Cricket: Paul Collingwood Leads England to Cb Series Win Over Australia

Look out the window, there may be some airborne pigs passing by. Somewhere down in hell the cold snap has just begun. In Melbourne, meanwhile, England have taken a one-nil lead in the CB Series final after Paul Collingwood produced one of the most remarkable one-day performances in recent memory.

Collingwood took one brilliant catch to dismiss Ricky Ponting when Australia were flying, conjured two run-outs from nothing, and then scored an unbeaten 120 to lead England - who at one stage were 15 for three chasing 253 - home by four wickets with three balls to spare. His was the glory and the inspiration.

There was a time, back near the beginning of this tour, when you might have matched England and Australia up on paper and decided there wasn't that much between them. That was before the Ashes whitewash, the loss of Kevin Pietersen and an entire unit of first choice fast bowlers in Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Jon Lewis and Chris Tremlett.

A late run of form may have helped England reach these finals, but no one seriously expected them to have a chance of beating the World's No1 side, a team with four batsmen and three bowlers in the world's top ten.

So what happened? Australia's cricket got sloppy, and England, from somewhere, found vast reserves of grit and determination. Reduced to 15 for three by two bad lbw decisions and some excellent bowling by Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee, England were on course for a severe embarrassment. Instead Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood shared a 133-run partnership that took control of the game.

Both played as though it were a Test match, steady accumulation. And Australia wilted. Only Brett Lee responded, producing a ferocious, committed spell of fast bowling that won him Bell's wicket with an unplayable yorker. Glenn McGrath, on his 37th birthday, went missing. He dropped Bell, missing the chance to reduce England to 31 for four. He was then, comically, hit on the head when attempting to catch Brad Hodge's return throw. It just wasn't his day.

Collingwood, though, just kept going. A 50-partnership with Flintoff brought England so close to their target. But Australia were not so easily beaten: Watson had Flintoff (35) caught behind with 31 still needed. Jamie Dalrymple (3) was run out soon after, and then Paul Nixon came to crease. He was still there when England won, with three balls to spare.

There were points in this game when the mismatch couldn't have been clearer. After Saj Mahmood tempted Adam Gilchrist (5) into a rash shot and had him caught at long-on, Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden set about England's attack with an ease and belligerence that suggested they'd run up a total well past 300.

But then Collingwood produced the first of three moments of inspiration in the field. His catch to dismiss Ponting for 75, diving low to his left and plucking the ball single-handed from the air a fraction before he hit the ground, was the kind of thing that can fire a side.

Hayden (82) gifted his wicket when he tried to slog Dalrymple over long-on, and fell just short. Brad Hodge (5) got a terrible lbw decision and suddenly Australia were flailing. Normally it wouldn't have mattered - Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke were together at the crease.

But England continued to exert pressure. Collingwood was too sharp for Clarke (33), and threw down his wicket from point. Flintoff took the ball and had Hussey (17) caught behind, misjudging a late cut. Now Australia were in disarray, and neither Shane Watson (9) nor Brad Hogg (10) had the ability to turn the situation around. Collingwood secured a final run out with an underarm throw to leave Brett Lee (0) stranded mid-pitch.

Flintoff yorked McGrath (0) to complete figures of three for 41. From 170 for one off 30 overs, Australia fell to 252 all out with nine balls left unused.

They will be mad keen for revenge come Sunday, but maybe - just maybe - they're just not in a position to dictate the terms any more.