Andrew Wu at Trent Bridge
An unprecedented whitewash remains on the cards after Tim Paine's maiden international century and the deadly arm of Ricky Ponting powered Australia to a 111-run humilation of England at Trent Bridge on Thursday night.
Jules Verne's 19th century novel 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was written about a sea monster but its title is an apt description of the chasm between the two sides.
Farcical at times, England's ineptitude plunged darker depths as it made a hatchet job of running down Australia's victory target of 297.
On an excellent batting wicket which Paine had earlier plundered 111 off 148 balls, the Poms managed a paltry 185 in reply to the tourists' 8-296.
The loss has it just one defeat away from being on the wrong end of a 7-0 scoreline for the first time.
If not for a plucky lower order England would have tasted its heaviest ever defeat by a runs margin. As it stands, it was its 11th worst from 517 games and worst at home in eight years.
Against a red-hot Australian outfit which batted with conviction, bowled with menace and fielded with hunger when it mattered, England self-destructed in its most abysmal performance of the series.
It was not helped by some schoolboy running from Ravi Bopara, whose hesitation enabled Ponting to run him out but not before Matt Prior was also needlessly sacrificed.
Yet again, England's batsmen were upstaged by the Australians, who scored freely despite the early loss of Shane Watson and Ponting.
Paine and Michael Hussey added a record 163-run stand for the third wicket against England, eclipsing the previous mark set by Allan Border and David Boon in Sharjah in 1987.
Although Hussey struggled early, Paine - deputising for the injured Brad Haddin - was always on song.
The hallmark of Paine's innings was his ability to despatch the loose ball.
It was a chanceless and largely risk-free innings by Paine, who was particularly strong through the cover point arc.
It would be harsh to accuse Hussey of being out of form as he has been starved of opportunities this series but he made the most of his promotion to No.4.
A week out from the Champions Trophy, Hussey gained fluency the more time he spent at the crease.
The highlight of his 61, which came off 69 deliveries, was a sweetly timed reverse sweep against off-spinner Graeme Swann.
After a rare failure from Callum Ferguson, one of three wickets to fall in a 24-ball spell approaching the latter overs, White and Hopes accelerated Australia's scoring.
The pair added a whirlwind 53 off 27 balls, cashing in on a well-timed power play which reaped 54 runs.
White crashed 35 off 23 balls and Hopes 38 off 22, ensuring Paine and Hussey's work was not wasted.
England's innings began horribly when on the second ball of the innings Andrew Strauss was on the receiving end of a howler from Asad Rauf.
Replays showed the ball flicked Strauss's shoulder but made no contact with the bat as he took evasive action to a Lee bouncer.
Joe Denly made 25 before holing out to mid-off against Hopes before Ponting further unhinged England's chase.
A direct hit from extra cover left Prior short of his ground then five balls later he repeated the dose on Bopara, this time from mid-wicket, after another comical mix-up.
Hopes, who completed a fine all-round game with 3-32, then chipped in with another two wickets to take the sting completely out of the game.