English understudies restrict Australia

With Stuart Broad ruled out through injury, and new-ball pair James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom enduring barren opening spells, it was left to the back-up bowlers to disrupt Australia's innings.

It was Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan who made the breakthrough while Luke Wright struck twice and Ravi Bopara removed Cameron White with his first ball to derail Australia's start to the innings.

Once again it took Callum Ferguson to guide Australia towards their eventual total, his 55 from 58 balls representing a second half-century in as many innings.

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and opted to bowl first in overcast conditions in NW8, with the early 10.15am start seemingly likely to assist the pace attack.

New-ball bowler James Anderson believed he had made the first inroad in the third over when he struck Watson on the pad with one which held its line. But umpire Ian Gould turned down the confident appeal and Watson, on one at the time, went on to hit 34.

And it was not until the final over of the bowling powerplay that England claimed their initial success.

Bresnan had Watson caught at short extra-cover to begin a sequence of three wickets for 11 runs in five overs.

Wright followed up with the dismissals of Tim Paine and Michael Clarke before Bopara gained a thin edge from White, who was well set on 42.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann gained some turn on the used surface to claim two for 31, a spell which looked like restricting Australia to around 220. But Mitchell Johnson thrashed his way to an unbeaten 43, his career-best one-day international score, during a frantic finale.