Ravi Bopara took 2-8 off four overs in the curtailed Australian innings before getting England safely over the line with an unbeaten knock of 53.
His contribution here, and in the series generally, is surely enough for him to warrant a place in the starting line-up for the main event this summer, the tri-part series against South Africa which features three Tests, five ODIs and three T20s.
But, for now, let us reflect on another record-breaking sequence in this wonderful era for English cricket.
Remarkably, it all began in the Middle East on the back of the 3-0 humbling in the Tests in which spinner Saeed Ajmal completely bamboozled the touring batsmen.
By contrast, the One Day series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai was all England, and the tone was set by a thumping 130-run win in the opening match.
Skipper Alastair Cook was in imperious form and became the first England captain to score successive one-day international centuries with 137 and 102 in the first two games.
In the third match, it was the turn of Cook's then-fellow opener Kevin Pietersen to score a century with a 111 as the tourists easily chased down their target of 223 with nine wickets to spare.
Then, incredibly, Pietersen would also make back-to-back tons with a 130 in the fourth game as England completed a clean sweep.
In many ways, it was typical of Pietersen to go out with a bang and he announced, soon afterwards, that he was quitting the shorter forms of the game in a bid to extend his Test career.
However, England have not much missed him since their return to home comforts against the West Indies and Australia.
In the first ODI against the Windies, Ian Bell was the latest batsmen to score a century with a 126 helping the hosts to a resounding opening win at the Rose Bowl.
And, three days later, captain Cook was at it again as he led his side to their target of 239 with eight wickets to spare and five overs remaining.
Cook scored 112 to ensure an England opener reached three figures for a sixth successive ODI match - a phenomenal record - and all of this having retained the Wisden Trophy with a 2-0 Test series win.
In fairness to the Windies, they put up more of a fight than they have on other recent tours to these shores.
Victory in the first Test for England was only secured on the final day as Cook and Bell combined in a fifth-wicket stand of 132 after a scare at 57-4.
In the second Test, the tourists also had their chances, staying well in the match until the end of the third day but they then collapsed to 61-6 after tea.
Eventually all out for 165 on day four - with James Anderson and Tim Bresnan both taking four wickets apiece - the Windies could do nothing as Andrew Strauss, Cook and Jonathan Trott eased England to their target.
The third Test at Edgbaston was, for the most part, a washout with only 187 completed overs in five days.
It was a shame for the West Indies who had put themselves in a good position with 426 on the board thanks to an unbeaten century from Denesh Ramdin (107).
In response, England were 221-5 but the weather forecast meant their vulnerability was never fully exposed.
And so, while the Windies had improved from their lamentable tour three years ago, they were still some way short of generally matching England's quality. They remain without a Test series win here since 1988.
Surely, Australia - as the No1-ranked team in ODIs - would provide limited overs skipper Cook with a more stringent examination?
Not so, it would seem - and it can only be concluded that the Aussies' continued high ranking is still attributable to their historically strong performances in the 50-over form of the game.
After all, England's four victories - by 15 runs, six wickets, eight wickets, and seven wickets, respectively - were hardly by tight margins.
Now, far from detracting from next year's Ashes series as former captain Alec Stewart feared, these wins have actually somewhat whetted the appetite.
Indeed, after almost two decades of Baggy Green dominance, it seems that England is still discovering the joy of beating the Aussies, whatever the occasion.
It is just a pity that the awful English weather intervened in the third match at Edgbaston.
For, if England had won there, a 5-0 series win would have seen them replace Australia at the top of the ODI rankings, and thus become the first side to top the standings in the three forms of cricket simultaneously.
Unfortunately, dodging the puddles has become a feature of this dreadful summer, perhaps more than any other - though the washouts have come as little surprise considering the news has been filled with reports of flooding and event cancellations.
With little improvement in the forecast, it seems inevitable that the rain will also affect the matches against South Africa - and this will be a real shame as these exciting series will pit the two current best all-round teams in the world against each other.
Certainly, the rankings suggest this is the case: in Test cricket, England and the Proteas are number one and two in the world; in ODIs, they are level on 118 points behind only Australia; finally, in the T20 standings, England are again top with South Africa, predictably enough, in second place.
Of course, the T20 series carries more significance than most end-of-summer bashes, given that it immediately precedes the next edition of the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, where England will defend their title.
But, sadly, playing no further part this summer - or, indeed, in any international cricket at all - will be long-standing South Africa wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.
The 35-year-old had always planned to retire after this summer anyway but he was forced to bring forward his decision following a freak injury caused by a flying bail in the drawn warm-up game against Somerset.
Boucher's eyeball was lacerated by the errant bail and, cruelly, left him stuck on 999 international dismissals.
By way of consolation, 555 of those came in Tests, which is a record - though, leaving the stats aside, he is probably best summed up by the opening to his Cricinfo profile.
