Bresnan at the double

The tourists, needing to score at a run-a-ball if they are to keep their hopes of a series whitewash alive, lost openers Tim Paine (16) and Shane Watson (36) early in their chase.

Skipper Ricky Ponting had, however, begun in ominous form smashing a Ryan Sidebottom delivery into the third tier of the Radford Road pavilion on the way to an unbeaten 39 from as many balls as Australia reached 107 for two after 20 overs.

Australia lost Paine (16) from the final ball of the ninth over when he miscued a hook off Bresnan that ballooned to Adil Rashid at short fine-leg.

Ponting then took just two balls to find the boundary with a straight drive which just outpaced the chasing Rashid. That stroke brought up Australia's 50 from 58 balls.

England then took their bowling powerplay and Ponting was clearly intent of making the most of the fielding restrictions.

The skipper deftly guided Bresnan through the vacant slip area for four, before opting for brute force to muscle his towering six off Sidebottom.

Watson had been cantering along at a run-a-ball himself before he too tried to go aerial but instead mistimed a drive to Mascarenhas off Bresnan at mid-on.

Earlier, England easily posted their highest total of the series so far despite only Eoin Morgan passing 50.

Morgan's innings was ended on 58, from 41 balls, when he was out reverse sweeping - picking out Peter Siddle off Nathan Bracken at a short fine leg.