Australia, inspired by Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee, rebounded from a string of wretched results to trounce England by 57 runs in their triangular series day-nighter on Thursday.
Symonds, returning from suspension after staying out late before the Australians' opening fixture of the tournament, made 73 from 81 balls out of a total of 266 for five.
Lee, having recovered from shoulder pain, then teamed up with Glenn McGrath in a fine exhibition of fast bowling to reduce England to six for three within the space of nine balls to all but kill off the contest.
England ended on 209 for nine, Darren Gough top-scoring at number 10 with 46 not out. Lee took two for 27 and his fellow opening bowler McGrath two for 31.
"The opening bowlers in particular were fantastic," said Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
"Brett Lee is a top-class bowler and it's great to have him back in the side, as well as Andrew Symonds. We have some momentum now."
It was the world champions' first win in three matches in the tournament, following their shock defeat by Bangladesh on Saturday and the loss to England 24 hours later.
It was England's first defeat in four starts, and their reply never got going.
Andrew Strauss drove at a Lee inswinger but dragged the ball into his stumps in the fifth over after making three.
Marcus Trescothick, England's stand-in captain after Michael Vaughan pulled out with a groin problem, fenced at a McGrath leg cutter and was caught behind for a duck.
Paul Collingwood, who like Strauss made a century in his last innings against Bangladesh, then played on to McGrath second ball.
The home team were left requiring a floodlit miracle but neither of their big hitters, Andrew Flintoff or Kevin Pietersen, could provide it.
WRIST SPINNER
Flintoff (44), after a cautious fourth-wicket stand of 79 with Vikram Solanki, holed out to long on off the bowling of wrist spinner Brad Hogg and Pietersen, man of the match on Sunday, managed 19 before being caught off Symonds in the deep.
The asking rate with 20 overs to go was more than eight an over. By the final 10, England were 156 for eight and out of contention.
The game had looked well balanced after the first innings, following Trescothick's decision to put Australia in.
The heart of the runs came from Symonds and Damien Martyn (68 not out), who put on 142 for the fourth wicket.
They came together after England claimed two wickets for one run.
The touring side looked threatening on 95 for one after 20 overs but were soon 96 for three.
Seamer Chris Tremlett made the initial breakthrough, dismissing Adam Gilchrist. The left-hander edged a cut and wicketkeeper Geraint Jones fumbled but caught the rebound one-handed to make it 44 for one.
Ponting, struggling for form, drove a Steve Harmison half-volley for an extra-cover four and whipped Flintoff to square leg to reach 8,000 one-day runs, only the second Australian after Mark Waugh to reach the mark.
But he never fully convinced and, on 27, upper-cut a Harmison lifter to third man, making it 95 for two. Next over Matthew Hayden went for 39, edging Flintoff behind, Jones fumbling again but holding on.
Symonds and Martyn struggled for fluency in the middle overs against accurate bowling but made do with ones and twos despite having seven wickets in hand.
"The score they (Australia) put on the board was a good total and they put a lot of pressure on us when we batted," said Trescothick.
Australia:
A. Gilchrist c G. Jones b Tremlett 18
M. Hayden c G. Jones b Flintoff 39
R. Ponting c Giles b Harmison 27
D. Martyn not out 68
A. Symonds run out 73
M. Hussey c Collingwood b Flintoff 5
S. Watson not out 11
Extras: (lb-12, nb-6, w-7) 25
Total: (for 5 wickets, 50 overs) 266
Fall of wickets: 1-44 2-95 3-96 4-238 5-247
Did not bat: B. Hogg, J. Gillespie, B. Lee, G. McGrath
Bowling: Gough 9 - 0 - 37 - 0 (nb-2), Tremlett 10 - 0 - 56 - 1 (nb-2 w-1), Harmison 9 - 2 - 44 - 1 (nb-2 w-2), Flintoff 10 - 0 - 56 - 2 (w-3), Giles 9 - 1 - 44 - 0 (w-1), Collingwood 3 - 0 - 17 - 0.
England:
M. Trescothick c Gilchrist b McGrath 0
A. Strauss b Lee 3
V. Solanki c Ponting b Hogg 34
P. Collingwood b McGrath 0
A. Flintoff c Gillespie b Hogg 44
K. Pietersen c Hussey b Symonds 19
G. Jones c Hayden b Watson 23
A. Giles c Symonds b Lee 4
C. Tremlett c Hussey b Gillespie 8
D. Gough not out 46
S. Harmison not out 11
Extras: (lb-8 nb-3 w-6) 17
Total: (for 9 wickets, 50 overs) 209
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-6, 3-6, 4-85, 5-94, 6-123, 7-133, 8-145, 9-159
Bowling: Lee 10 - 2 - 27 - 2 (nb-1 w-4), McGrath 10 - 1 - 31 - 2 (nb-1), Gillespie 9 - 0 - 36 - 1 (w-1), Watson 8 - 0 - 51 - 1 (nb-1 w-1), Hogg 6 - 0 - 19 - 2, Symonds 7 - 0 - 37 - 1.