MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb 13 (AFP) - England's four-month cricket tour of Australia ended in humiliating defeat here Saturday as Australia surged to a massive 162-run victory in the second final match to win the triangular one-day series.

Australia, captained by Shane Warne in the absence of injured Steve Waugh, ensured there would not be a third final Sunday when they skittled Alec Stewart's men for a paltry 110 in reply to the home team's 272 for five off 50 overs.

England, who also lost the Ashes Test series 3-1 last month, never recovered from a horror start in which they buckled to 13 for four in the fourth over.

In an anti-climax before a below-par MCG crowd of 20,413, Australia cruised to their 12th victory in the home triangular series since the launching of the tournament 20 years ago.

It was England's second heaviest one-day rout, only failing by two runs to eclipse their worst loss, a 164-run mauling in the West Indies five years ago.

But for England the match was a disaster with skipper Stewart clearly upset at the magnitude of the defeat, taking more than 40 minutes to attend the post-match press conference.

''When you are 4-13 you are not going to win too many games,'' Stewart said.

''When you lose by that much in a one day game it is obviously a very bad loss but I don't think we really batted well throughout the whole tournament.''

The only consolation for England was their star batsman Graeme Hick was named as joint man of the series along with Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath.

Australia's win was a triumph for acting skipper Shane Warne who led the side intuitively in the absence of Waugh, who was earlier this week installed as Australia's new permanent skipper following the retirement of Mark Taylor.

It was an awesome Australian performance and underlined their claims for the World Cup in England in May and June.

But first they leave on Wednesday for the Caribbean where they will play the West Indies in four Tests and seven one-day internationals between March and April.

Warne, who has impressed in the leadership role and who is vice-captain on the forthcoming Caribbean tour, said Australia could hardly have played better in such an important match.

''It was one of those games when everything worked for us,'' he said.

''The boys were pretty pumped when they went onto the field. Everything just clicked and it whipped us into a frenzy.

''It just shows what we can do when everybody gels together.''

It was a depressing end to an arduous four-month tour for England, who return home next week empty-handed after Australia successfully defended the Ashes for the fifth time as well as winning the one day trophy for the fifth time in six years.

England's batsmen played as if their minds were already on the long plane trip home as they slumped to 13 for four in the fourth over with only Stewart offering any resistance with a stubborn 32.

But even Stewart had a hand in his side's dismal collapse when he was involved in a terrible mix-up which resulted in the needless run-out of Nick Knight in the second over.

Stewart then watched as batsman Hick threw away his wicket in the next over, caught at third man by Adam Dale off the bowling of McGrath for a duck.

When England lost Nasser Hussain next ball to a dubious caught behind decision, which even the Australian fieldsmen did not appeal with conviction, their run chase was as good as lost.

Warne took 3-16 off 5.5 overs and McGrath, Dale and Julian each claimed two wickets.

Earlier Darren Lehmann proved a point to the national selectors, who left him out of the 15-man squad to tour the West Indies, when he hammered 71 off just 75 balls in a man-of-the-match performance to topscore in Australia's innings.

The beefy South Australian left-hander received stout support from much-improved Damien Martyn, who made 57, and opener Adam Gilchrist, who struck 52 while Shane Lee hit successive sixes off Alan Mullally in a delightful cameo innings of 20 not out off only nine balls in the last over.