Blistering performances from Ashes hopefuls Phil Jaques and Shaun Tait have steered the Prime Minister's XI to a comprehensive 166-run win over England in the one-day match at Manuka Oval.
Jaques scored a dynamic century to help propel the home side to a huge total of 347-5 while Tait claimed 3-21 off eight overs including the wickets of Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Threscothick.
"Every time I go out there I try to imitate batters and bowl as straight as I can and take wickets," Tait told Fox Sports after the match.
"It was a pretty flat wicket and was good to bat on as our guys showed getting 347, so I was surprised that we won so easily."
Man-of-the-match Jaques looked effervescent and enterprising in his innings of 112 which included nine fours and two sixes while West Australian Shaun Marsh was equally impressive as he smashed his way to an unbeaten 78 runs off just 56 balls.
Travis Birt (40), Adam Voges (39) and Cameron White (30 not out) also looked good at the crease to punish the England attack on the picturesque ground and set the visitors an imposing total.
The tourists' run chase got off to a terrible start with Trescothick and Alastair Cook falling cheaply before Andrew Strauss (67) and Paul Collingwood (35) steadied the ship.
But the wickets of Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and skipper Flintoff in the space of eight balls saw the Australians climb into a dominant position.
Tait had Trescothick (2) on the back foot from his first ball and got the England opener to edge a catch to White at first slip.
Cook could only manage four runs before he skied a ball to wicketkeeper Tim Paine off the bowling of young Tasmanian Ben Hilfenhaus.
Strauss and Collingwood took the score along to 107 and looked like catching up to the ballooning run-rate with some solid hitting before Collingwood swept Cameron White to Jaques at deep mid-wicket.
Strauss still looked in good touch moving along to 67 off as many balls with 11 boundaries before Tait's pace proved too much for the No.3 and he skied a pull shot to Hilfenhaus at mid-on.
There was still hope for England with Pietersen and Flintoff in the middle, but Pietersen (7) also skied a pull shot behind to give Hilfenhaus his second wicket.
Two balls later, Tait produced another snorting delivery to bowl Flintoff (1) and leave England with an almost impossible task of taking the match.
Geraint Jones (13 not out) and Ashley Giles offered some resistance, adding 22 runs before Giles (13) was run out in the 31st over after Jones pushed to White at mid-wicket.
Sajid Mahmood hit 22 before being stumped off White in the 36th over.
James Anderson was lbw for a duck off Adam Ritchard and Monty Panesar (1) was the last man to fall, lofting Ritchard to White at cover as England slumped to one of its biggest tour-opening losses in recent memory.
"We are not too disconcerted," Flintoff said. "We are notoriously slow starters on tour. We've played a game now and we have another two matches in the next two weeks before the Ashes start."
In a big positive for England, Flintoff looked comfortable in bowling his 10 overs after recent concerns over his slow recovery from an ankle injury.
"It was good to get 10 overs under the belt," said Flintoff. "And I thought Strauss and Collingwood looked good there for a stage."
