Scorecard

Australia [ Images ] beat England [ Images ] by eight wickets in the first one-day international tri-series match at the Melbourne [ Images ] Cricket Ground on Friday.

Set a target of 243, Australia chased down the total with 4.4 overs to spare after opener Adam Gilchrist [ Images ] struck a rapid 60 and skipper Ricky Ponting [ Images ] a steady unbeaten 82 in front of a boisterous home crowd.

Even when Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden [ Images ] (29) departed within the space of a 17 runs at 118-2, Australia showed no trace of panic as they were guided home by Ponting and Michael Clarke [ Images ] (57 not out) with plenty in hand.

England's misery was compounded with news that star batsman Kevin Pietersen [ Images ] will miss the rest of the series after a Glenn McGrath [ Images ] delivery broke a rib on his right side.

England's total of 242-8 was indebted to a 91-ball knock of 82 from Pietersen while Andrew Flintoff [ Images ] hit an unbeaten 47 and Paul Collingwood [ Images ] 43 as they recovered from 73-3.

Australia play New Zealand [ Images ] in Hobart on Sunday in the second match of the series

Earlier report