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Unbeaten centuries by captain Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson led holders Australia to a crushing nine-wicket win over England in Friday's Champions Trophy semi-final.

Australia now meet the winners of Saturday's match between New Zealand and Pakistan in Monday's final at Centurion.

Ponting scored 111, passing 12,000 one-day international runs in the process, and Watson made 136 as Australia hit 258 for one in 41.5 overs.

England were earlier bowled out for 257, a total which owed much to a seventh-wicket stand of 107 between Luke Wright (48) and Tim Bresnan (80).

Opener Watson, finding his form after a lean run, cracked 10 fours and seven sixes in 132 balls.

Ponting, who went to the crease in the second over after Graham Onions had Tim Paine caught behind for four, quickly took control.

He cruised to his half-century in 58 deliveries and needed only 46 more to register his 28th ODI ton.

NO ANSWER

England's attack had no answer as Ponting and Watson shared an unbroken partnership of 252, a record for any Australian wicket.

The previous best was 237 for the fourth wicket between Ponting and Andrew Symonds against Sri Lanka in Sydney in 2006.

The Australian skipper's immaculate shot-selection put England to the sword while Watson struck several big blows at the end, thumping his last 36 runs in 17 balls.

England were in desperate trouble after winning the toss and choosing to bat first, slumping to 101 for six.

However, Bresnan and Wright stuck together for nearly 20 overs as they shared the best seventh-wicket stand for England against Australia.

Bresnan scored his maiden ODI half-century, hitting 80 in 76 balls before being bowled by Brett Lee, while Wright was caught behind by Paine off Peter Siddle.

Paine finished with five catches. Siddle took three for 55, fellow paceman Lee claimed two for 46 and man of the match Watson chipped in with two for 35.

staruss c Hopes b Siddle 14

	1.6 brilliant catch by Hopes! Strauss had timed it well, it was bowled full on leg stump, he clipped it elegantly but uppishly, Hopes threw himself to his left at square leg and plucked it inches from the ground 15/1
	JL Denly	c †Paine b Siddle	36	85	44	5	0	81.81
	17.2 got him! Short of a length outside off and gets it to move away, Denly chases it, trying to get it past point but gets a thick edge and Paine again does a good job stretching full length to his right and taking a smart catch 91/4
	OA Shah	c †Paine b Lee	0	3	2	0	0	0.00
	2.4 gone! Short on leg stump, Shah walks across to tickle it fine, gets a faint touch and it goes through to Paine, two down are England and they've been hit early, Paine took a good catch diving well to his left 16/2
	PD Collingwood	c †Paine b Johnson	34	41	30	5	1	113.33
	11.2 got him, well taken by Paine! Collingwood was tempted to pull that , short on middle, shuffled and tried to pull it through square leg, the extra bounce did the trick there for Johnson and so did the pace, a thin touch to the glove and Paine snapped it one-handed timing his leap to perfection 71/3
	EJG Morgan	c †Paine b Watson	9	44	27	0	0	33.33
	20.2 Morgan's gone! Short outside off, just a fraction outside the off stump, goes for the cut, gets a thin edge straight to the keeper, perhaps too close to play that shot but he was struggling to get the runs 101/6
	SM Davies†	b Watson	5	7	4	0	0	125.00
	18.5 Davies sent back early on his debut, nipped back in this time, short of a good length outside off, tried to defend it off the back foot, it moved in off the pitch just a hint, took the inside edge and knocked back the off stump 100/5
	LJ Wright	c †Paine b Siddle	48	86	68	2	2	70.58
	39.6 Paine pouches his fifth victim, soft dismissal in the end, he chases a full and wide delivery and gets a thick outside edge to Paine, Wright should be happy with his efforts for getting England this far 208/7
	TT Bresnan	b Lee	80	109	76	11	0	105.26
	46.2 timber! Bresnan backs away to crash that over the on side but Lee fires in a yorker and flattens the middle stump, that ends Bresnan's resistance, will it be a match-winning knock? Let's wait and see 251/9
	GP Swann	run out (Hauritz/†Paine)	18	23	15	2	0	120.00
	45.1 from Watson, excellent work by the Australians, Swann reaches out and angles the ball down to third man, Swann wants the second, he's always struggling but fails to time his dive, the throw from Hauritz is flat and quick and Paine whips off the bails, Bowden doesn't need the replay 245/8
	JM Anderson	not out	5	14	9	0	0	55.55
	G Onions	run out (Ferguson/†Paine)	1	7	2	0	0	50.00
	47.4 Watson to Anderson, confusion galore! Seemed like a sports blooper, Anderson goes right back and across and nearly trods onto his stumps as he works it to midwicket, first run comfortably taken but there's confusion about the second, Anderson wants it, Onions doesn't, Onions has no option but to leave his crease but he turns back and it's too late as Paine collects the throw from Ferguson whips off the bails 257/10
	Extras	(w 6, nb 1)	7
	Total	(all out; 47.4 overs; 218 mins)	257	(5.39 runs per over)