SOUTHAMPTON, England: Shane Watson took three wickets as Australia held England to 228 for nine in the third One-Day Iternational at the Rose Bowl here on Wednesday.
All-rounder Watson, on the ground where he played for Hampshire, took three wickets for 36 runs in eight overs as Australia looked to go 3-0 up in the seven-match series.
England were indebted to a ninth-wicket stand of 40 in 41 deliveries between Tim Bresnan (31 not out off 37 balls) and Ryan Sidebottom, out off the last ball for 24 to Watson.
Only England captain Andrew Strauss, who made 63, and his Middlesex team-mate Eoin Morgan, whose 43 was the former Ireland international’s best score for his adopted country in four matches at this level, managed more than Bresnan as the top-order again collectively failed.
Strauss won his third straight toss but this time decided to bat first rather than field in a match where both sides were unchanged from the teams that played in world champions Australia’s 39-run win at Lord’s on Sunday.
In the third over, left-handed opener Strauss struck three consecutive fours off in-form fast bowler Brett Lee, a pull and a drive through extra-cover followed by a square cut.
Ravi Bopara followed up by going down the pitch to drive Nathan Bracken for six. But, trying to repeat the stroke, Bopara holed out off the left-arm seamer with James Hopes, running back at mid-on, taking a well-judged catch.
And six balls later 41 for one became 41 for two when Matt Prior was out for a duck when his pull off left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson’s fourth ball was held by a diving Hopes at square leg. Johnson then struck again when Owais Shah was lbw although replays suggested the ball may have been missing off-stump.
But England were now 62 for three in the 15th over.
Strauss, who completed a 60-ball fifty with six fours, fell next when he chipped off-spinner Nathan Hauritz low to Michael Clarke at mid-wicket.
Paul Collingwood struggled during an innings of 28 off 52 balls that didn’t feature a single boundary and was dismissed in tame fashion when he holed out off medium-pacer Watson to leave England 132 for five in the 32nd over.
Once more, England didn’t take their five-over batting powerplay until late in the innings, when they managed just 24 runs for the loss of two wickets.
