Aussies Aim to Wrap up ODI Series

Brisbane: Australian captain Michael Clarke says he was chasing a clean-sweep in the seven-game Commonwealth Bank Series against England, but after losing in Adelaide he'll settle for a 6-1 result.

Heading into the fifth match, to be played at the Gabba on Sunday, the Australians hold a 3-1 lead, and Clarke is hoping to get back in the winner's circle with a victory for the Queensland flood victims.

Though struggling desperately to resurrect his own form with the bat, Clarke's men have so far been the superior one-day side, succeeding in executing a momentum shift after the English took all the bragging honours from the five-Test Ashes Series.

With the 2011 World Cup fast approaching, the three-time defending champions are understandably gaining confidence form their start in the Commonwealth Banks Series.

According to Clarke, respect for England's limited-overs credentials made the three wins all the more valuable to his side, and that any further momentum the Australians could build on home soil would benefit their subcontinent campaign.

Meanwhile, the English have proven over and over again this summer that they'll fight the Australians to the last breath.

Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior showed great form and resilience at the Adelaide Oval to snap the visitors' run of losses, and the England camp have publicly stated a belief in their ability to come from behind and steal the series with four-straight wins.

Kevin Pietersen told media that the win in Adelaide had been a welcome boost, but the English would have to adjust to a different set of challenges at the Gabba.

"It was nice to win in Adelaide, you always look for momentum but momentum hasn’t meant a lot on this trip so far. It’s a different ground with different conditions and whoever adjusts best will win tomorrow," he said.

We are looking forward to playing, we can’t afford to lose, and we’ll be looking to fight as hard as we did in Adelaide and play a bit better.

Clarke said that the Australians would wait until either Saturday afternoon or the morning of the game to make a decision on the make-up of the side and that, to his knowledge, Mitchell Johnson would be 100 percent fit for selection

England won quite convincingly in Adelaide on Wednesday but their quest over the final three games remains the same. The tourists must succeed in every match to avoid losing the contest, while Australia have the luxury of having some off nights after earning a 3-1 lead.

England's main problem is whether to pick another specialist fast bowler. They went with only three in Adelaide, but Brisbane is a different prospect and the extra speed is vital. That leaves Paul Collingwood and Michael Yardy in vulnerable positions, while the chances of Chris Woakes or Luke Wright being recalled have increased.

Teams from

Australia Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Cameron White, Brad Haddin (wk), John Hastings, David Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Xavier Doherty, Doug Bollinger, Shaun Tait

England Andrew Strauss (capt), Ian Bell, Steve Davies (wk), Paul Collingwood, Jonathan Trott, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright, Matt Prior (wk), Michael Yardy, Ajmal Shahzad, Tim Bresnan, James Tredwell, Chris Tremlett, Chris Woakes, Steven Finn, James Anderson

Stats and trivia

• The only international team with a better winning percentage at the Gabba than Australia's 56.66% is West Indies' 76.19%. England sit fourth on 53.84% after seven wins in 13 appearances.
• Australia's only loss in five games against England here came in 1998-99, when Alan Mullally's 4 for 18 helped dismiss the hosts for 145.
• David Gower holds the highest score at the ground with 158 off 118 balls, with 18 fours and four sixes, against New Zealand in 1982-83.

Match facts
Sunday January 30, 2011 (day/night)
Start time 13:20 local (03:20 GMT)