Gough best in vain

Darren Gough had his best-ever ODI innings © Getty Images

A career-best 46 not out from Darren Gough in a record final-wicket partnership with Stephen Harmison was not enough to rescue a bonus point for England in their 57-run defeat to Australia in The NatWest Series at the Riverside.

England were unable to extend their recent dominance over the Ashes tourists in the one-day arena but Gough, who also top scored for England, hit his best ever ODI score and shared a 10th-wicket stand of 50 - the best for England against Australia - with Harmison, failing to secure the bonus point by only four runs.

It was a valiant effort from the final pair who took charge of the crease at 159 for nine with the contest all but over, but they blasted the total up to 209 for nine in response to Australia’s 266 for five.

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England had earlier managed to contain their Ashes opponents after stand-in skipper Marcus Trescothick had elected to bat second under the Chester-le-Street floodlights.

But the hosts never fully recovered from the loss of three early wickets against an Australia side determined to put an end to their recent one-day woes.

Trescothick was deputising for injured captain Michael Vaughan, who failed a fitness test on his injured groin and was unable to lead his country in all cricket for only the third time since he took over the captaincy two years ago.

Worcestershire batsman Vikram Solanki was chosen as the replacement for Vaughan, despite England’s decision to call-up Warwickshire’s Ian Bell into the squad as cover.

Gloucestershire seamer Jon Lewis was also overlooked as one of two changes to the line-up that hammered Bangladesh by 168 runs at Trent Bridge two days ago, with Gough returning to the side after being rested for the Nottingham match.

Chris Tremlett is jubilant after dismissing Adam Gilchrist © Getty Images

Australia suffered an injury problem of their own which ruled key middle-order batsman Michael Clarke out of contention.

The 24-year-old reported “severe lower back pain” after nets on Wednesday and it was announced he would be replaced by Andrew Symonds.

Better news for the Aussies was fast bowler Lee’s fitness following his shoulder problem. He came in for his first NatWest start of the season, in place of seamer Michael Kasprowicz.

Chris Tremlett continued his impressive start for England by claiming the wicket of Adam Gilchrist before Stephen Harmison and Andrew Flintoff broke through to reduce Australia to 96 for three.

Tremlett, who took 4-32 on his debut against Bangladesh on Tuesday, struck in the 10th over to give England an important breakthrough after Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden put on 44 for the opening wicket.

Marcus Trescothick (right) celebrates his brilliant run out of Andrew Symonds © Getty Images

Gilchrist got a top edge through to wicket-keeper Geraint Jones, who dived to his left and got his gloves to the ball before taking the catch one-handed at the second attempt.

That helped to slow the scoring and at the end of the fielding restrictions Australia were 73 for one.

They moved along to 95 before the second wicket fell in the 21st over. Ricky Ponting, who made 27, had been fortunate to survive in the previous over when his skied shot fell between Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen.

He had no such luck in the next over though as he looped a short ball from Harmison to third man where Ashley Giles dived forward to take a smart catch.

Five balls later England struck again as Hayden edged to Jones and went for 39 to reduce the Aussies to 96 for three.

Adam Gilchrist departs as England celebrate

Two late wickets had helped England contain the tourists after they had threatened to post 300-plus.

Symonds and Damien Martyn had got the tourists back on track with a fourth-wicket stand of 142 which was finally broken in the 46th over by a wonderful piece of fielding from Trescothick, who ran the Aussie dangerman out for 73 with a direct hit from wide mid-off.

And with little more than two overs remaining, Flintoff claimed his second wicket of the innings when Mike Hussey (5) lofted the ball straight to Collingwood at long-off.

England’s innings got off to the worst possible start, with the loss of both openers with only four runs on the board.

Paceman Lee was showing no ill-effects upon his return from a shoulder injury with a brutal early spell of quick swing bowling that kept openers Andrew Strauss and Trescothick penned in their crease.

The pressure eventually told with Strauss playing onto his own stumps.

Kevin Pietersen was not to be the hero this time © Getty Images

Trescothick soon joined him in the pavilion, edging a wicked Glenn McGrath ball to wicket-keeper Gilchrist after failing to score in 15 deliveries.

Worse was to follow as Collingwood mistimed a drive on the back foot onto off stump as McGrath claimed a second victim, Collingwood going for a second-ball duck to leave England struggling on six for three.

But Solanki and Flintoff began to form a useful fourth-wicket stand as England looked to get their run chase back on track.

However, as the partnership began to threaten three figures, Solanki (34) holed out to Ponting at short mid-on as spinner Brad Hogg snagged his first victim.

The fans were then briefly treated to the prospect of heavyweight hitters Pietersen and Flintoff (44) batting together before Flintoff's attempted six from spinner Brad Hogg's delivery was caught by Jason Gillespie at long on to leave the score 94 for five.

England looked like once again relying on Pietersen to rescue them, but he lofted Symonds delivery to Hussey at deep mid-wicket while on 19.

Stephen Harmison celebrates his wicket but he also proved a useful foil to Gough with the bat © Getty Images

Giles soon followed, edging Lee to Symonds at backward point.

And while Jones scratched around impressively, he eventually succumbed on 23 to Shane Watson, presenting Hayden with a simple catch at mid on.

Chris Tremlett’s batting debut lasted 18 balls as he too got too much air on Gillespie’s ball, with Hussey again underneath it, leaving the final pair an improbable 107 runs to get from six overs.

However, there were plenty of fun and games from Gough and Harmison, the Essex man showing no respect to the esteemed Australian attack with a series of well-struck boundaries, with Harmison providing an excellent foil.