4th ODI: Five-star Lee overpowers England

London:

Brett Lee routed England as Australia won the fourth one-day international at Lord's on Saturday by seven wickets to take an unbeatable 4-0 lead in the seven-match series.

Lee took five wickets for 49 runs in nine overs of hostile fast bowling as England were dismissed for 220 with 21 balls of their innings left.

World champions Australia then made 221 for three, reaching their victory target with more than six overs remaining.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting, in his first match since his post-Ashes break, made 48 before holing out off Tim Bresnan.

But it was Ponting's heir apparent, Michael Clarke, who saw Australia home with 62 not out after opener Tim Paine made 51.

Earlier, Lee produced a trio of 93mph-plus yorkers to clean bowl Matt Prior, Luke Wright and Stuart Broad, having previously dismissed Joe Denly.

He completed his five-wicket haul by uprooting Adil Rashid's stumps.

It was the ninth time the 32-year-old quick, out with a side injury at the start of the Ashes and unable to get back in during the remainder of England's 2-1 triumph, had taken five wickets in an innings in 179 ODIs.

He was well-supported by off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, who took two wickets for 23 runs in 10 miserly overs as England's run-rate nosedived.

England captain Andrew Strauss made 63 for the second time in as many matches but, yet again this series, saw a top order without injured star batsman Kevin Pietersen fail, with no other home batsman making more today than Owais Shah's 39.

England, who rested all-rounder Paul Collingwood and paceman James Anderson, were on course for a 7-0 whitewash in India late last year before the Mumbai terror attacks led to the suspension of their tour when they were 5-0 down.

But barely a fortnight after their Ashes success, losing this series 7-0 is now a real possibility.

Strauss, who won a fourth straight toss, struck three boundaries in four balls off left-arm quick Nathan Bracken thanks to two cuts and a leg-glance.

But Kent opener Denly, playing his first ODI against Test opposition after he'd sustained a knee injury during a football warm-up before this series got underway, fell for 11 after edging Lee to first slip Cameron White. Ashes-winning captain Strauss completed a 48-ball fifth with eight fours.

After also making 63 in England's six-wicket loss at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, Strauss said: "When you are batting well you have to make hay, and I haven't done that."

So it was not hard to imagine his feelings when, on England's unlucky number of 111, Strauss, trying to slog-sweep Hauritz, got a gentle top-edge to Bracken at short third man.