Australia beat rain and Brook's misfiring hosts to claim series

Despite a spot of time-wasting towards the end, the rain arrived three minutes too late to rescue England. Australia were ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations when it came and, with just enough overs bowled to ensure a result, the tourists went on to claim a 3-2 series win and snuff out any debate about the moral victors of this one.

- Ali Martin

Rebooted before the first game between these sides and then resurgent from 2-0 down, England chiefly had themselves to blame in this decider. They had set off like a train after being inserted, Ben Duckett's 91-ball 107 and Harry Brook's electric 72 from 52 giving rise to thoughts of a 400-plus total. Yet they were undone by Travis Head's handy part-time spin and skittled for a sub-par 309 with four balls left unbowled.

It was then a tense wait to discover if 20 overs would be sent down in the reply to produce a winner, with a weather front sweeping up from the south-west all day. There was a mandatory drinks break after 17 overs - the players not exactly parched in the autumnal conditions- and an alltoo-convenient change of boots for Matthew Potts soon after that cast minds back to Cardiff in 2009, Bilal Shafayat et al.

But even with these delays - the kind of high-farce, high-drama only cricket can throw up Australia snuck four balls past the mark when the clouds burst at 4.29pm. Having feasted on some short and wide stuff from England's attack to reach an eye-popping 165 for two - Matthew Short monstering 50 from just 30 balls a convincing 49-run victory on DLS was sealed when the officials called time at 6pm.