Despite Ben Duckett's impressive century, England's batting lineup suffered a significant collapse in Bristol as the rain arrived too late to prevent an ODI series defeat against Australia.
Having battled back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2, the stage was set for England but from 202 for two in the 25th over, a formidable total went begging as they capitulated to spin and were all out for 309.
The heavens did not open until four balls after the mandatory 20-over mark needed to constitute a game had been reached and a total of 165 for two was enough for a 49-run victory on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern for Australia.
Matthew Short’s 58 off 30 balls got them ahead of the rate and despite apparent stalling tactics from England as the 20-over mark hovered into view, the world champions walked away with a 3-2 series win.
England’s downfall, though, was in their batting as Duckett’s sparkling 107 off 91 balls – his second ODI century at the Seat Unique Stadium – was in vain.
He shared a 132-run stand in 98 balls with Harry Brook, whose demise for 72 off 52 deliveries started England’s slide. At one point 400 looked on but only a last-wicket stand of 33 took them above 300.
Brook belted six of his seven sixes off Adam Zampa but perished to him as well before Travis Head, the fifth spinner used by Australia, turned the screw and finished with ODI best figures of four for 28.
The uncertainty around the weather contributed to Steve Smith, standing in as captain for Mitch Marsh, asking England to bat first, and Phil Salt turbo-charged England’s innings with 45 off 27 balls.
There were three sixes, one sliced over the slips off Mitchell Starc, and two authoritative strokes off Aaron Hardie, who had revenge when a fuller and wider ball was flayed by Salt to deep backward point.
Hardie then produced a jaffa that nipped off the seam and clipped the top of Will Jacks’ off-stump but Duckett battled through a testing spell from Starc and Josh Hazlewood to excel alongside Brook.
England’s captain was initially watchful, taking nine off his first 20 balls, but the introduction of Zampa was like a red rag to a bull.
With the shorter, straight boundaries on offer Brook took Zampa to task and the leg-spinner’s first 17 balls disappeared for 44 as the Yorkshireman cleared the boundary rope almost at will.
Zampa continued to dangle the carrot, though, and Brook could not resist another floated delivery only to slam to long-off. Smith sensed an opportunity and turned to spin on what appeared a wearing pitch.
Duckett continued to steadily move through the gears, confident off both front and back foot and characteristically quick on the pull, while he also unfurled a rash of orthodox and reverse sweeps.
After Jamie Smith was bowled through the gate when Glenn Maxwell found a hint of turn and Liam Livingstone nicked off when overbalancing to Zampa, Duckett brought up his first hundred for England this summer.
When Head was introduced, Duckett drove him straight for six but seeking a repeat, he was unable to clear Hazlewood.
As they had done in the series opener at Trent Bridge, England came unstuck against Australia’s slower bowlers and only Adil Rashid’s punchy 36 off 35 deliveries helped them creep above 300.
He was last man out, caught in the deep in the final over, off Head, who then settled into the day job alongside Short under the floodlights.
Short pulled both Matthew Potts and Olly Stone, replacing the rested Jofra Archer, over the midwicket rope and the gamble to introduce Jacks’ off-spin as early as the sixth over backfired as Head teed off, taking two fours and two sixes from the part-timer.
Head departed for 31 when driving Brydon Carse’s first ball to cover but Short, dropped on 27 by Rashid, continued to pepper the boundary as he brought up Australia’s 100 off the last ball of the powerplay.
Short reached a 23-ball fifty with his fourth six before Potts located his outside edge, having earlier seen Steve Smith overturn an lbw decision against him when he was on 10.
England failed to appeal a caught behind when Josh Inglis was on two and perhaps accepting their hopes of victory were fading, Potts sluggishly changed his boots mid-over shortly after a drinks break.
The gamesmanship did not work, with Inglis unbeaten on 28 off 20 balls and Smith on 36 not out off 48 deliveries when the rain started to fall at 4:29pm. With no let-up, any hope of a restart was abandoned nearly 90 minutes later.
