BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — A clinical England thrashed favourites Australia by seven wickets yesterday to clinch the World Twenty20 title and end their 35-year wait for a global cricket trophy.

After winning the toss and opting to field first, their bowlers sent Australia crashing to eight for three in the third over of the Championship final before they recovered to make 147 for six off their 20 overs.

Chasing a moderate target, England’s batsmen then dominated, making light work of the run chase to reach 148 for three with three overs to spare at Kensington Oval.

They were led by the aggressive opener Craig Kieswetter who smashed 63 from 49 balls to earn himself Man-of-the-Match honours, and Kevin Pietersen who carved out a carefree 47 from 31 balls.

The duo staged a dashing 111-run stand for the second wicket off just 68 balls which erased any chance Australia had of winning, after they claimed Michael Lumb for two with the score on seven in the second over of the run chase.

Earlier, Australia’s recovery was made possible by David Hussey who cracked 59 from 54 balls with two fours and two sixes, and Cameron White whose 30 came from 19 balls and included four fours and

a six.

They posted 50 for the fourth wicket before David Hussey was joined by his older brother Michael in a partnership that yielded 47 runs for the sixth wicket. Mike Hussey finished on 17 not out from 10 balls.

The loss was Australia’s first of the tournament after they played unbeaten throughout the preliminary phase and the Super Eight, second round.

England hardly put a foot wrong after Paul Collingwood won the toss and chose to bowl first before a packed house at the historic venue.

Australia started disastrously when the prolific Shane Watson (2) was caught at slip off the third ball of the innings with the score on two.

The right-hander top-edged a slash off left-armer Ryan Sidebottom to wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter who parried the catch to Graeme Swann

at slip.

In the next over, a costly misjudgement cost David Warner (2) his wicket as captain Michael Clarke called for a sharp single to cover, only for Michael Lumb’s throw to find Warner short of his ground at the striker’s end.

Two balls later in the next over, Brad Haddin perished in unfortunate circumstances when he was given out caught down the leg-side off Sidebottom for one, to leave the Australians languishing at eight for three in the

third over.

Subsequent replays showed the ball had come from the right-hander’s thigh on its way through to Kieswetter.

Clarke, who battled hard for a run-a-ball 27, steadied the innings with 37-run stand for the fourth wicket with David Hussey, as Australia tried to fight back.

They seemed to be finding their stride when Clarke was brilliantly taken at short mid-wicket by his opposite number Paul Collingwood at 45 for four in the 10th over, diving to his left as the batsman tried to whip off-spinner Swann through the on-side.

David Hussey and White then staged the first of two rearguard partnerships to haul Australia out of trouble. They started slowly, gathering a mere 10 runs from the 11th and 12th overs before exploding to take 21 from the 13th.

It was not the turning point Australia hoped it would be as England’s bowlers remained disciplined, prising out White at 95 for five in the 16th over, with Broad running around from point to take a fine catch after he had floored a skier off David Hussey an over earlier.

It was left up to the Hussey brothers to provide the late flourish to get Australia up to a respectable total.

England started circumspectly and when Lumb punched fast bowler Shaun Tait to David Hussey at mid-on off the fifth ball of the second over, the game was

wide opened.

But Pietersen joined Kieswetter in a partnership to turn the match irrevocably England’s way. Both batsmen played with lavish gay abandon, striking the ball cleanly and fearlessly and attacking the Aussie bowlers at will.

The right-handed Kieswetter clobbered seven fours and two sixes and Pietersen added four more boundaries and a six, as they dominated a hapless Australian attack.

There were some anxious moments for England at the end when both batsmen fell in successive overs. Pietersen lofted leg-spinner Steve Smith to Warner at long-off in the 14th over and Kieswetter was bowled backing away to slash left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson through the off-side, leaving England on 121 for three at the start of the 15th.

There were no more tricks left in Australia’s bag, however, and Collingwood (12 not out) smashed a six and a four off the 17th over bowled by Watson to end England’s protracted wait for an ICC limited overs title.