Century from Jonathan Trott stops the rot

JONATHAN TROTT struck an ice-cool century as England arrested their slump in one-day cricket with a 21-run victory over Australia in Adelaide.

The No3 stroked 102 from 126 balls to build on Matt Prior's quickfire 67 at the top of the order to take Andrew Strauss' side to 299-8 their highest limited overs score on Aussie soil. Trott, 29, then completed an all-round performance as he claimed two wickets, his first in one-day cricket, to help restrict the hosts to 278-8 and ruin their Australia Day celebrations. A win for the home side would have wrapped up the seven-match series with three games to go, but Strauss and Co now have a sniff of what would be an impressive comeback. And the skipper did not rule out an improbable 4-3 series when asked about it.Strauss said: "I don't see why not. We absolutely desperately needed to a victory and we were very determined to do so, but we needed a couple of good performances."Jonathan Trott's hundred was a very high quality innings and we probably could have got more than our 299, but that is generally a defendable total here and the bowlers did a good job."England welcomed back Jimmy Anderson from his post-Ashes break, while Kevin Pietersen returned from a groin injury in a team loaded with seven batsmen. And the move paid off with a hefty total that could have been more but for part-time spinners David Hussey (4-21) and Steven Smith (3-33). Australia were then battling the asking rate after the loss of early wickets as England's new-ball bowlers maintained their knack for taking early wickets. Chris Tremlett (1-62) had Brad Haddin caught by Strauss at cover before Anderson (2-57) accepted a return catch from Shaun Marsh inside the first seven overs. Australia's under-fire stand-in skipper Michael Clarke made an unconvincing 15 from 27 balls before being skittled by the seam-up wobble of Paul Collingwood. But Shane Watson loomed as a dangerman as he reached 50 from 54 balls, including a towering six off Tremlett. Ajmal Shahzad was on hand to nick him! out on on 64, before Cameron White (44) and David Hussey (28) put on 60. Trott's nibblers had both men caught in the deep, snuffing out Australia's hopes despite an unbeaten 46 from Smith. England's knock had seen them lose skipper Strauss in just the third over, but at the other end Prior ended a run of successive ducks with an all-out assault on the Aussies.

Advertisement Trott, who survived a couple of run-out chances, kept the rate ticking over as the duo brought up their 100 stand from 103 balls. England threatened a wobble when they lost three for 22 in the middle overs with leg-spinner Smith the man to strike, but an unflustered Trott ploughed on to his century from 117 balls. The right-hander eventually chopped on to the part-time spin of Hussey with 10 overs to go, before Eoin Morgan's 24 was ended by the same man. But Collingwood (27) and Michael Yardy (39 not out) ensured England had enough runs to play with a stand of 61-run stand from just 41 balls.