Steven Finn was on a hat-trick twice as his world-class fast bowling set up England's victory at Chester-le-Street, which clinched the NatWest Series and also posted a national one-day record of nine successive wins.

Australia rarely had realistic prospects of a fightback in this fourth match of five, despite a sterling 70 from David Hussey, after lurching to six for two this morning.

They eventually mustered 200 for nine. But as conditions eased, and Australia's pace attack paled in comparison to England's, Ian Bell (69) and Jonathan Trott (64no) engineered a routine chase which was completed with 13 balls and eight wickets to spare.

Alastair Cook's team have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead and wrapped up the series with a match still to come, at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Bell took advantage of an increasingly benign surface, and the absence of scoreboard pressure, to collect nine fours from 94 balls – and Trott did the rest, in no particular hurry.

England's most significant contributions had come several hours earlier, though, starting when Cook won a telling toss to give Finn et al the first chance to bowl in near-perfect conditions.

Hussey and Michael Clarke dug in manfully and their 50 stands with Brett Lee and Shane Watson respectively mustered a total which was more substantial than had appeared likely.

Opener David Warner needed 16 balls to get off the mark and was soon out when he played across a full-length delivery from Finn and was hit on the pad. Nigel Llong decided not out, but DRS vindicated England by demonstrating the ball would have hit middle-stump.

There was not even a passing doubt about Finn's second success as he pitched full again to Peter Forrest, who got nowhere with a hesitant forward push and was hit on the back pad for a first-ball duck.

Clarke survived a hat-trick ball but was seen off later by Finn, when he missed an off-drive and lost his off-stump. Matthew Wade then went for a golden duck thanks to alarming late swing from the England bowler.

Hussey, with a 62-ball 50, and Lee shared a determined seventh-wicket stand of 70. If Australia thought they had given themselves a chance, though, the illusion did not last long.

Bell and Cook put on a seamless opening stand of 70 and though both departed, Bell did so after bringing his tally to a remarkable 364 runs in five innings since he was given another shot at ODI cricket by the retirement of Kevin Pietersen.

Cook later hailed his bowlers after they helped ensure England remain unbeaten in 2012 – following series wins against Pakistan and West Indies. "It is really pleasing, since the start of the new year not losing and winning nine in a row is an amazing effort," he said.

"We had the best of the conditions today but that means nothing – we still had to make the most of it and the bowlers did that. They've made my job easier. Steven Finn got the wickets today but all the bowlers bowled well."