Agency :
The Ashes came to a fitting end as England produced one last batting collapse to slump to a 146-run defeat to leave Australia celebrating a 4-0 series win.
Joe Root’s side had worked themselves into a position where a consolation victory appeared possible as the second session on day three approached its conclusion, reaching 68-0 in their chase of 271 but proceeded to lose all 10 wickets for 56 and were bowled out for 124.
Cameron Green (3-21) started the rout as he removed the England top three either side of tea before Scott Boland and Pat Cummins helped themselves to three wickets apiece in the evening session, the Australia captain taking the winning wicket to end a pitiful batting display.
Earlier in the day, Mark Wood had claimed his first Ashes five-wicket haul and finished with figures of 6-37 to keep England in with a chance but once Rory Burns and Zak Crawley’s encouraging opening stand was broken, the away side crumbled as their dismal series concluded with their worst collapse.
England began the day needing quick wickets, ideally seven of them, as Australia resumed on 37-3 and in the fourth over, Wood got them started as nightwatchman Boland (8) edged behind.
The fast bowler was sticking with the short-ball tactics that troubled Australia late on day two, as well as in their first innings, and it did the trick again as Travis Head (8) was caught behind down the legside before Steve Smith (27) pulled the ball straight to Dawid Malan at fine leg in a superb, fiery spell.
Australia were rescued somewhat from 63-6 as Alex Carey and Green put on 49 for the seventh wicket, albeit the former required a fair amount of good fortune as he was bowled by Chris Woakes on 19, only for the third umpire to make the debatable decision to call a front-foot no-ball.
Stuart Broad eventually broke the stand, England reviewing successfully for lbw, after Green (23) was pinned on the back leg and he thought he had Carey in his next over, only for the Australian to review with ball-tracking showing the ball pitched fractionally outside leg.
Wood returned completing a thoroughly deserved five-for with the wicket of Mitchell Starc (1), caught at short leg and England wrapped up the innings soon after the dinner interval, Carey (49) caught behind off Broad (3-51) one short of his half-century to give Sam Billings, on debut, a fifth catch of the innings.
