Crafting out a magnificent 115 for New South Wales, the former Test opener reached his maiden one-day century for the state - his only other century appeared when he played in county cricket.

Slater and Michael Bevan steered New South Wales to victory as they played quality and aggressive cricket for the state side.

Slater and Corey Richards began the innings constructively watching the pitch to see how it was playing. Although Andrew Caddick and Andrew Flintoff bowled well for the first four overs, soon the tables turned when Slater took control.

Richards did not really get much of a look-in as Slater dominated the strike and, in an aggressive frame of mind, took on the England bowlers to see them soon out the attack.

Richards fell cheaply for seven after he flicked Steve Harmison to mid-on for a good catch to be taken by Flintoff.

But with Richards gone, Bevan, arguably the best one-day batsman in the world, stepped up. But not even Bevan could match up with Slater in this frame of mind.

Slater fell to Flintoff after a brief lack of concentration and he flicked the ball to mid-on to a waiting Trescothick. The 25-year-old made the breakthrough, but little emotion spread through the England side when they took out the main man and stopped the partnership of 134 runs.

Steve Waugh, hoping to show the selectors that he is capable of playing in one-day colours, smashed all-rounder Robbie Irani for 18 runs in the space of four balls. He smashed three sixes - the first to the back of the Members stand and the last two within the M. A. Noble stand.

But it was England who tightened the screws early in the match, with neither opener being able to score off the bowlers.

But soon enough, Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Caddick were taken apart by the man they call 'Slats.' Off one Flintoff over, Slater hit 10 runs, smashing him to the boundary and taking the ones and twos that the England field made available.

Slater seemed impatient and looked to take on the England attack. He mistimed twice and luckily did not manage to be dismissed. But nothing, it appeared, could penetrate the Slater shield, and the right-hander went onto score a fast 50 that came up in 59 minutes off 53 balls, brought up with a huge six.

Richards though could not match the same intensity and fell with the score on 48, only seven of these actually coming from the man himself. A bowling change, with Steve Harmison coming in for Caddick, worked for England, as Flintoff caught Richards off Harmison's second delivery.

But with the solid presence of Michael Bevan at the other end, Slater seemed to open up even more and thrash the England bowlers around the park. He took advantage of every bad ball and saw deliveries quite early.

Katich took the three major wickets of Nasser Hussain, Owais Shah and Andrew Flintoff to keep the England total merely respectable. It was an unusual move by skipper Steve Waugh, but it paid rich dividends.

Hussain, after taking England out of the doldrums at 16 for two, was the first to go. He played and missed at a Katich delivery, and the 27-year-old bowled him completely, breaking a 79-run partnership with Irani.

Shah, who was moving along nicely at 24, hit one back at Katich who, took the catch to his right. Flintoff was also caught and bowled, although the batsman hit the ball hard at an awkward chest-height. Both Shah and Flintoff looked impressive and ready to score; although Flintoff only made seven, it came off five balls and in 10 minutes.

Ronnie Irani held the England innings together for the most part, scoring 81. The 31-year-old played positively and provided England with a steady backbone. He took ones and twos, yet showed the versatility to play strong shots through the on and off side.

Irani, who captains Essex - including captaining Hussain when he returns to his county - showed determination and intelligence. Michael Slater, who dropped Irani once, did not make the same mistake twice, and when Irani dollyed one up over deep midwicket, Slater took the catch. Lee was the bowler on both occasions.

Lee and McGrath took the early wickets as they got rid of Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight. Both looked uncomfortable and unsure, Knight more so as he took 22 minutes to score his first run - unforgivable in one-day cricket.

Trescothick, who continued to be McGrath’s bunny, fell for five caught-behind. Knight went soon after, caught-behind also for five, although the bowler this time was Lee, who finished the day with 2 for 47.

After Waugh took off his pacemen, he bamboozled England with the spin of Stuart MacGill and Michael Clarke, drenching the middle period with spin and giving England few scoring opportunities.

After Irani fell, Alec Stewart was the next to go, adding only one to the total. He played a rough and mistimed shot up in the air down over the wicket-keeper’s head. Brad Haddin took the catch with his gloves to get rid of his opposite number. It gave Nathan Bracken his first wicket for the match.

MacGill, brought on in the dying overs of the match, took his first wicket, that of Jeremy Snape for four. Snape tried and failed to sweep the spinner, and Richards took a fine catch at midwicket.

Next ball, Andrew Caddick was bowled for a duck, trying to sweep MacGill and only managing to put the 31-year-old on a hat-trick. Umpire Simon Taufel denied the hat-trick when Steve Harmison tried to sweep MacGill and missed, leaving him vulnerable to an lbw decision.

Ian Blackwell played well for his 29 not out off 28 balls, pushing the score along in the final overs. Harmison ended the innings four balls short when he let in a Bracken pearler. The paceman was out for a duck.

To win the match, New South Wales will need to score at just over four runs per over, and with the likes of Slater, Waugh, Michael Bevan, Katich and Clarke, the target looks to be not quite enough.

For a side boasting several talented bowlers such as Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken and Stuart MacGill, the inroads that Steve Waugh’s men have made are scarce.

Hussain and Irani made steady progress and took England out of the dire position of 16 for two. Both batted positively and looked to make runs against the strong bowling line-up.

Hussain appeared comfortable coming out of his crease and playing the spinners down the ground. Irani looked the stronger of the two, taking the ones and twos and forcing NSW change their plan.

Which Waugh did. Strangely, he brought on Simon Katich to bowl his left-arm chinamen and got the breakthrough. The strategy came off and Katich got rid of Hussain for 34. The 27-year-old broke a 79-run partnership for the third wicket.

Irani continued to play some great shots, including the one to take him to his half-century. He has had little trouble facing the three spinners, whom Waugh continues to persist with.

Opening bowlers Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee made scoring runs quite difficult. McGrathtook opener Marcus Trescothick for five. After facing 21 balls and hitting one four, Trescothick was looking patchy and unsure of himself at the crease.

His partner Nick Knight took 22 minutes to score his first run and fell to a Lee thunderbolt. Lee, one ball earlier, had secured the edge only for Michael Clarke at second slip to drop the catch. It was a difficult chance with the youngster having to lean far to his left.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin made no mistake the next ball and snapped up the edge to send Knight on his way for five.

Positive signs for England then emerged as Ronnie Irani and Nasser Hussain took England from 16 for two to their current position. Irani has looked to score - the only way to play against an attack like McGrath, Lee and Stuart MacGill.

Irani from Essex was one of three players to be brought into the injury-plagued England side.

Hussain, coming in for the third time in a row at number four - in the one-day side - has played smart cricket and orchestrated a good start to the match.

Earlier, England won the toss and elected to bat. As the overs progressed, the skies have become overcast and cloudy - partly due to the weather, partly to the bushfires raging in the area.