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England beat Australia in ODI

South Hampton - Eoin Morgan's unbeaten 103 saw England to a come from behind four-wicket win over Australia in the first one-day international at the Rose Bowl here on Tuesday.

England, chasing 268 for victory, were in dire straits at 97 for four.

But former Ireland batsman Morgan's second one-day hundred for his adopted country turned the tide and gave England a 1-0 lead in this five match series.

He ended the match and went to his hundred in the process by crashing paceman Ryan Harris down the ground for four, having faced 85 balls with 16 fours as England won with exactly four overs to spare.

World champions Australia arrived in England without injured quicks Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus.

But having made 267 for seven, featuring vice-captain Michael Clarke's unbeaten 87, it seemed they would make light of their inexperienced attack.

However, a fifth-wicket stand of 95 in 92 balls between Morgan and Luke Wright swung the match back England's way before the latter was lbw for 36 to paceman Ryan Harris.

Tim Bresnan (27) then helped Morgan take England to the brink of victory.

England, looking to complete a notable treble over Australia after winning last year's Ashes and last month's World Twenty20 final against their oldest rivals, were now 192 for five. But the required rate was under a run-a-ball.

Australia had won eight of their last nine one-dayers against England but they had no answer to left-hander Morgan's sparkling display under the floodlights.

England suffered an early setback when captain Andrew Strauss, who'd struck two fours, was caught behind off a Harris delivery for 10.

That left England 16 for one and soon afterwards Australia were convinced wicketkeeper Tim Paine had caught Kevin Pietersen off Harris for nought.

But home umpire Ian Gould said "not out" to the fury of Australia, with captain Ricky Ponting risking a dissent charge for his angry reaction even though replays suggested England's dangerman may have edged the ball.

Craig Kieswetter, man-of-the-match in the World Twenty20 final with a rapid 63, again scored briskly.

He off-drove Doug Bollinger for four and square cut Harris to the boundary.

Debutant teenage quick Josh Hazlewood, Australia's youngest one-day international, saw his first ball, a full toss, driven down the ground for four by Pietersen, who subsequently drove Watson for four.

But Watson had his revenge when Pietersen, on 29, miscued to backward point where Ponting held a good low catch.

Kieswetter then hooked Hazlewood for the match's first six.

However, Hazlewood brought Australia back into the game when he clean bowled Kieswetter for 38, with a delivery that cut in.

England, who had been 75 for one, were now 81 for three.

And that became 97 for four when Twenty20 winning captain Paul Collingwood, holed out off Watson to James Hopes at mid-off.

But Morgan, reverse-sweeping off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for four and Wright, driving Watson, for a straight six staunched the flow of wickets.

Middlesex's Morgan off-drove Harris for a superb boundary before uppercutting left-arm quick Bollinger for four.

Earlier, Clarke faced 97 balls with seven boundaries in an innings where the next best score was Hopes's 34

Clarke shared fifty stands with both Michael Hussey (28) and Hopes after Australia, who saw Ponting win the toss, slumped to 98 for four on a pitch where the ball held up.

The series continues with a day/nighter at Cardiff on Thursday.

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