Cricket: Australia crash to series defeat against England

England's Mark Wood, right, celebrates taking the wicket of Australia's Steve Smith. Photo / AP

Steve Smith will ask for his top squad be available for the final two one-day internationals of the summer after Australia fell to their first home series defeat in seven years with a 16-run defeat to England at the SCG.

After a Jos Buttler century powered England to 6-302, Australia struggled to lift the ante when required and ended the chase with four wickets still in the sheds to give the visitors an unassailable 3-0 series lead.

Needing 22 from the final Chris Woakes (2-57) over, Australia managed three from the first two balls before their hopes were dashed when Marcus Stoinis (56 off 43) was caught on the backward square leg boundary.

Tim Paine struggled to find the boundary at the other end, ending the game not out on 31 from 35 balls with just one four as Australia finished at 6-286.

The result gave England their their first bilaterial ODI series win in Australia, and makes for the Aussies' worst start to a limited overs summer since 2001-02.

Australia have now also lost 10 of their past 11 completed matches, making for the worst such streak in the team's history.

And less than 18 months out from a World Cup, Smith said it was time to have all hands on deck to fix the issues in the dead rubbers.

"That's just not good enough," Smith said.

"We've got to try and find ways to get over the line.

"If they're all good I'd like to see them playing and doing what they can to help starting to turn things around.

"We have a lot to play for and we have to start finding ways to win games of cricket."

Sunday's result was shrouded in controversy, after Steve Smith was given out caught behind trying to drive a Mark Wood (2-46) delivery that went low to wicketkeeper Buttler.

Third umpire Kumar Dharmasena deliberated for just under four minutes, before deciding there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the soft on-field call of out.

Smith had earlier combined for a 69-run stand with opener Aaron Finch, who hit a 53-ball 62 to go with his two centuries to start the series.

But Australia could manage just 11 boundaries after Finch's dismissal in the 21st over, as the game drifted away from Smith's men.

In comparison, England had no such trouble lifting the tempo late in their innings courtesy of Buttler and Woakes' 113-run 71-ball stand to end the innings.

Buttler hit the last ball of the English innings for two off Mitchell Starc to bring up his century, while Woakes hit five fours and two sixes in his 36-ball 53.

"It was our best performance as a group to date in the past two years," captain Eoin Morgan said.

"Jos anchored the innings and really pulled the trigger. We've seen him do it before but against one of the best sides in the world it was great watch."

Highlighting Australia's late-innings woes in both innings was the fact Australia led on comparison scores from the ninth to the end of the 48th over, but still finished well behind.

- AAP