England-Australia match washed out

England and Australia's hopes of scoring psychological points before their weekend triangular series final were washed away by the rain on Tuesday.

The teams' last meeting before Saturday's showpiece at Lord's barely got beyond halfway as England, replying to the world champions' 261 for nine, faced only six overs.

Scorecard | Schedule

The home side had reached eight without loss from three overs before the first rainstorms at Edgbaston. The target was then revised under the Duckworth/Lewis system to 200 off 33 overs.

Andrew Strauss drove and cut four boundaries off Glenn McGrath's first over but then chipped a leading edge to mid-off before the rain returned to kill off the game, with England stranded on 37 for one.

Australia play the final group game against Bangladesh at Canterbury on Thursday.

The game swung from one side to the other after Ricky Ponting won the toss.

All rounder Andrew Symonds, seeking a third successive man-of-the-match award, produced a well-crafted 74 off 75 balls and a 101-run fifth-wicket stand with Mike Hussey.

But Darren Gough and Steve Harmison hit back as five wickets fell for 30 runs during the final 10 overs. Wicketkeeper Geraint Jones took five catches and was involved in a run-out.

MOST IMPRESSIVE

Gough ended with three for 70 off nine overs -- his first six overs had gone for 49 without a wicket -- while Harmison took two for 38 off 10. Simon Jones, perhaps the most impressive bowler, took two for 53 from his 10.

The Australians began fast, Adam Gilchrist pulling Gough's second ball for four, driving the fifth through mid-off and Kevin Pietersen then threw four overthrows as 14 came off the over. Gough was taken off after his first two overs.

Simon Jones, however, soon removed both openers. Gilchrist, forcing, edged behind for 19 to make it 34 for one and Matthew Hayden departed lbw for 14 to make it 46 for two in the 10th over.

Ponting and Damien Martyn both went in their 30s, leading to the Symonds-Hussey combination. Symonds, suspended for Australia's first two matches for staying out all night before the tournament, hit six fours and two sixes to relaunch the innings.

Between the 32nd and 40th overs, he and Hussey added 70 runs to take the score to 205 for four.

Symonds's run-out in the 43rd over came from a mix-up which left both batsmen at the same end. Hussey walked off but was called back, the umpires ruling that Symonds should go.