Hussey keeps his cool

Mike Hussey pierces the off side during his crucial unbeaten 46 in Brisbane © Getty Images

View photo story

Australia overcame a rare but virulent bout of nerves to record a thrilling victory over England at the Gabba in the Commonwealth Bank Series.

Comfortable victors in their opening two games against England and New Zealand, Australia showed clear signs of fallibility - at least with the bat - in Brisbane before wrapping up the win that extends their lead at the top of the table to 10 points and all but guarantees their place in the final.

Though the scorecard reveals they triumphed by four wickets with more than 11 overs to spare, those figures do not reflect the trouble they endured in reaching a seemingly modest target of 156.

They had to counter some excellent bowling, by James Anderson in particular, and it needed a resilient unbeaten 46 from Mike Hussey - the bane of England for much of the Ashes Test series - to see the hosts past the finishing post.

He was the main contributor to an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 48 with Brett Lee that eased any remaining tension in the Australia camp, while Michael Clarke deserves considerable credit for a patient 36, and his part in helping rescue them from a perilous 48 for four.

Jon Lewis, with 4-36, may have been statistically the best England bowler, but Anderson impressed the most; he followed up his 4-42 against New Zealand with 2-29 from 10 overs, swinging the ball both ways at some pace.

Australia’s rash approach with the bat early on contrasted sharply with their brilliance in the field. Indeed, having beaten England and New Zealand comfortably in their opening two matches of the series, they raised their game to such an extent that few teams would have been able to live with them.

Glenn McGrath and Nathan Bracken returned figures of 3-24, the veteran returning from a groin strain to wreck the top order before Bracken made short work of the tail.

Mal Loye marks his England debut with a swept six off Brett Lee © Getty Images

Though Australia were assisted by some poor shot selection and muddled thinking on the part of the England batsmen, that should not detract from a performance - with the ball and in the field - which bordered on faultless.

Mal Loye enjoyed a prosperous start to his international career as England began brightly, and Matthew Hayden dropped a sharp chance at slip late on, but there was little more the hosts could have done to improve on a display of clinical efficiency epitomised by two sensational catches by Brad Hodge.

Loye, in for the injured Michael Vaughan, contributed a run-a-ball 36 containing five fours and a swept six off Lee, to an opening stand worth 52, but his was the first of five wickets to fall for just 19 runs as the complexion of the game was altered inexorably by McGrath.

Loye was caught at slip fencing at one from Bracken that climbed on him, and in the next over Andrew Strauss pulled McGrath to forward square-leg, where Hodge clung on to a splendid one-handed effort diving full length to his left.

McGrath extracted sufficient seam movement to find the inside edge of Ed Joyce’s bat before Ian Bell perished in excruciating fashion.

He steered Mitchell Johnson to gully, where Cameron White made a scrambling stop. As Bell and Paul Collingwood met mid-pitch amid much confusion over whether to take a single, White’s nonchalant back-handed throw while he lay on the ground rolled on to the stumps.

Paul Collingwood falls to Glenn McGrath, one of three wickets for the veteran © Getty Images

Collingwood fell to the next delivery - a perfect leg-cutter from McGrath - to leave England 71 for five, Paul Nixon edged Lee to Hayden at first slip and when Andrew Flintoff was caught by a tumbling Hodge at deep mid-wicket, England’s hopes of posting a total in excess of 200 were all but over.

Bracken’s slower ball accounted for Chris Tremlett and Lewis, and Jamie Dalrymple tarnished an otherwise responsible innings by slapping White long to Johnson at long-on.

Australia’s serene start to their reply stuttered somewhat when Adam Gilchrist pulled Lewis to deep square-leg.

Hayden fell in almost identical shortly after Hodge's leading edge was smartly taken by Dalrymple at gully off Anderson, and the crowd went noticeably quiet when Andrew Symonds was caught behind chasing a long hop from Lewis.

A watchful stand of 45 between Clarke and Hussey restored some sort of order for Australia, but the former was strangled down the leg side by Lewis and Anderson trapped White leg before to tilt the balance of power once again.

However, Hussey, displaying his usual unflappable temperament, flourished after a watchful start, striking five fours and six over fine leg in an innings which underlined his immense value to the Australia side.

Without him, the outcome of this match could - and probably would - have been very different.