SYDNEY: Extraordinarily, despite the rain, and its failure to make enough runs after getting first use of a good pitch, England won the second final of the one-day tri-series against Australia and so took the crown 2-0 for the first time since Mike Gatting's team gained all three trophies — the Ashes, Benson & Hedges World Series Cup and the Benson & Hedges Challenge — on offer back in 1986-87.

Andrew Flintoff's men won — under the Duckworth-Lewis calculations by 34 runs — appropriately since these two guys are British university professors as well as being cricket nuts — after the weather had seriously interfered with the match.

Superb show

It was England's finest performance since it landed in Australia on November, lost the Ashes 0-5 and began the one-day series as if it did not care. Most credit must go to Flintoff who suffered the worst of the slings and arrows of the Australian press and the British public, kept smiling, kept insisting that his side was capable of improved results and, even when he handed the captaincy back to Michael Vaughan, strove mightily.

In this final match he handled a difficult situation with calm and, grinning widely, left the cheer leading to the wicketkeeper Paul Nixon who played a big part in driving the side to victory when the game was abandoned in the final rainstorm. Flintoff said this victory had been a great thrill. "We have stayed together throughout and in the past four games we have played as well as any England side I have seen," he said.

Pat for Fletcher

He deliberately took time to praise Duncan Fletcher, the coach, whose job has been under threat until the last week. Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, admitted his side had "let everyone down in the last few matches." Even Glenn McGrath, the great bowler playing at the SCG for the last time, praised England's effort. "They have played so well in the last few matches that they deserved to win," he said. I feel that the big change began when Andrew Symonds, the Australian all-rounder, was injured and that it will be a lesser World Cup side without him.

Paul Collingwood, England's answer to Symonds, was named man of the match. Flintoff won the toss and decided to bat on a good pitch. Ed Joyce went early but Mal Loye and Ian Bell were on top until the second rain break when Loye was run out and, after only five balls, Andrew Strauss who has had one of the most dreadful tours of all time, was caught behind.

Key partnership

At this point Collingwood took charge as he added 97 with Flintoff and made his third successive top score as the side reached 246 for eight. McGrath, who had taken the first wicket of the match, bowled his last ball on the ground with every spectator on his feet chanting as they willed him to take a wicket before his final curtain call. The fans combined good wishes worked as Paul Nixon lobbed the ball to Brad Hodge, the outstanding fielder of the series and the cheers continued as he walked off the SCG for the last time in an international match. It was easy to feel the emotion as this great bowler walked away from the game he has graced — and sometimes disgraced — for 13 years.

Curtly Ambrose and Richard Hadlee were like-for-like bowlers with more skills but you could not have convinced anyone on his home ground of that as he waved farewell.

Australian collapse

When Australia batted Liam Plunkett, the outstanding new ball bowler, and Sajid Mahmood, destroyed the Australian top order but rain breaks and the consequent reduction in overs meant the game remained winnable almost to the final moments although a superb flying catch by Jamie Dalrymple off the hard-hitting Shane Watson had sealed the game earlier.

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