Aussies cruise to one-day victory

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Ricky Ponting guided Australia to an eight-wicket win in the opening tri-series limited-overs international against England this morning, extending his side's unbeaten stretch against the tourists on the Ashes tour. Ponting scored 82 from 96 balls as Australia reached 246 for two, surpassing England's 242 for eight with more than six overs to spare. The Australian captain shared a 133-run partnership with Michael Clarke, who was unbeaten on 57 when Australia surpassed England's total. Kevin Pietersen top-scored for England with 82 from 91 balls, but was ruled out for the remainder of the series after being struck in the ribs advancing down the pitch at a Glenn McGrath short-ball. It was a major blow for England's series and their World Cup ambitions. The Australian chase started quickly, with Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden putting on 101 for the first wicket before Gilchrist was out for 60 from 61 balls, having hit five fours and a six. Hayden played the anchor role in the opening stand and was out for 28 with the total at 118. Pietersen clubbed three sixes and four boundaries in his knock, holding the England innings together in the middle overs before Andrew Flintoff took over, hitting an unbeaten 47 from 38 balls at the end. Pietersen was hit in the ribs by a rising short ball after a big swing-and-a-miss late in his innings on 73 and needed treatment on the field. He was later taken to hospital for tests and did not field. England's management said he would be sent home after breaking a rib on his right side. A replacement has not been named. Michael Vaughan, the England captain who missed the five Test defeats by Australia, won the toss and elected to bat. The move backfired early when Andrew Strauss (12) was caught at slip by Hayden and Vaughan (26) was dismissed in the same way with the total at 47. Ian Bell (15) was out with the total at 73 before Pietersen and Paul Collingwood combined in a 95-run fourth wicket stand. Collingwood (43) had a reprieve when Cameron White misjudged an attempted catch in the outfield before McGrath broke up the partnership. He deceived Collingwood with a slower ball and had him caught by Mitchell Johnson. Pietersen, who smacked White for sixes on consecutive balls in the 36th over, was more subdued after being hit by McGrath's delivery and eventually was out when he hit Stuart Clark to Andrew Symonds on the long-on boundary. England lost three wickets for five runs in an 18-ball slump following Pietersen's dismissal before Flintoff took control, hitting five boundaries to lift the run rate. He finished not out, surviving a dropped catch on the last ball as England took 12 runs in the final over from Bracken. Bracken returned 46-3, while Johnson closed with 34-2 and McGrath finished on 40-2. England have lost every match against Australia on this tour, being swept in the Ashes test series for the first time in 86 years and then being thrashed by 77 runs in the Twenty2.