Brilliant Ponting punishes England.

A MAJESTIC century from Australia captain Ricky Ponting piled on the misery for England's faltering one-day side, as the tourists went 5-0 up in NatWest series at Trent Bridge.

Ponting, who was rested from the first three games of the seven-match series, made a relentless 126 off 109 balls to see his side to a four-wicket win with 1.4 overs to spare.

England had earlier made their best score of the series, Eoin Morgan top-scoring with a breezy 58 as they made 299 all out.

But Ponting's innings was a class apart, his 27th one-day hundred including 14 boundaries and three big sixes. Opener Tim Paine (16) was first out in the tourists' reply, mistiming a hook off Tim Bresnan and providing Adil Rashid with a simple catch.

That brought captain Ponting to the crease alongside Shane Watson and the pair moved along quickly before the latter went for 36, Bresnan again the bowler as he chipped to Dimitri Mascarenhas at mid-on.

Ponting looked in fine touch, though, smashing Ryan Sidebottom high into the stands for Australia's first maximum in the 12th over.

Ponting and vice-captain Michael Clarke pushed their side past three figures after 19 overs, but Mascarenhas successfully stemmed the flow with a tidy stint at the Radford Road End.

Nevertheless, a four off the Perth-raised all-rounder brought up Ponting's half-century off 51 balls.

He soon had his hundred, a dabbed single bringing up the landmark in 92 balls, but Clarke fell for 52 when he lifted Rashid to Shah on the