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Sydney: Australia achieved their highest ever one-day international run-chase to seal victory over England in Sydney and take a 5-1 lead in the seven-match series.
In an improved England batting display, Jonathan Trott scored 137 to set a total of 333 - their highest against Australia in one-day internationals.
The home side's reply began positively, thanks largely to Shane Watson's 51 and Mitchell Johnson 57.
England halted the hosts' progress with five wickets, but Michael Clarke's 82 helped his side to a final-over win.
Australia's achievement is also their highest ever one-day total against England and the fourth highest ever run-chase by any side in ODI history, emphasising further the gulf that currently exists between these two sides.
Fuelled by their Ashes success, England came into this one-day series looking to build towards what seemed a genuinely realistic World Cup challenge, but due to poor form and fitness, such buoyant optimism has diminished in conjunction with their hopes of victory over these seven limited overs matches.
Four defeats from the first five games made this, and the final encounter in Perth on Sunday, dead rubbers in lieu of the series, but with pride to restore and World Cup starting places to secure, they remain important fixtures and despite defeat the tourists' can take many positives from an improved showing than that in Brisbane last Sunday.
In truth, the match did not demonstrate anything we didn't already know about England: Matt Prior remains a vulnerable opener, Andrew Strauss is a positive presence but prone to weak dismissals, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell are in superb form and Kevin Pietersen isn't.
However, it is a timely boost for the team to post such a big total - their largest in ODIs against Australia and their joint-sixth highest of all time - albeit on a superb track.
It was not a strong England bowling performance overall, with attack-leader James Anderson particularly expensive, going for 91 from his 10 overs.
But on a good pitch - that will bear no similarity to that in the sub-continent - with two of the potential five bowlers for the World Cup sidelined through injury and Paul Collingwood's contribution with the ball completely nullified due to a back injury incurred in the first innings, it is difficult to use this as a wholly accurate barometer for future matches.
Collingwood was not the only injury concern during what was a gruelling encounter: Pietersen also spent time away from the action after slipping in the field and Trott needed a runner late in his innings due to cramp.
Having won the toss and opted to bat, the tourists made a tame and - in Prior's case - a somewhat nervy start to the innings, with the right-hander twice just evading fielders with attempted pulls from Brett Lee.
But just as the Sussex man seemed to have weathered the storm he attempted to work a slight inswinger from Mitchell Johnson to leg and was bowled off his pads for 18.
At the other end, captain Andrew Strauss was a steadying influence, playing with calculated aggression to make his 26th one-day 50, during which he established a promising stand with Trott.
However, with the pair primed to kick on, Strauss came down the track to Steven Smith and with an attempted lofted stroke to leg was caught low down at mid-wicket by David Hussey for 63.
Pietersen's arrival gave England a more balanced batting pair, with the newcomer playing aggressor to Trott's pragmatist and the pair honoured their respective roles well to establish another good partnership.
This was undone in the first ball of the batting power-play when Lee returned with a replaced ball to have Pietersen caught by Smith at mid-off via a mistimed drive.
Fresh impetus was provided by Ian Bell, who accompanied Trott on route to his run-a-ball 100, while attacking with real purpose and inventiveness to add further credence to the argument that he should open the innings in place of Prior.
He and Trott added 104 runs in just over 11 overs together at a run-rate over two runs better than the team overall, before the Warwickshire man hit a flat, off-side swipe straight to Clarke at extra-cover off Shaun Tait.
Eoin Morgan provided a flashy little end-of-innings cameo but the overall plaudits belong to Trott, who amassed his highest score in ODIs and the biggest by an England batsman on this ground in one-day internationals.
He benefitted from a review on an LBW decision from Tait shortly after Pietersen was out - with replays showing the ball was missing down leg - but barring this, his classy innings was calm and composed.
In contrast to England, Australia began firmly on the front foot, with Watson in typically cavalier mood as they dominated England's bowlers and raced to 50 before the end of the sixth over.
Anderson found the going particularly tough but it was he who made the initial breakthrough, drawing a leg-side flick from Brad Haddin which saw Trott belie his previous exertions to acrobatically catch at short fine leg.
Immediately after the wicket, Strauss brought Michael Yardy into the attack and the decision paid dividend five overs later when Watson - who by this point had passed 50 at a strike-rate of 150 - sought to whip the spinner through leg but instead found the England captain, who claimed a diving catch at midwicket.
In a surprise move, Australia sent in Johnson as a pinch-hitting replacement for Watson and it worked superbly as he and Callum Ferguson added 79 between them to take Australia half-way towards their target and seemingly in control of the match.
This remained the case even when Ferguson inexplicably set off from the non-striker's end for a non-existent single and was run out four short of his half-century by Prior before he could scurry back and Johnson was stumped off Pietersen shortly after for 57.
Brief scores
England 6 for 333 (Trott 137)
Australia 8 for 334 (Clarke 82, Johnson 57)
Result Australia won by two wickets
MOM Jonathan Trott (England)
