David Warner and Travis Head piled on a record Melbourne Cricket Ground partnership of 269 before England were skittled for just 142 as Australia clinched a 3-0 ODI series sweep by inflicting a crushing 221-run defeat on their opponents.
Head scored 152 while opening partner Warner made 106 as they struck their third and 19th ODI hundreds respectively and topped the 225-run partnership Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting had shared against England at the MCG in 2002.
A couple of rain showers reduced the game to 48 overs a side, with Australia posting 355-5 before England were set a revised 364 to avoid a first clean sweep in a multi-match ODI series since being thrashed 5-0 in India in October 2011.
They could not manage it, rolled in 31.4 overs and at one point losing six wickets for 38 runs as Australia’s bowlers starred where England’s had earlier flopped.
There was a slight return to form for Jason Roy (33 off 48), who hit six boundaries at the top of the order while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were nipping the ball over the place, but the next highest scorer was James Vince with 22 as Jos Buttler’s side crumbled from 57-1 and were trounced at a venue where they had won the T20 World Cup on November 13.
David Warner and Travis Head shared a record MCG stand of 269 as Australia thrashed England on Tuesday
This ODI series has had an end-of-term feel for England after that T20 triumph, with Buttler’s side comprehensively beaten in all three matches, with a six-wicket loss in Adelaide and 72-reverse in Sydney preceding the Melbourne mauling.
A number of tame and tired dismissals with the bat followed England being guilty of bowling short and wide after electing field in damp and dark conditions.
The bowling attack was duly punished by Head and Warner, whose alliance was not broken until the 39th over when Olly Stone (4-85) dismissed both players in the space of four deliveries.
More to follow.