next 41 deliveries before driving Finn through cover. The fifty came from 70 balls but he couldn't carry on, top-edging Woakes while trying to work through the leg side on 54.

England were hampered in the closing overs when Ajmal Shahzad injured his hamstring and Johnson took 15 off his eighth over during the batting Powerplay. Smith and Hastings also cashed in as Finn was struck for 14 off his ninth but Woakes, who was preferred to Michael Yardy and struck three times in the first over of a spell, returned to have Hastings caught at deep midwicket to complete his five, after which Lee carved to third man.

Woakes' figures sit behind Collingwood's 6 for 31 against Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge in 2005, but they were a hollow success. England are now left with the task of avoiding a 6-1 scoreline to match the drubbing after the 2009 Ashes.

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Japan crowned Kings of Asia

Substitute Tadanari Lee was the hero as his goal led Japan to a 1-0 win over Australia at the Asian Cup Final.

Lee volleyed home Yuto Nagatomo's left-wing cross after 108 minutes at Khalifa Stadium to clinch the title and deny Australia a maiden triumph.

The Socceroos had the game's first chance when a slick move ended with Carl Valeri feeding Matt McKay but he sliced wide of the far post.

Mark Schwarzer then nearly gifted Japan the opening goal when, in trying to prevent the ball going behind for a corner, he kicked it straight to Nagatomo. The defender's effort from distance to sailed over the bar with David Carney scrambling back to cover.

Japan keeper Eiji Kawashima did well to push Harry Kewell's close-range header away in the 18th minute after Tim Cahill had met Carney's corner on the far side of the box.

Kewell hit the side netting from a narrow angle when he latched on to Cahill's knockdown from Lucas Neill's diagonal ball just after the half-hour mark and Ryoichi Maeda fired over from outside the box following Yasuhito Endo's lay-off as the first-half ended goalless.

Australia came agonisingly close to taking the lead two minutes after the interval when Kawashima mis-judged Luke Wilkshire's cross, with the ball hitting the bar and then the on-rushing Cahill, but Maya Yoshida was on the line to keep it out.

Kewell lashed over from inside the six-yard box before Japan almost broke the deadlock in the 65th minute when Shinji Okazaki met Nagatomo's delivery from the left but his glancing header was just the wrong side of the post with Schwarzer motionless.

Kewell then wasted the best chance of the game six minutes later when he latched onto a long ball following a mistake from the Japanese defence and raced clear on goal but Kawashima denied him with his outstretched right leg.

Substitute Robbie Kruse almost made an immediate impact for Australia in the first period of extra-time but his header from Brett Emerton's cross was clawed away by a desperate Kawashima from under the bar.

Japan finally broke the deadlock in the 108th minute when Nagatomo surged down the left wing and his cross found Lee unmarked eight yards from goal. The substitute waited an age for the ball to drop but his fine left-foot volley left Mark Schwarzer with no chance as it flew into the back of the net.

The Australian keeper held Endo's free-kick and Carney struck a set-piece into the wall as Japan clung on to claim a historic victory.

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Hafeez, Afridi star in series-levelling win

A solid maiden ODI century from Mohammad Hafeez, a monstrous assault in the death overs led by Shahid Afridi and a spirited performance in the field were features of a roaring comeback by Pakistan in the ODI series, which they leveled 1-1 with a 43-run win at the AMI Stadium in Christchurch. Hafeez counter-attacked after Pakistan had been dented in their start and dropped anchor in the middle overs to set up a launching pad for Afridi and Umar Akmal to smash 126 runs in the last ten overs. Faced with a stiff chase, New Zealand fought hard but timely breakthroughs meant they were always struggling to measure up to the asking rate, eventually leading to their downfall.

The greenish appearance of the track proved deceptive as the movement off the seam that Ross Taylor had banked on when opting to field proved negligible. At the same time, conditions weren't too easy for the batsmen early on either as the pitch played slow and low and the ball didn't come on. Hafeez, who has often squandered starts since his promotion to the top of the order, lost two partners, Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal, to deliveries that appeared to stop on the batsmen. But New Zealand's seamers lacked discipline and failed to apply pressure consistently, which allowed Hafeez to wrest the initiative.

The short square boundaries at the AMI Stadium were inevitably favoured as the bowlers didn't help their cause by consistently pitching short. Not long after he had nipped out two wickets, Tim Southee was pulled for consecutive boundaries by Hafeez; Hamish Bennett, struggling to bowl into the wind and dropping significantly in pace, was welcomed with a swipe to fine leg and six over long-on while Jacob Oram, in the very over he dismissed Younis Khan, was dispatched over midwicket.

New Zealand had a few chances to limit the damage. Hafeez was dropped on 49 by Brendon McCullum, diving full length to his right and failing to hold on to a difficult catch; Misbah-ul-Haq, who added 94 with Hafeez, was given a reprieve through a missed stumping by McCullum, and Bennett dropped a relatively simple catch off Afridi that, otherwise, could have checked the one-way traffic towards the end of the innings.

Even as Pakistan tried to rebuild their innings, Hafeez was at ease, displaying an excellent ability to adapt, rotating the strike with Misbah and threading the gaps with adept footwork and timing. He stepped out to smash debutant Luke Woodcock for a straight boundary, lofted Oram over the in-field and, after securing his century and taking the batting Powerplay, scooped and slogged Southee for successive fours before signing off by heaving Kyle Mills for a six.

By the time he fell, Umar had warmed up with a couple of meaty hits and Afridi only had to join in. He targeted Oram, who was struggling with his lengths, in the 46th over, hammering him for two sixes on the leg side and a boundary through cover. The seamers either bowled too full or dragged the ball too short and Afridi, paddling, swatting and slapping, collected sixes over fine leg, cover point and long-on on his way to equalling the fastest half-century - off 19 balls - by a batsman in New Zealand, a record also held by McCullum.

New Zealand began brightly in their reply with Martin Guptill and Jamie How capitalising on the short boundaries to add 44 in quick time. But Pakistan's seamers, unlike the New Zealand bowlers, relied more on variations in pace with Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul ensuring the pressure of a big chase never diminished. How holed out to deep midwicket, failing to pick the slower ball; Ross Taylor, after a watchful start, stabbed at a good-length delivery to be caught at slip by Younis and Guptill, after four boundary-less overs in the second Powerplay, punched Riaz to point where Shehzad clung on to a low chance.

The hosts were in the hunt when Scott Styris and Kane Williamsom preserved their wickets, picked out the gaps to ensure a steady flow of ones and twos and accumulated 81 runs for the fourth wicket to stage a recovery. But while the seamers had picked up the wickets and restrained the batsmen, the slow bowlers, too, proved difficult to step up against, adding to the pressure on New Zealand. Afridi and Hafeez got through their overs quickly and gave little away. Hafeez eventually broke the stand as Styris failed to clear deep midwicket and when Williamson and McCullum departed within three runs of each other - bowled by Riaz and run out by Umar respectively - the game was all but sealed.

Pakistan's approach to their innings was reminiscent of the strategy they had adopted in the 1999 World Cup, progressing slowly with wickets in hand in the middle overs to set the stage for a violent surge in the last ten. Not a bad thing to prepare for the 2011 edition in much the same way.

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