Set 229 to win, the world champions cruised to their target with more than 15 overs to spare.

Adam Gilchrist, scoring his first one-day international hundred in over a year, finished on 121 not out and Damien Martyn was unbeaten on 24.

Gilchrist faced just 101 balls with two sixes and 17 fours.

In eight one-day matches between the teams this season, including the one-off Twenty20, England and Australia had each won three with one no-result and one tie, the NatWest Series final 10 days ago.

But it was Australia, bidding for a ninth successive Ashes series win, who had the momentum having levelled the series at Lord's on Sunday.

"That's as close to perfect as one-day cricket gets for us. To restrict them early on and to peel those runs off with more than 15 overs to go and only two wickets down. That's a very big and comprehensive win," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said afterwards.

However, ahead of next week's first Test at Lord's, Ponting added: "I won't read too much into the one-day game leading into the Test series."

Meanwhile Vaughan played down defeat by saying: "On Thursday, everyone was saying the momentum was with England. I certainly didn't believe that and I certainly don't believe the momentum swung towards Australia.

"One-day cricket is a totally different concept."

Once more it was Australia's bowlers who created the platform for victory by causing a top order collapse that this time reduced England to 93 for six.

Then Kevin Pietersen, doing his prospects of appearing in the first Test at Lord's on Thursday week no harm, struck a rapid 74 and together with Vikram Solanki put on 93 in 95 balls for the seventh wicket.

"He's certainly given the selectors a headache," Vaughan said of South Africa-born Pietersen.

Solanki, the first active batting substitute in a one-day international, made 53 not out off 63 balls with five fours.

Previously out of touch fast bowler Jason Gillespie led the Australia attack with three for 44.

England, a bowler light after Solanki replaced Simon Jones, were powerless to prevent Australia getting off to a flying start as openers Gilchrist and Hayden put on 91 in 93 balls.

Boundaries from the left-handers rained down on England with Stephen Harmison, whose 9.5 overs cost 81 runs, bearing the brunt.

Darren Gough ended the stand with his third ball back when he had Hayden caught behind for 31 in front of a 23,000 capacity crowd.

Gilchrist went to a hundred with a single off Andrew Flintoff and celebrated his 11th one-day international century -- his first since reaching three figures against Zimbabwe in January 2004 at Hobart -- and celebrated by repeatedly punching the air.