PERTH, (Reuters) – Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson again found the WACA a happy hunting ground as he inspired the hosts to a 57-run victory and a 6-1 series hammering of England in the seventh and final one-day international yesterday.
Johnson, who fired Australia to their only Ashes test win on the same ground, ripped the heart out of the England batting with the key wickets of Jonathan Trott (14), Kevin Pietersen (26) and Ian Bell (8) as the tourists chased 280 for victory.
England, who arrived in Perth for the Ashes tour on Oct. 30, looked like a team at the end of a long, gruelling summer and, despite a bright, unbeaten 60 from Michael Yardy, laboured to 222 all out in 44 overs.
The tourists were already struggling by the time Johnson hit his stride with Andrew Strauss finishing his last match against Australia on this tour as he started the first — with dismissal for a duck in the opening over of his team’s innings.
Shaun Tait took away the top of the England skipper’s off stump with a fizzing second ball, a delivery fewer than it took Ben Hilfenhaus to dismiss Strauss in the first Ashes test at the Gabba.
Steven Davies, a surprise omission from the England World Cup squad, failed to embarrass the selectors by following his skipper to the changing room with a six-ball duck in the next over.
Johnson, so often the object of derision from England supporters over the campaign, then took charge to reduce England to 5-64 on his way to an impressive 3-18.
Tait chimed in with 3-48 and spinner Jason Krejza did his chances of a late call-up for the World Cup in place of injury doubt Nathan Hauritz no harm with 2-53.
“It’s been very good but I still think there is another level that we can take it to, and need to, for a tournament like the World Cup,” said Australia’s stand-in captain Cameron White.
ENGLAND INJURIES
Australia had made a pedestrian start to their innings before Adam Voges and David Hussey both hit half-centuries and shared a partnership of 95 to bring the match to life.
Local Voges, a late call-up after Australia decided to rest captain Michael Clarke and Shane Watson, rattled off an unbeaten 80 from 72 with Hussey claiming 60 at a run a ball to help fire Australia to 279 for seven.
Their partnership was ended when Hussey was caught by Bell after getting a leading edge to a Liam Plunkett delivery — one of two wickets for the seamer who was flown in from the West Indies after a rash of injuries to England bowlers.
Johnson had a short but eventful knock of 26, being dropped by both James Anderson and Steve Finn before Matt Prior, relieved of his wicketkeeping duties in favour of Davies for the match, caught him superbly on the boundary.
Finn had earlier cleverly caught opener Brad Haddin for 27, throwing the ball into the air as he tumbled back over the boundary rope before recovering to take the catch infield.
Anderson completed his last bowling assignment of the long and mostly successful tour of Australia with 3-48, including the wicket of John Hastings who had dislocated a finger in the warm-up.
“I think our minds are on the plane home now, definitely, but I don’t think that was the case out there today,” Strauss said.
“To lose five wickets in the first 15 overs is criminal really when you are chasing down a big score and from that moment on, it was going to be hard.”
Australia’s domination of the one-day series will in no way make up for losing the Ashes on home soil for the first time in 24 years but will give the triple defending champions confidence ahead of the World Cup, which starts on Feb. 19.
