England can win one-day series says Andrew Strauss
Fifth one-day international: Australia v England Venue: Brisbane Date: Sunday, 30 January Start time: 0320 GMT Coverage: Live Test Match Special commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and the BBC Sport website (UK users only); live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles; also live on Sky Sports 1
England spirits were lifted as victory in Adelaide kept the series alive
England captain Andrew Strauss believes the team can achieve a remarkable 4-3 series win after a 21-run victory in Adelaide cut Australia's lead to 3-1.
Asked if England could rally as they did to win the 2007 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand, Strauss said: "I don't see any reason why not.
"Jonathan Trott's hundred was a very high quality innings and we probably could have got more than our 299.
"That is generally defendable here but the bowlers did a really good job."
In
that 2007 one-day series,
England were reeling after a 5-0 thumping in the Ashes, and lost five of their first six ODIs before winning their last two group games to edge above the Kiwis and qualify for the best-of-three final against Australia.
England, led by Andrew Flintoff after injury-plagued skipper Michael Vaughan's latest comeback proved short-lived, then won the first two finals to complete an unlikely series victory.
And with the tourists hoping for a similar upturn in form after losing the first three ODIs in this series, several under-pressure England players put in good performances in Adelaide, notably wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who recovered from two ducks at the top of the order to hit an attacking 67 from 58 balls, which featured eight fours and a six.
"He showed his attributes with shots down the ground and put the Australian bowlers under pressure," Strauss enthused. "We will be looking for more of that in the final three games but he feels very relieved to have contributed."
Paul Collingwood recovered some form with a six in his 27 and shared an important stand of 56 with Michael Yardy.
Medium-pacers Collingwood and Trott then impressed with the ball, taking three wickets between them in 14 overs.
"You're never entirely sure how a wicket is going to play, but generally the bowlers who take the pace off the ball do pretty well and they did here," Strauss said.
"When you're chasing 300 you can't afford to have the brakes applied but that's what our bowlers did to the Australians and that led to wickets."
Trott's 102 from 126 balls - a strike rate of 80 - contained six boundaries, compared with his unbeaten 84 in the previous match which featured only three fours and a strike rate of 70.
"It is something I've been working on very hard to improve and it's important to have those options," the Warwickshire batsman said of his more fluent innings.
"You're learning all the time with this game but keeping the basics and doing them well is always important."
Meanwhile Australia captain Michael Clarke lamented his team's slow start to the match as their run of four successive victories against England came to an end.
"We weren't at our best with our ball at the start and 299 is probably a few too many on that sort of wicket which slowed up a little bit, we did pretty well to get that close but unfortunately we didn't get the win," he said.
However, Australia can still secure the series by avoiding defeat in the next match, which takes place in Brisbane on Sunday.
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