Lanning leaves England languishing

Meg Lanning plays the ball late during her wonderful ton, which led Australia to a comfortable nine-wicket victory

England's hopes of a first one-day series win in Australia were put to the sword by teenage centurion Meg Lanning, who inspired a thumping nine-wicket win.

The 18-year-old, playing only her second ODI, hit a sparkling 104 not out under the lights at the WACA to hand her side an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Chasing a challenging 215 for victory, Lanning and Shelley Nitschke put on a matchwinning 151-run stand for the first wicket in 32 overs, which ultimately decided the outcome.

England were left to rue Katherine Brunt's shin injury, which meant she watched from the sidelines and the tourists certainly missed her pace and aggression.

It looked ominous for the tourists as early as the sixth over when Lanning, who was born in Singapore, showed an early sign of her intent by launching Laura Marsh for a maximum.

The starlet cracked eight other sweetly-timed boundaries during her brisk 118-ball stay at the crease.

The experienced Nitschke, unusually relegated to something of a bystander while her fresh-faced opening partner made hay, hit six fours of her own in reaching 70.

But, attempting to hit Marsh into the Prindiville Stand, she holed out to Jenny Gunn who made good ground to take a steepling catch at long-off.

Any hopes England had of a dramatic turnaround were ended by a breezy knock from the pugnacious Leah Poulton, who bashed Danielle Hazell for the game's second six en route to an unbeaten 29.

Heather Knight hit 72 - her highest score for England - which took the tourists to an impressive 214 for eight at the WACA

There was enough time for Lanning to reach her first Australia century before dispatching Danielle Wyatt for the winning four to spark celebrations in the home dressing room.

Earlier in the day England, having won the toss, reached 214 for eight - a total built on Charlotte Edwards' fine innings of 90 which is her highest score against the old enemy.

Joining Heather Knight at the crease with the famous old scoreboard reading 52 for two, Edwards cracked 11 boundaries as the pair put on a 107-run stand.

Edwards looked set to register her fifth one-day hundred until she fell in unfortunate fashion, run-out at the non-striker's end by Erin Osbourne having backed up too far.

Knight's innings one of few bright notes for England and coach Mark Lane will hope the opener's half-century is the first of many for her country.

Her 72 was littered with stylish drives and crisp pulls shots, mostly off Ellyse Perry, but she will join Edwards in feeling a century was there for the taking.

England will return to the WACA for the third and final match of the one-day series on Sunday.

Knight said: "I’m pleased to get some runs under my belt and make a good score, but it’s difficult to take as we lost the game.

"We’re obviously bitterly disappointed, but we have a lot more cricket to play with another big series ahead and the Ashes Test.

"We’ll rally round as a team and stick together to come back fighting and look to take some momentum into the games ahead."