2009 NatWest Series, England (0) v Australia (4)

• 5th ODI: Tuesday 15th September, Trent Bridge (D/N)
• 6th ODI: Thursday 17th September, Trent Bridge (D/N)
• 7th ODI: Sunday 20th September, Riverside

Michael Clarke said at the start of the series that he was hoping to hand a 3-0 advantage to Ricky Ponting when the Australian captain returned to the side and has delivered on that promise. Punter will be hoping to close out the series at the first opportunity at Lord’s and the Australians have been very good at that historically. In all head-to-head ODI series of three games or more against non-minnows, Australia are W22-L12 (with one tie and two no results) in games in which a win would clinch the series, losing only three of 15 since Ponting’s appointment as captain in 2002 — including just one of their last 12 (two no results).

England’s hopes of adding an ODI series victory to their Ashes triumph have all but disappeared and their record when having fallen a distance behind in a series does not suggest that there will be much further intrigue as to the series winner. Indeed, in their history, once down by two or more games in a series, England have gone W9-L19 (with one no result).

Assuming Australia do wrap up the series victory in short time, England cannot expect a let up and easy consolation victories. In the history of series between non-minnows, the team that has already won the series has won a little under two thirds (65%) of games in the rest of the series. England’s record in dead rubbers when they have lost the series over the last 10 years is W2-L8 although Australia’s record in those games having already won the series in that time is only W6-L9.