At a time when the England cricket team were struggling in the face of some inspired play from Australia, there was at least some cheer for Englishmen Down Under when Justin Rose came through yesterday to win the Australian Masters in Melbourne.

Rose, who had not won since holding off Ian Poulter to secure the British Masters crown at Woburn in 2003, had rounds of 69, 66, 68 and 73 for a total of 276, 12 under par, and victory by two strokes over Richard Green and Greg Chalmers, the Australians.

The victory, in a co-sanctioned event between the European and Australasian tours, has been a long time coming for a player tipped for great things since he finished tied fourth, as a 17-year-old amateur, at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1998.

After finally making his mark in 2002 — when he won twice on the European Tour and twice elsewhere — Rose, 26, decided to play full time on the PGA Tour in the United States and has spent the intervening period adjusting to life on a tougher circuit. To judge from recent results, it is beginning to bear fruit.

“I can’t believe it has been four years [since my last win],” Rose, who survived a triple-bogey eight at the 7th, said. “It’s been a big week for me. I’ve had a few close calls this season, but to win a tournament like this is great for my confidence.”

Life has not been all bad for the Englishman, however. He has improved year on year on the PGA Tour, has not been in danger of losing his card and finished the 2006 season 47th on the money list, with earnings of $1,629,288 (about £845,000) and five top-ten finishes.

It was towards the end of the season that things started to look up for a player renowned for his work ethic but who too often has thrown in one bad round when handily placed. A case in point was the Funai Classic in Florida last month, when he opened with a round of 60, led after 36 holes but finished fourth after a lacklustre third round.

Rose, whose highest world ranking was No 36 in September 2003, began last week at No 69 but can expect to get close to, if not inside, the all- important top 50 that opens the door to the major championships.