Few England players of recent years have thrived more on the verbal banter that accompanies matches between the two teams than Gough, England's most economical bowler during Thurday's 57-run day/night defeat here at the Riverside before hitting a career-best 46 not out off 47 balls.

During the match Gough, responding to reports that some Australia players -- notably Shane Watson -- had become spooked in their nearby 'haunted' hotel, did his best impression of a pantomime ghost when the all-rounder came out to bat.

"I'd heard he's slept on Brett Lee's floor, so when he came out to bat I told him: 'Don't worry, you can sleep in my bed tonight," joked Gough.

"It started like that and then I gave him the ghost thing as a bit of fun, but he's a great competitor and great to play against."

Australia's win ended a run of four successive defeats and was a morale-booster ahead of the Ashes Tests, which start in July, where the tourists will be looking for a ninth successive series victory.

However, Gough, 34, stressed: "We've not read too much into the last few games played by Australia and I've always said that".

"They're still a quality side and when you've got strength in depth like they've got and play like they did against us, then they're a hard team to beat.

"We were under-par against them and didn't play as well as we can do and I didn't think the intensity was there in the field -- I think there was a feeling that we'd see how many runs they got and then chase them down, but it's not as easy as that with quality bowlers like that and Brett Lee back in the side."

But even though England failed to complete a hat-trick of one-day wins for the first time since 1997, they did at least have the consolation of seeing last-wicket pair Gough and Stephen Harmison bat out the 50 overs.

Australia failed to hit a boundary off Gough's last four overs before he hit seven of his own in his innings.

"They came at us quite hard and there were a few words out there," Gough said. I knew they were going to come hard at the tail-enders and I just thought I would try and give as good as I got and I really enjoyed it.

"There was a fair bit of chat going on out there, but I was expecting it because we gave them a fair bit in the Twenty20 game and the first game of this competition in Bristol and when their tail-enders come in that's exactly what they're going to get -- if you're going to give it out, you've got to be able to take it as well and I think we did that."

Earlier in the innings England had collapsed to six for three but eventually recovered to a respectable 209 for nine.

"That's has got to go down as my greatest innings because I've played against quality bowlers all the way through. They didn't give me anything," Gough said.

"They bowled Lee, they bowled Glenn McGrath, they bowled Jason Gillespie and for me as a tail-ender to finally knuckle down and bat like that was really pleasing for me."

Gough is set to be in action again against Bangladesh at Headingley, his home for his whole professional career until switching to Essex in 2004, on Sunday.

England are hopeful captain Michael Vaughan, who missed Thursday's defeat with a groin strain, will recover to lead the side at his home ground and he will have a fitness test on Saturday.

In the meantime Australia and Bangladesh meet Saturday at Old Trafford.