Record broken, along with Australian hearts
They say that winning is a habit, and Andy Flower's trailblazers would need to be admitted to a losing clinic the like of which Australia attended four years ago if they are to snap out of their record-breaking run.
When debutant Chris Roger Woakes flicked a Shane Watson delivery wide of long on for a single, England had clinched their eighth successive Twenty20 victory, and with it had ensured that they are now unbeaten in all formats for 16 series.
It has been a meteoric rise for the 21-year-old seamer, who was hastily shunted above Ajmal Shahzad and Graeme Swann in the batting order at the last second by Flower, who clearly sensed that his time had come.
Flower revealed after the match that he had seen the Warwickshire beanpole unfurl a flurry of lusty blows in the nets which prompted his last-minute switch, and if it was the ungainly carve across the line which won England the match he saw, then his instincts were spot on.
In what was the best Twenty20 international played this year, the victory didn't always look to be heading England's way as Watson struck three successive sixes and 26 runs off Swann's first over.
The England off spinner's agitation was compounded when a rather absurd rendition of 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands' rang out around the Adelaide Oval from a Tannoy operator who clearly works jointly as a part-time clown, which was treated with the disdain it deserved by a sell-out crowd.
Fans were later treated to a 21-run 15 from the supposed firecracker debutant Aaron Finch, who sported an entirely blank bat with all but a yellow grip for decoration, as Australia limped over the line in their innings after a swashbuckling start.
The hosts' fielding was the next talking point as Ian Bell was dropped first ball by Steve O'Keefe at square leg, who reacted in such gormless fashion you wondered if he realised what he was supposed to do when the white cherry was sent careering his way.
There was a second inexplicable drop in the gully as David Warner handed Bell his third life and the luckless Shaun Tait was left to bemoan his luck, kick the turf (without getting injured) and trudge back to his mark. Pakistan's Mohammad Asif could no doubt have empathised, given that he spent the entirety of the last English summer with his hands on his head in disbelief at his teammates' ineptitude.
O'Keefe then showed that it was not only his catching which was the standard of an U12 level as he lethargically groped at the ball on the cover boundary with the worst long barrier seen since Monty Panesar fell over his own knee against Sri Lanka at Lord's. O'Keefe was then asked by his skipper Cameron White to come on and have a bowl, if only to get him out of the line of fire in the field.
Paul Collingwood, who mustered just 83 runs in the entire Ashes series, took 19 deliveries to reach double figures before being dismissed for 16 by Mr Cricket's brother Dave of all people, before Eoin Morgan made hay.
Morgs was unable to steer England to their target, however, and it was left to Woakes on debut to plunder a swift 19 at the death and hold his nerve to hit the winning runs with a hoik over towards the bar where the tourists would no doubt end up.
Since Flower replaced his former boss Peter Moores (pinch yourself - did that really happen?) the Zimbabwean's tenure has seen an upward curve in all three formats, the like of which is unprecedented.
England's momentum continues to soar, and the primary factor which remains constant across all forms of the game is Flower's ruthless and unflinching pursuit of victory: it's clearly contagious.
SHOT OF THE DAY: Steve Smith was rather inexcusably subdued in his sluggish 15 at the death as Australia were looking to kick on and end the innings on a high, but his staggeringly audacious upper cut for four over third man will live long in the memory.
STAT OF THE DAY: The Adelaide crowd raised A$24,899 over the course of the match - a figure helped considerably by the fact that it gave spectators the opportunity to exchange pleasantries and spray lager at the unflappable Mitchell Johnson, whose job it was to carry a bucket round the ground.
They say that winning is a habit, and Andy Flower's trailblazers would need to be admitted to a losing clinic the like of which Australia attended four years ago if they are to snap out of their record-breaking run.
When debutant Chris Roger Woakes flicked a Shane Watson delivery wide of long on for a single, England had clinched their eighth successive Twenty20 victory, and with it had ensured that they are now unbeaten in all formats for 16 series.
It has been a meteoric rise for the 21-year-old seamer, who was hastily shunted above Ajmal Shahzad and Graeme Swann in the batting order at the last second by Flower, who clearly sensed that his time had come.
Flower revealed after the match that he had seen the Warwickshire beanpole unfurl a flurry of lusty blows in the nets which prompted his last-minute switch, and if it was the ungainly carve across the line which won England the match he saw, then his instincts were spot on.
In what was the best Twenty20 international played this year, the victory didn't always look to be heading England's way as Watson struck three successive sixes and 26 runs off Swann's first over.
The England off spinner's agitation was compounded when a rather absurd rendition of 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands' rang out around the Adelaide Oval from a Tannoy operator who clearly works jointly as a part-time clown, which was treated with the disdain it deserved by a sell-out crowd.
Fans were later treated to a 21-run 15 from the supposed firecracker debutant Aaron Finch, who sported an entirely blank bat with all but a yellow grip for decoration, as Australia limped over the line in their innings after a swashbuckling start.
The hosts' fielding was the next talking point as Ian Bell was dropped first ball by Steve O'Keefe at square leg, who reacted in such gormless fashion you wondered if he realised what he was supposed to do when the white cherry was sent careering his way.
There was a second inexplicable drop in the gully as David Warner handed Bell his third life and the luckless Shaun Tait was left to bemoan his luck, kick the turf (without getting injured) and trudge back to his mark. Pakistan's Mohammad Asif could no doubt have empathised, given that he spent the entirety of the last English summer with his hands on his head in disbelief at his teammates' ineptitude.
O'Keefe then showed that it was not only his catching which was the standard of an U12 level as he lethargically groped at the ball on the cover boundary with the worst long barrier seen since Monty Panesar fell over his own knee against Sri Lanka at Lord's. O'Keefe was then asked by his skipper Cameron White to come on and have a bowl, if only to get him out of the line of fire in the field.
Paul Collingwood, who mustered just 83 runs in the entire Ashes series, took 19 deliveries to reach double figures before being dismissed for 16 by Mr Cricket's brother Dave of all people, before Eoin Morgan made hay.
Morgs was unable to steer England to their target, however, and it was left to Woakes on debut to plunder a swift 19 at the death and hold his nerve to hit the winning runs with a hoik over towards the bar where the tourists would no doubt end up.
Since Flower replaced his former boss Peter Moores (pinch yourself - did that really happen?) the Zimbabwean's tenure has seen an upward curve in all three formats, the like of which is unprecedented.
England's momentum continues to soar, and the primary factor which remains constant across all forms of the game is Flower's ruthless and unflinching pursuit of victory: it's clearly contagious.
SHOT OF THE DAY: Steve Smith was rather inexcusably subdued in his sluggish 15 at the death as Australia were looking to kick on and end the innings on a high, but his staggeringly audacious upper cut for four over third man will live long in the memory.
STAT OF THE DAY: The Adelaide crowd raised A$24,899 over the course of the match - a figure helped considerably by the fact that it gave spectators the opportunity to exchange pleasantries and spray lager at the unflappable Mitchell Johnson, whose job it was to carry a bucket round the ground.
