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Nottingham: England captain Andrew Strauss told his players to show "character" after a 111-run thrashing by Australia on Thursday left them on the brink of a record 7-0 series loss.
No side has ever lost a bilateral ODI campaign 7-0. But a sixth straight defeat by world champions Australia meant England faced the prospect of making unwanted history in Sunday's climax at the Riverside.
"Six-nil is bad enough to be honest," Strauss said after England were beaten for the second time in three days under the Trent Bridge floodlights.
"We've got one more opportunity (this series) to show our calibre as a side. We need to take that opportunity."
England, set 297 to win after Australia made 296/8 featuring a maiden ODI century from wicketkeeper/batsman Tim Paine, were bowled out for 187 with a crushing nine overs to spare with only No 8 Tim Bresnan, 31 not out, making more than 30.
Once again England's top order failed, although Strauss, the hosts' best batsman this series, did appear unlucky to be given out caught behind for a second-ball nought.
But the left-handed opener said his dismissal was no excuse for another batting "horror show" that shattered England's already dented confidence ahead of next week's start of the Champions Trophy ODI tournament in South Africa.
"It was a bit of a horror show with the bat," Strauss said. "No one is more frustrated than I am."
Strauss, booed by angry spectators during the post-match presentation ceremony, added: "We were never in the hunt with the bat so I can understand the frustration of the crowd. I'm not going to sit here and make any excuses.
"What we have shown so far in this series hasn't been good enough, far from it. As a group of players and as individuals we need to stand up and show some character now. It's as simple as that."
He added: "It's been damaging for the One-day unit because confidence has become increasingly frail."
However, Strauss insisted England - who just over a year ago were 5-0 down in a seven-match ODI series in India that was cut short by the Mumbai terror attacks - could regroup in time for Sunday's match and the Champions Trophy.
Recalling how England won the One-day series on their last tour of Australia, after losing the Ashes 5-0, Strauss said: "It's not impossible to get back.
"I remember in Australia in 2006/07 we were in a similar state and Paul Collingwood got a couple of hundreds and things turned around.
"It's a very simple process. Sitting around in a team room having a chat about it is not going to solve anything.
"What is going to solve it is a couple of guys standing up and showing the necessary character to go out and turn things around. It's as simple as that... but with each game that passes the pressure grows."
The 24-year-old Paine, in only his seventh ODI, built on the fifty he made at Lord's last Saturday in fine style during a 148-ball innings with 14 fours.
Paine, only given a chance against England because first-choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was ruled out with a finger injury that will also sideline him from Australia's defence of their Champions Trophy title, was delighted.
"I'm rapt. I obviously got a bit nervous there so to get it out of the way and for the team to win the sixth straight game is a great thrill," the Tasmanian gloveman added.
"It's my job opening the batting for Australia is to score runs," opening batsman Paine added. "The first few games I felt reasonably good but didn't go on with it so it was just pleasing once I got my start to cash in."
Asked if he felt any sympathy for Ashes-winners England's One-day plight, Paine replied: "Not at all from me."
And he insisted that for all the talk of whitewashing England, there would be no change in Australia's approach at the weekend.
"We haven't spoken about that to be honest," Paine said. "We'll be talking about the seventh game and how we're going to go about winning it."
