Morgan ton steers England to win

Eoin Morgan blasted a superb century as England claimed a four-wicket win over Australia in the first NatWest Series one-day international at the Rose Bowl.

Michael Clarke's highest one-day international score against England helped Australia post a challenging total of 267 for seven.

Clarke hit seven fours from 97 balls in his unbeaten 87 to help the visitors recover from losing four top-order wickets for only 46 runs.

The vice-captain shared stands of 70 with Mike Hussey and then 57 with James Hopes for the fifth and sixth wickets - gradually increasing the tempo until 78 runs came off the final 10 overs.

But Australia did not account for Morgan.

The Dublin-born 23-year-old, who last month helped England beat Australia to win the World Twenty20 tournament in the Caribbean, was in supreme form with 103 off 85 balls to lead the hosts to a comfortable victory with four overs to spare.

A 95-run partnership in 15 overs with Wright kept them in with a near even chance - and after losing Wright, Morgan's uncanny ability to pace an innings and pick and execute the right shots helped England home with a misleading four overs to spare.

The Irishman's deft deflections and powerful drives brought him 16 fours from only 85 balls in his third one-day international hundred, and prevented his adopted country losing a ninth match in their last 10 attempts in this format against Australia.

He still needed support from the lower order, though - and it duly came from Tim Bresnan, whose survival on 10 by a hair's breadth third-umpire run-out decision early in a match-clinching stand of 71 was an apt indicator of a closely-fought series opener.

Bresnan was yorked by Ryan Harris (three for 42) with victory in sight, allowing Morgan to finish the contest with a boundary off the same bowler.