England punish Aussies in 1st ODI

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MELBOURNE: England capitalised on another hapless performance from Australia in the field to post an imposing total in the one-day international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

In a summer where little has gone right for the home team, which was thrashed 3-1 in the Ashes by England, they had no one else to blame but themselves as the tourists posted 294 from 49.4 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Kevin Pietersen led the way for England with 78 from 75 balls, including three sixes.

It was England's highest total in a one-day international against Australia in Australia, and also their highest at the MCG.

Just over a month before their World Cup defence, the Australians dropped catches, missed stumpings, botched run outs and wickets from no-balls, as well as more than a dozen wides, in a calamitous display in the field.

The rot set in early for the home side when Steve Smith and Brett Lee somehow got in each other's way at the non-striker's end to mess up an elementary run out to give opener Steve Davies (42) a life before he had scored.

With England captain Andrew Strauss on 17, Lee thought he had the left-hander caught on the boundary, only for a review called by umpire Bruce Oxenford to show it was a clear no-ball.

To rub salt into the wounds, Strauss, who went on to make 63 from 65 balls, smashed the subsequent free hit for four.

Shane Watson then grassed Davies, when he was on 18, at short cover, from the bowling of Lee before wicketkeeper Brad Haddin squandered the first of three missed stumpings when Davies was on 24 from the bowling of David Hussey.

The blunders enabled England to get off to a flyer, and the visitors were 90-0 after 12 overs.

Haddin later missed another simple stumping when Strauss was on 48 and facing Xavier Doherty.

The New South Welshman made it a hat-trick of missed stumpings when he cost Hussey for a second time, with Pietersen the beneficiary when on 37.

The belligerent Englishman made the Aussies pay immediately, lofting the unlucky Hussey for successive sixes to bring up his half-century and his team's 200.