Watson made short work of the modest victory target

England succumbed to a five-wicket defeat against Australia in the final World Cup warm-up match at St Vincent.

Shane Watson and Adam Gilchrist shared 140 within 24 overs, and though both fell in consecutive overs, the target of 198 was reached with 55 balls left.

Michael Vaughan (62) won the toss and shared 116 for the second wicket with Ian Bell (56) as England scented a fourth successive win over Australia.

But others did not master a slow pitch as two fours came in the last 24 overs.

Interview: England's Kevin Pietersen

Interview: Australia skipper Ricky Ponting

With a modest total to defend England needed a good start in the field, and Monty Panesar's misfield at fine-leg, which allowed Watson a boundary in the first over from James Anderson, did not provide it.

Jon Lewis conceded three no-balls in his first two overs and was flicked over mid-wicket for six by Watson in the sixth over.

Flintoff looked completely out of form in St Vincent

Sajid Mahmood's attempted slower ball summed up England's day, trickling way down the leg-side, bouncing in front of Paul Nixon and away for five wides, his opening two overs costing 20.

With Vaughan off the field as expected to rest his hamstring, Paul Collingwood found himself in charge when Andrew Flintoff also went off having experienced more discomfort with his ankle.

One of Collingwood's first decisions was to introduce Panesar, and he struck when Watson's cut was smartly taken low at point by Kevin Pietersen.

Mahmood was fortunate in the next over when another delivery heading down the leg-side was glanced by Gilchrist and well caught by a diving Nixon.

Panesar might have had a second wicket when Liam Plunkett just failed to cling on to a one-handed diving attempt at deep mid-off when Michael Clarke lofted a drive.

With 42 still needed, Jamie Dalrymple found some gentle turn and Ricky Ponting got an inside edge into his stumps as he tried to make room to cut.

Flintoff returned to bowl with no obvious ill-effects, but Australia ticked off the runs and appeared to be coasting.

With eight needed Brad Hodge got a leading edge to give Collingwood a return catch, then two runs later Mike Hussey played down the wrong line and was bowled by Lewis for a duck.

Any thoughts of a collapse were quashed when Brad Haddin dispatched a full toss from Collingwood over square-leg for six to end the match in style.

England again decided to omit Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara for the 13-a-side game, and it now seems unlikely either will feature in next Friday's opening World Cup group game against New Zealand.

Australia were boosted by Gilchrist's return, the keeper having arrived in the Caribbean late following the birth of his third child.

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He showed no signs of rustiness, and was standing up to the stumps to seam bowlers Nathan Bracken, Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark.

Bracken was entrusted with the first over and immediately found some away swing, albeit at a gentle pace.

But Tait proved a different propostion with his pace through the air and surprised Ed Joyce, who was trapped in front for five in the second over.

Tait also bowled two wides and was taken out of the attack after two overs, with four bowling changes made in the first 15 overs.

Vaughan showed glimpses of his best form with some delightful strokes, including three fours off Mitchell Johnson in the left-armer's second over.

He pulled a good length ball from McGrath to the boundary in imperious fashion, much to the chagrin of the veteran seamer.

They put the squeeze on us but we should have got 250 or 260 Michael Vaughan England reaction Australia reaction

Brad Hogg made the breakthrough, luring Bell out of his ground, and in his next over he accounted for Vaughan, the England skipper skewing a cut to Shane Watson at gully.

As Ponting completed his powerplays at the start of the 29th over, Pietersen became the third wicket to fall in 15 minutes.

Attempting to turn Tait through mid-wicket, he got an inside edge onto the pad and the ball looped gently to Hogg running in from cover.

Flintoff looked all at sea, particularly against Hogg's chinamen, and having scratched his way to 13 from 31 balls, he top-edged to deep mid-wicket.

One run later in the next over, Collingwood, who earlier just eluded the field with a top-edge, mis-timed another pull and found mid-on.

Clark took his third wicket when Plunkett tried to force the ball away on the off-side and got an inside edge into leg-stump.