World champion Australia overcame early batting hiccups Saturday to defeat Ashes rival England by six wickets in a crucial Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy tournament.

Led by fast bowlers Shane Watson (3-16) and Mitchell Johnson (3-40), Australia bowled out England for 169 in 45 overs. The world champion wobbled in its run-chase before Damien Martyn (78 off 91 balls) celebrated his 35th birthday with a blistering half century, leading Australia to 170 for four in 36.5 overs.

The victory kept Australia in the hunt for a semi-final spot while England cannot progress to that stage after suffering defeats in its first two matches. Australia has two points from two games after West Indies recorded a stunning 10-run win against it at Mumbai Wednesday.

England claimed three quick wickets after players went off the field due to a power failure, with Australia racing along to 30 without loss in the first four overs under lights.

Fast bowler Sajid Mahmood knocked Adam Gilchrist (10) off stump off the very first ball when play resumed after a 10-minute break and Andrew Strauss clung onto a catch in the second slip to dismiss Ricky Ponting (1). James Anderson then hit the top of the bails to remove Watson (21) as Australia slipped to 34-3.

Martyn then took charge and plundered 26 runs off paceman Steve Harmison's two overs, which included five boundaries, as noisy fireworks to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali crackled outside the stadium in the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur.

Martyn hammered 12 boundaries and shared a match-winning 125-run partnership off 169 balls with Michael Hussey before he edged Harmison with Australia just 18 runs away from victory.

Earlier, England completely went off track after a sound opening stand of 83 runs between Strauss (56) and Ian Bell (43) as it lost 10 wickets for only 86 runs.

None of the middle-order England batsmen could cope with the slow-paced wicket of the Sawai Man Singh Stadium with only Collingwood putting up a grim fight with an unbeaten 22.

Watson and Johnson were well supported by wicketkeeper Gilchrist who made five catches.

Ponting's decision to bowl first after he won the toss seemed to have backfired in the first hour as Strauss and Bell kept the four-man Aussie attack at bay.

Strauss greeted Glenn McGrath with two successive boundaries _ a pull shot and a ferocious square cut. Bell also profited from a let off on 23 when Martyn failed to judge an easy catch at mid-off from McGrath's slower ball.

Watson got the much needed breakthrough in the 19th over when Bell casually drove the fast bowler's second delivery to Hussey at covers to begin England's slide.

Hard-hitting batsman Kevin Pietersen (1) gave Gilchrist his 350th catch in the limited-overs games when Johnson found the edge in the next over.

Strauss completed his 12th half century off 78 balls and hit six boundaries before Watson dealt a crucial blow when captain Andrew Flintoff struggled to score four runs off 15 deliveries and holed out to a diving Hussey at deep mid-wicket.

Strauss departed in the 29th over to a sharp Gilchrist catch off Andrew Symonds' delivery that turned sharply away from the left-hander.

England plays its last group game against the defending champion West Indies at Ahmadabad on Oct. 28 while Australia meets India at Mohali on Oct. 29.