Australia have pin-pointed fast bowler Steve Harmison as the key factor in England's revival and their improved performances against the world champions in the one-day games this summer.

Until last summer's ICC Champions Trophy semi-final defeat at Edgbaston, Australia had not been beaten by England for over five years and 14 successive one-day matches - a record which almost matched their dominance of Ashes Test series over the past 20 years.

But, including the inaugural Twenty20 international between the two sides which preceded the NatWest Series, Australia have won only one of the last five encounters between cricket's oldest rivals to lift English hopes of a more competitive Ashes series this summer.

The world champions even failed to complete victory in Saturday's NatWest Series final in their trademark ruthless fashion after reducing England to 53 for five with Ashley Giles claiming two runs off the last ball to claim a dramatic tie.

At Lord's it was Paul Collingwood and Geraint Jones who claimed the plaudits for forging a 116-run sixth wicket stand to prevent a complete capitulation, but Australia's dressing room believes the real catalyst for England's revival is Durham fast bowler Harmison.

''I think Harmy is a class bowler, there's no doubt about that,'' enthused Australian seamer Glenn McGrath, whose last ball was deflected down to third man to claim the thrilling tie.

''He's one of the main reasons why England have improved over the last 18 months and the reason why they've been so successful. To have a bowler bowl at that pace with that lift and bounce has got to give the rest of the team confidence.''

McGrath's view is shared by other leading figures in the game, who have included Harmison in both the Test and one-day 20-man squads for the Rest of the World to take on Australia in Melbourne and Sydney in the super series matches next October.

Those squads are due to be trimmed down to 14 later this year with Harmison likely to feature in both if he continues his current form for the remainder of the summer after finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the triangular tournament with 15 victims.

By then Australia may be sick of the sight of Harmison and his ability to inspire his team-mates into a side no longer intimidated by the world champions or their long run of success against them.

''England are playing with a lot more confidence,'' conceded McGrath. ''In Saturday's game Jones and Collingwood read the game pretty well in a tough situation and just tried to build an innings.

''In that respect they are playing with a lot more confidence and they are a lot more match aware and confidence to me is a huge thing when it comes to international cricket.''

Captain Ricky Ponting, disappointed by his side's failure to finish off England at Lord's, agreed with his leading bowler but insisted he was not surprised by the host country's success against them so far this summer.

''I'm not surprised by England,'' stressed Ponting. ''We all knew coming here that England would have a bit of extra edge about them in this series.

''When you've won as many games as they have in the last couple of years that tends to be an influence on the team and you have a bit more confidence and certainly they've had some players that have had their fair share of success at international level.''

Ponting's opposite number Michael Vaughan has dismissed fears about the failure of England's top order to make an impact against Australia.

Neither side had much time to recover from the dramatic tied match before they began planning for another three-match series between the Ashes rivals beginning at Headingley on Thursday.

The majority of the talk in the build-up to that series will be the historic changes to the format, with the International Cricket Council sanctioning the use of substitutes and two blocks of five-over fielding restrictions to be used at the fielding captain's discretion.

But perhaps the biggest concern for coach Duncan Fletcher with the opening Ashes Test due to begin at Lord's in less than three weeks has been the ease in which Australia's attack have made dramatic inroads into England's batting line-up on each occasion during the triangular tournament.

Only three members of the top six have passed 50, Paul Collingwood, captain Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen, in the four meetings with Australia during the tournament - and two of those were during England's stunning opening victory in Bristol two weeks ago.

Vaughan, though, insists he is not concerned by the worrying lack of form displayed by his leading batsman, and claimed: ''I just want to see England win first and foremost and if Trescothick and Strauss get some runs and people like myself and Flintoff get some runs then that would be fantastic.

''I just want to see England win games of cricket - it's irrelevant to me who actually gets the runs and wickets. We go out there and win as a team and lose as a team and that's what we've been doing recently.''

While Vaughan is showing no signs of concern both he and coach Fletcher must have been alarmed at England's collapse to 33 for five.

Pietersen, hailed as England's new hero a couple of weeks ago, failed in his two innings against Australia since his match-winning efforts at Bristol while Trescothick and Strauss' best opening partnership in the four matches is 39.

Andrew Flintoff has also struggled with the bat, although he has been one of England's best performers with the ball, but for now Vaughan intends to focus on the positives prior to the selectors announcing a new squad for the three-match series today.

The major positive of the series has been the return to form of Harmison, who claimed three more wickets on Saturday to finish with 15 victims in the tournament and confirm his return to form after a disappointing time in South Africa last winter.

Harmison struggled for the right line and length for most of the Test series victory in South Africa , but Vaughan added: ''I always thought Harmison would do well.

"Just because he had a couple of bad games in a winter, it doesn't make you a bad bowler.''