This was all too like the Ashes, Australia proving far too dominant for a meek and mild England team who appear to have temporarily lost the mojo that saw them win the one-day series here so emphatically.
A third consecutive victory for Australia in this Twenty20 tri-series, the first against New Zealand and the last two against England, takes them to the final and leaves the other two facing a mighty scrap to join them in Auckland.
Bafflingly, England’s white-ball revolution has been not nearly as effective over 20 overs as it has been in the 50-over game ever since Carlos Braithwaite ripped the World Twenty20 title out of their grasp in India two years ago.
Glenn Maxwell hit a destructive 39 as Australia beat England by seven wickets in Melbourne
The home side chased down England’s 137 for seven with 5.3 overs to spare on Saturday
Aaron Finch and D’Arcy Short celebrate after securing the winning runs in the T20 clash
This was certainly a one-sided affair with none of the controversy over Jason Roy’s catch that never was to reprieve match-winner Glenn Maxwell that went a long way to deciding the first match between these old enemies in Hobart.
Any chance England had of proving an exciting finale to the Australia leg of their winter evaporated when they stuttered to a well below par 137 for seven in the face of a tigerish fielding display from David Warner’s Australia.
Maxwell, who went on to complete an unbeaten century to clinch victory in Hobart, was at it again on his home ground making his absence from the one-day series all the more curious with 39 in a partnership of 65 with D’Arcy Short.
The end came embarrassingly when Aaron Finch hit David Willey for consecutive sixes with fully 33 balls to spare and left England with much to contemplate as they make their way across the Tasman Sea today at the start of their second tour of this gruelling winter.
England made a bright start with the ball as David Willey dismissed David Warner for only two
But Short, Maxwell and Finch (pictured) combined to take Australia into the tri-series final
Now England will need to win both their matches against New Zealand – in Wellington on Tuesday and Hamilton on Sunday – to be sure of a place in the final by the time Ben Stokes makes his expected return to the squad next week.
England’s night got off to a bad start when captain Eoin Morgan was forced to pull out with a groin injury that threatens his participation in what have become those all-important two matches against New Zealand next week.
His absence did not prove a problem in Bangladesh 18 months ago when Jos Buttler deputised so well but here there was a curious timidity about an England side who could not throw off the shackles imposed on them throughout.
Their innings was epitomised by Morgan’s replacement in James Vince who struggled for any sort of rhythm and ran terribly in his first competitive England match since the final Test in Sydney, being put out of his misery after an ugly 21.
James Vince (above) struggled for any sort of rhythm and ran terribly on his way to an ugly 21
Andrew Tye celebrates after dismissing the right-hander as England limped to 137 in 20 overs
This was an old-fashioned English limited-overs batting display before they adopted the spirit of adventure and positivity that has served them so well, particularly in the 50-over game.
Once England had lost three wickets in the first four overs – Dawid Malan being run out by a quite brilliant direct hit from stand-in captain Warner at mid-off – they were always playing catch up against a disciplined Australian attack.
Even Buttler, the Englishman most capable of destroying any opponent, was subdued while top scoring, scoring at fewer than a run a ball before he holed out off the final delivery to put the seal on an under-whelming batting performance.
The most fluent batting came from Sam Billings, something of a nearly man in this England side, who hit 29 off 23 balls including one outrageous left-handed pull for four off Andrew Tye.
The only excuse England could offer was that this was a poor pitch for Twenty20 cricket, a two-paced surface and uneven that failed to encourage the sort of strokeplay that has characterised Morgan’s England.
Warner is congratulated by his team-mates after running out Dawid Malan in Melbourne
England and Surrey opener Jason Roy was dismissed for just eight by Kane Richardson
Melbourne, indeed, was an odd choice to stage this match at the end of a long England tour that has already seen a Test and one-day international at this cavernous stadium. An ideal opportunity to take international cricket to a venue where little is seen of the Australian team was missed.
But, to be fair, a crowd of more than 42,000 turned up, the majority of them youngsters, which was testament both to this impressive sporting city and the pulling power of the shortest form of the game.
That crowd might have hoped for more of a contest when Willey again struck in the first over to extend Warner’s lean spell but both England’s struggles and the pitch were soon put in perspective.
First Chris Lynn smashed two sixes in his 19-ball 31 and then Short and Maxwell made quick work of an attack surprisingly without its quickest bowler in Mark Wood, left out to accommodate the return of Liam Dawson. Finch provided the last rites.