England v Australia: Top of the world as Pietersen smashes Australia

ENGLAND stormed to a seven-wicket victory over Australia at the Kensington Oval to break their 35-year duck in International Cricket Council tournaments.

The ease of England's success in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 made a mockery of previous failures, as Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen's stand of 111 helped them cruise past Australia's 147-6 – with three full overs to spare.

Kieswetter (63) hit six fours and a six in his 40-ball 50 and Pietersen was almost as dominant in a run chase which became a no-contest long before captain Paul Collingwood clubbed the winning runs.

Both of England's second-wicket pair were out before the end, allowing Collingwood to appropriately shepherd his team to the previously elusive silverware.

Australia, hitherto unbeaten in this tournament, stumbled disastrously to 8-3 in the third over after being put in on a pacy pitch.

David Hussey (59) oversaw a well-crafted recovery.

But England had taken a telling advantage, and were in no mood to let it slip this time against the old enemy.

Hussey shared a fifth-wicket stand of 50 with Cameron White and also combined to good effect with his brother Michael to help add 55 in the last five overs.

But the resulting total never looked enough, and in the end England made it seem woefully short.

Their only minor moments of discomfort came with an early departure of their own – Michael Lumb spearing a catch to mid-on off Shaun Tait – and then an embarrassing five-minute hiatus for the organisers as groundstaff struggled to fix a glitch with the sightscreen.

Kieswetter returned to crunch the very next ball, from Dirk Nannes, past cover for four.

Pietersen, still on a high after flying home mid-tournament to witness the birth of his first child, soon showed he was once again at the top of his form yet still had to cede centre stage to his fellow South Africa-born batsman.

Australia had no answer, hastening their defeat with some sloppy work in the field and occasionally ill-directed bowling.

With the match as good as won, Pietersen got underneath a big hit at Steven Smith to hole out to David Warner's ultra-safe hands – and Kieswetter went in bizarre circumstances, lunging away to leg to give himself room leaving himself unable to reach a delivery from Mitchell Johnson which clattered into off and middle-stump.

It made little difference, though, as Collingwood and Eoin Morgan completed a simple task with minimum fuss and to much adulation from a sell-out crowd.

Hussey's earlier hard work had brought him a 49-ball 50, containing two sixes and just one four.

But England had got their retaliation in first with the new ball.

Ryan Sidebottom had Shane Watson fencing a chance to wicketkeeper Kieswetter, who could only parry straight into the hands of Graeme Swann at first slip.

Lumb then kept his nerve as Australia apparently lost theirs, Warner stranded by an under-armed direct hit from cover after Michael Clarke had called him through for an unwise, stop-start single.

Brad Haddin went for the addition of just one more dicey run into the off-side when he was given out caught behind by Billy Doctrove.

It was a superb diving catch down the leg-side by Kieswetter, but Haddin appeared less impressed by the quality of the decision – eventually walking off in stunned disbelief, pointing to his hip.

In the absence of any boundaries Clarke, in particular, could only get off strike with sharp and potentially risky singles – until Sidebottom strayed in line to the Australia captain at the start of the fifth over.

That was the only four in a powerplay which brought Australia their tournament worst total of 24-3 after six overs. Clarke eventually fell in the 10th over, thanks to some great anticipation and athleticism from his opposite number Collingwood – diving high to his left to take the catch at straight midwicket after Clarke had gone down the pitch to Swann.

Big hitter White and Hussey were forced into unaccustomed conservatism, until they suddenly targeted Michael Yardy's left-arm spin – taking 20 in sixes and fours, as well as a single, from the 13th over.

It was potentially a turning point, forcing Collingwood into a change of plan with the early return of England's death bowler Tim Bresnan.

After Hussey had escaped on 26 – Stuart Broad barely laying a hand on a swirling skier off Bresnan at wide mid-on – Collingwood took a gamble by handing Luke Wright the ball for the first time in the tournament.

Wright did not let him down with an over which cost just five runs and brought the huge wicket of White, Broad showing plenty of mettle to claim another awkward catch in the off-side ring as he sprinted back from point and dived between two other fielders to cling on.

The Husseys took over from there, with enough resources left to salvage only a total Australia could just about hope to defend – but not for long as Kieswetter, Pietersen and Collingwood steered England to a famous win and a long-overdue international trophy.

ICC World Twenty20 Final

England v Australia

Barbados: England beat Australia by 7 wkts

Australia Innings

S R Watson c Swann b Sidebottom 2

D A Warner run out 2

M J Clarke c Collingwood b Swann 27

B J Haddin c Kieswetter b Sidebottom 1

D J Hussey run out 59

C L White c Broad b L J Wright 30

M E K Hussey not out 17

S P D Smith not out 1

Extras b1 lb2 w4 nb1 8

Total 6 wkts 147

Fall: 1-2 2-7 3-8 4-45 5-95 6-142

Did Not Bat: M G Johnson, S W Tait, D P Nannes.

Bowling: Sidebottom 4 0 26 2; Bresnan 4 0 35 0; Broad 4 0 27 0; Swann 4 0 17 1; Yardy 3 0 34 0; L J Wright 1 0 5 1;

England Innings

M J Lumb c D J Hussey b Tait 2

C Kieswetter b Johnson 63

K P Pietersen c Warner b Smith 47

P D Collingwood not out 12

E J G Morgan not out 15

Extras lb1 w8 9

Total 3 wkts (17 overs) 148

Fall: 1-7 2-118 3-121

Did Not Bat: L J Wright, T T Bresnan, M H Yardy, G P Swann, S C J Broad, R J Sidebottom.

Bowling: Nannes 4 0 29 0; Tait 3 0 28 1; Johnson 4 0 27 1; Smith 3 0 21 1; Watson 3 0 42 0.