England were left one match away from suffering a series whitewash after they crashed to defeat in the sixth ODI against Australia.
Rookie wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine hit his maiden ODI century as the tourists posted 296 for eight batting first at Trent Bridge.
His innings of 111 from 148 balls was built on composure and, from a player making just his seventh appearance, was one England's aspiring batsman would have done well to take notice of following a series when they have routinely failed to cash in on starts.
Their chase on Thursday night was not undermined by such profligacy, however, rather two brilliant pieces of fielding from Ricky Ponting.
The skipper ran out Matt Prior and Ravi Bopara in the space of five balls to suck the life out of England's chase at 60 for four.
England steadily lost wickets thereafter and were eventually bowled out for 185 from 41 overs to give little reason to suggest they can avoid a 7-0 humbling in the final match of the series at Chester-le-Street on Sunday.
England's chase was almost immediately on the skids when Andrew Strauss was incorrectly given out from the second ball for a duck.
The skipper fended inside a searing short ball from Brett Lee, but after a sustained appeal from the Australians umpire Asad Rauf lifted his finger.
Strauss was clearly unhappy after getting his second bad decision in as many games but he would have been less enthused as his team struggled thereafter.
Joe Denly had again got off to a start, reaching 25 from 43 balls, before he miscued a drive off James Hopes to Lee at mid off.
England's hopes then evaporated after two sublime pieces of fielding from Ponting.
The skipper's turn and throw from cover caught Prior (six) backing up too far and five balls later another direct hit sent Bopara packing for 25.
Owais Shah was again involved, although rather than the hesitation that has plagued his running previously this time his total commitment to the run sold Bopara into a single that was not there. The Essex right-hander was caught yards short of his ground as England sunk to 60 for four after 15 overs.
Shah and Eoin Morgan both produced some eye-catching strokes, but as so often with England's middle-order in this series they both got out as they started to look dangerous.
Both fell for 23 before Dimitri Mascarenhas (11) was unluckily bowled off his thigh pad by Hopes.
Ponting could even have had a third run out, but missed the stumps with Tim Bresnan well short of his ground. The Yorkshireman went on the top score with an unbeaten 31 as England otherwise meekly surrendered.
The highlight of Australia's 296 for eight was Paine's maiden ODI century.
The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman belied his inexperience with a composed innings of 111 at the top of the order.
James Anderson had removed Shane Watson (four) and Ponting (six) inside the opening 10 overs, but with the level head of Mike Hussey by his side Paine built his innings with his strokeplay square of the wicket a feature. The pair put on risk-free 163 runs for the third wicket.
More Paine for England
Paine patiently waited for England to bowl to his strengths, which they invariably did, forcefully cutting Bresnan backward of point on a couple of occasions before lifting Mascarenhas over the mid-off ropes.
Hussey carted Ryan Sidebottom for a six to go to 49 and brought up his half-century, his first in 10 games, with a quick single.
The innings stalled slightly as Paine crept up on his century - he took nine balls to get off 98 before eventually pushing to mid-off and bring up his hundred.
Hussey departed in the 40th over for 65 when he slog-swept Swann to Denly and eight balls later Paine followed when Prior took an instinctive catch standing up to Mascarenhas.
Callum Ferguson (six) was bowled when Anderson returned for the batting powerplay, but Cameron White (35) and Hopes (38) made full use of the fielding restrictions adding 53 in 28 balls.
White was Anderson's fourth victim attempting a thrash that flew only to Denly at cover and the Lancastrian added to his figures of four for 55 by running out Lee for a duck with a direct hit from long-off.
Teams:
England: AJ Strauss, JL Denly, RS Bopara, MJ Prior, OA Shah, EJG Morgan, AD Mascarenhas, TT Bresnan, GP Swann, RJ Sidebottom, JM Anderson.
Australia: SR Watson, TD Paine, RT Ponting, MEK Hussey, CL White, CJ Ferguson, JR Hopes, NM Hauritz, B Lee, NW Bracken, PM Siddle.
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