Mullally the four-wicket hero as England beat Australia

Mullally's destructive spell included 4-12 in the space of 27 deliveries in removing key Australian batsmen, Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn.

The Leicestershire left-armer's previous best one-day figures were 3-29 against Zimbabwe in Harare two years ago.

As Australia crumbled from 46 for two to 48 for five it was left to one-day batting specialist Michael Bevan to get Australia home -- and he almost did.

Bevan came close to saving his country but ran out of partners as Australia just fell short of the revised target of 153 from 36 overs, which had been adjusted following rain.

Australia made 145 for nine, Bevan finishing unbeaten on 56 and Glenn McGrath one.

England had made 178 for eight from 50 overs but rain delayed the start of the Australian innings and the match was docked 14 overs.

As a result the run-rate increased slightly from 3.58 to 4.25 per over.

But still it seemed a routine chase and when openers Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh got off to a flier it looked like the Australians could do it in a canter.

But three of Mullally's wickets coincided with a dramatic Australian collapse of 4-2 until Bevan came to the crease with Brendon Julian and Shane Warne behind him.

But Julian (23) threw away his wicket when he charged Robert Croft after doing the hard work while acting captain Shane Warne (8) was run out by a spectacular piece of fielding by English debutant Mark Alleyne.

With the run rate jumping to more than 10, and then 13 required off the last over, the game was just out of reach for Bevan.

Earlier, Australia, set up by a superb opening spell from Adam Dale and pressure maintained by McGrath, England struggled for runs after losing skipper and opening batsman Alec Stewart to a first ball duck.

The frugal Dale mesmerised the English top order with a 10-over spell of 2-25.

As England fell deeper into trouble Warne kept attacking although the tourists managed to bat out the overs with a 42-run ninth wicket stand between Croft (26no) and Darren Gough (23no).

Warne's thoughtful use of McGrath (2-24 from 10 overs) was instrumental in sustaining the pressure on the English as the strike bowler was deployed in three spells.

Dale seemingly struck the killer blow in his first over when he trapped Stewart plumb leg before with the first ball the skipper faced.

After a snail-paced 29-run second-wicket stand with Nick Knight, Vince Wells had his middle stump cartwheeled by Dale.

Dale's swing partner Damien Fleming (2-33) then joined the action with a dubious caught behind decision which went against Graeme Hick who had looked in ominous touch.

After pulling Fleming to the midwicket boundary, Hick played late at an outswinger which brushed the top of his pad on the way through. Replays showed the ball clearly missed the bat.

But umpire Tony McQuillan made up for that mistake with a brave run out call to Mark Alleyne, the second debutant with Wells in the England team.

Alleyne, who won his place with his 41-ball 60 against Queensland here on Friday, slipped while turning for a second run.

McGrath returned from the deep to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist to break the stumps and McQuillan did not hesitate to give him out in the close call.

McGrath removed opener Knight in his second two-over spell and then, when Neil Fairbrother began threatening, Warne reintroduced him.

In his second over he had Fairbrother bowled for 47.

England back up against world champions Sri Lanka here on Monday in another match in the tri series.