January 20, 2003	Monday	Ziqa'ad 16, 1423

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ADELAIDE, Jan 19: England qualified for the finals of the triangular one-day series despite losing to Australia by four wickets at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Australia made 153 for six in 47.3 overs in reply to England’s 152 all out in 48.3 overs.

The World Cup champions were unable to achieve their target within 40 overs and claim a bonus point, which meant England picked up one point to be on 20, six ahead of Sri Lanka, with Australia gaining five to be on 32.

Left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken won the Man-of-the-Match award after ripping through England’s top order to take three for 21 from seven overs.

Paul Collingwood, who made 63 not out, was one of only four England batsmen to reach double figures.

Australia’s batsmen also struggled on the slow wicket apart from Damien Martyn, who hit 59, and Michael Bevan, who made 30.

The pair put on 91 for the third wicket before both fell to spinner Ian Blackwell who took a career-best three for 26 from 10 overs.

Debutant Michael Clarke, 21, guided Australia to victory with a cool 39 not out including three boundaries.

Australia host Sri Lanka on Tuesday in Melbourne in the last game of the series before the best-of-three finals start on Thursday.

If Sri Lanka beat Australia and gain a bonus point to draw level with England they would still be eliminated on their head-to-head record of 1-3 against England.

Bracken, 25, playing his first One-day Onternational for almost two years, removed openers Marcus Trescothick (6) and Nick Knight (11) caught behind and fooled England captain Nasser Hussain (0) into offering a return catch off a slower ball.

Brad Williams took the key wicket of Michael Vaughan, who made 21 off 22 balls but was out caught behind at 38 for two in the ninth over.

Shane Watson dismissed Alec Stewart (6) and Ian Blackwell (0) as England’s batsmen paid dearly for their poor footwork.

Collingwood and Ronnie Irani, who came together at 71 for six in the 25th over, put on 45 before left-arm spinner Clarke had Irani caught at long-on for 20 in the 40th over.

Australia’s hopes of an easy victory were put on hold when they lost two early wickets for five runs.

Jimmy Maher was caught down legside off the bowling of Jimmy Anderson for a duck in the second over. Captain Adam Gilchrist soon followed, caught by Trescothick at first slip for four off Andy Caddick.

Hussain opted to bowl Caddick (1-34) and Anderson (1-12) out for their 10 overs each but they failed to split a painfully slow partnership between Bevan and Martyn.

Blackwell made three breakthroughs as Australia lost Bevan and Martyn in a middle order collapse of four wickets for just eight runs in four overs.

Clarke then added 49 for the seventh wicket with Watson who was unbeaten on 13.

Australia had rested opener Matthew Hayden and captain Ricky Ponting and when skipper Adam Gilchrist was out cheaply it meant Martyn and Bevan were the only two experienced batsmen left in the lineup.

However, the form of Clarke and Watson, both 21, gave Australia some encouragement ahead of next month’s World Cup defence in southern Africa.