Whitewash could be realistic threat - Clarke

THE grim prospect of a 5-0 whitewash by England to take Australia's ranking as top one-day cricketing nation has become a realistic threat, with skipper Michael Clarke conceding his team needs big improvements quickly.The Australians never threatened England in a six-wicket loss at the Oval early yesterday for a second straight defeat in the series and Clarke admitted the gulf between the teams was even larger than the scores suggested.

"I think the scoreboard at the first game at Lord's (on Friday) probably hid how far away the teams were," he said.

"It says we only lost by 15 runs but I think they outplayed us at Lord's and they certainly outplayed us here, so we need to get better quickly."

England is fourth in the One-Day International rankings but a whitewash in the next eight days would install it at the top of the table, deposing Australia.

That would make England the first team to hold a triple crown in cricket, as it already leads the Test table and the new T20 rankings, introduced just eight months ago.

Tight and varied bowling by the hosts restricted Australia to 7-251, and then Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara calmly built fluent half-centuries as they strolled to their target with 4.2 overs to spare.

Bell continued to revel in the responsibility of replacing the retired Kevin Pietersen as England's most dangerous batsman and his 75 runs from 113 balls at the top of the order was decisive.

Bopara edged him for the man of the match award by combining an innings of 82 from 85 balls with the tightest bowling of the game, conceding just 16 runs off five overs and having Clarke caught behind for 12 when the Australians were desperate for their captain to build a score.

Clarke said the Australians had for some time lacked the consistency to justify their status as the world's top ODI team, warning that its senior players had no excuses for not delivering.

"We have got the talent, it is now about turning the talent into performance, it is about when you make a start with the bat you have got to go on and make big scores."

Shane Watson stroked a run-a-ball 50 before getting tied down on the way to 66 from 80 balls, but Dave Warner (10), Peter Forrest (10) and Clarke himself all failed to stick around, leaving it to number-five George Bailey (65 from 86 balls) to push the total towards respectability.

"No one has made 100 yet," Clarke said. "When Australia has success in one-day cricket someone in the top four goes on to make 100, so that is an area we need to improve. We have got some guys there who have played enough one-day cricket -- myself, Shane Watson, David Warner, we have got to be putting our hands up, scoring big runs and setting totals up for our bowlers, and we have got some experience with the ball."

Experienced bowlers Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson were the most disappointing. Lee lacked penetration as he sought the one wicket he needed to overtake Glenn McGrath as Australia's greatest ODI wicket-taker, finishing with 0-58 from 10 overs. Johnson's erratic performance after an eight-month absence was a reminder of how he had exasperated national selectors.