It reads: "A man to go to war with, but never against, Boucher packed all the archetypal attributes of the South African cricketer into his short, stocky frame. He was relentlessly competitive, invariably aggressive, and as hard and uncompromising as the new ball."
And so, if South Africa show the fight for which Boucher was renowned, England might just finally meet their match this summer. The three-Test series begins a week tomorrow.
PERFECT TEN: ENGLAND IN ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS
Alastair Cook's England One-Day team has won its last 10 completed internationals
| Date | Venue | ||
| Mon 13 Feb | First ODI | (1) ENGLAND 260-7 beat PAKISTAN 130 by 130 runs | Abu Dhabi |
| Wed 15 Feb | Second ODI | (2) ENGLAND 250-4 beat PAKISTAN 230 by 20 runs | Abu Dhabi |
| Sat 18 Feb | Third ODI | (3) ENGLAND 226-1 beat PAKISTAN 222 by nine wickets | Dubai |
| Tue 21 Feb | Fourth ODI | (4) ENGLAND 241-6 beat PAKISTAN 237 by four wickets | Dubai |
| Sat 16 Jun | First ODI | (5) ENGLAND 288-6 beat WEST INDIES 172 by 114 runs (D/L) | Rose Bowl |
| Tue 19 Jun | Second ODI | (6) ENGLAND 239-2 beat WEST INDIES 238-9 by eight wickets | The Oval |
| Fri 22 Jun | Third ODI | (-) ENGLAND v WEST INDIES - abandoned without a ball bowled | Headingley |
| Fri 29 Jun | First ODI | (7) ENGLAND 272-5 beat AUSTRALIA 257-9 by 15 runs | Lord's |
| Sun 1 Jul | Second ODI | (8) ENGLAND 252-4 beat AUSTRALIA 251-7 by six wickets | The Oval |
| Wed 4 Jul | Third ODI | (-) ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA - abandoned without a ball bowled | Edgbaston |
| Sat 7 Jul | Fourth ODI | (9) ENGLAND 201-2 beat AUSTRALIA 200-9 by eight wickets | Durham |
| Tue 10 Jul | Fifth ODI | (10) ENGLAND 138-3 beat AUSTRALIA 145-7 by seven wickets (D/L) | Old Trafford |
ENGLAND SUMMER 2012 RESULTS/CALENDAR
England are unbeaten in 10 matches in all forms of the game this summer, ahead of the series against South Africa.
| Date | Venue | ||
| 17-21 May | First Test | ENGLAND 398 & 193-5 beat WEST INDIES 243 & 345 by five wickets | Lord's |
| 25-29 May | Second Test | ENGLAND 428 & 111-1 beat WEST INDIES 370 & 165 by nine wickets | Trent Bridge |
| 7-11 Jun | Third Test | ENGLAND 221-5 drew with WEST INDIES 426 | Edgbaston |
| Sat 16 Jun | First ODI | ENGLAND 288-6 beat WEST INDIES 172 by 114 runs (D/L) | Rose Bowl |
| Tue 19 Jun | Second ODI | ENGLAND 239-2 beat WEST INDIES 238-9 by eight wickets | The Oval |
| Fri 22 Jun | Third ODI | ENGLAND v WEST INDIES - abandoned without a ball bowled | Headingley |
| Sun 24 Jun | Only T20 | ENGLAND 173-3 beat WEST INDIES 172-4 by seven wickets | Trent Bridge |
| Fri 29 Jun | First ODI | ENGLAND 272-5 beat AUSTRALIA 257-9 by 15 runs | Lord's |
| Sun 1 Jul | Second ODI | ENGLAND 252-4 beat AUSTRALIA 251-7 by six wickets | The Oval |
| Wed 4 Jul | Third ODI | ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA - abandoned without a ball bowled | Edgbaston |
| Sat 7 Jul | Fourth ODI | ENGLAND 201-2 beat AUSTRALIA 200-9 by eight wickets | Durham |
| Tue 10 Jul | Fifth ODI | ENGLAND 138-3 beat AUSTRALIA 145-7 by seven wickets | Old Trafford |
| 19-23 Jul | First Test | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | The Oval |
| 2-6 Aug | Second Test | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Headingley |
| 16-20 Aug | Third Test | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Lord's |
| Fri 24 Aug | First ODI | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Cardiff |
| Tue 28 Aug | Second ODI | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Rose Bowl |
| Fri 31 Aug | Third ODI | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | The Oval |
| Sun 2 Sep | Fourth ODI | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Lord's |
| Wed 5 Sep | Fifth ODI | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Trent Bridge |
| Sat 8 Sep | First T20 | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Durham |
| Mo 10 Sep | Second T20 | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Old Trafford |
| We 12 Sep | Third T20 | ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA | Edgbaston |
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