BARBADOS:England stormed to a seven-wicket victory over Australia at the Kensington Oval to break their 35-year duck in International Cricket Council tournaments.
The ease of England's success in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 made a mockery of previous failures, as Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen's stand of 111 helped them cruise past Australia's 147 for six - with three full overs to spare.
Kieswetter (63) hit six fours and a six in his 40-ball 50 and Pietersen was almost as dominant in a run chase which became no-contest long before captain Paul Collingwood clubbed the winning runs.
Both of England's second-wicket pair got out before the end, allowing Collingwood to appropriately shepherd his team to the previously elusive silverware.
Australia, hitherto unbeaten in this tournament, stumbled disastrously to eight for three in the third over after being put in on a pacy pitch.
David Hussey (59) oversaw a well-crafted recovery. But England had taken a telling advantage, and were in no mood to let it slip this time against the old enemy. Hussey shared a fifth-wicket stand of 50 with Cameron White and also combined to good effect with his brother Michael to help add 55 in the last five overs.
But the resulting total never looked enough, and in the end England made it seem woefully short.
Their only minor moments of discomfort came with an early departure of their own - Michael Lumb spearing a catch to mid-on off Shaun Tait - and then an embarrassing five-minute hiatus for the organisers as groundstaff struggled to fix a glitch with the sightscreen.
Teams
Australia: DA Warner, SR Watson, MJ Clarke (Captain), DJ Hussey, CL White, MEK Hussey, BJ Haddin (WK), SPD Smith, MG Johnson, SW Tait, DP Nannes
England: MJ Lumb, C Kieswetter (WK), KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood (Captain), EJG Morgan, LJ Wright, TT Bresnan, MH Yardy, GP Swann, SCJ Broad, RJ Sidebottom
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