Australia dismiss England for 150-run victory to regain the Ashes
Hosts wrest back the tiny urn they last held in 2007 and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series
Australia reclaimed the Ashes by dismissing England’s last five batsmen after lunch on Tuesday for a 150-run victory in the third test to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Just three months after England wrapped up a third successive Ashes series triumph by a similarly dominant 3-0 margin back home, Australia wrested back the tiny urn they last held in 2007.
Ben Stokes made the Australians sweat through the first session on the fifth and final day of the match with his maiden test hundred – England’s first of the series – as the tourists chased their improbable victory target of 504.
What an amazing performance ... we put a lot of work in over a long period of time and we got the Ashes back, so it’s a fantastic feeling
Once the 22-year-old left-hander was dismissed for 120 in the third over after lunch to reduce the tourists to 336 for seven, though, Australia quickly ran through the England tail.
Mitchell Johnson, whose fiery spells of pace bowling had turned the first two tests, finished with four for 78 after dismissing James Anderson to end England’s innings for 353, sparking wild celebrations from his teammates.
“I feel pretty good,” said Australia skipper Michael Clarke.
“What an amazing performance not just throughout this test match, but over the course of three test matches. I think we put a lot of work in over a long period of time and we got the Ashes back, so it’s a fantastic feeling.”
Left-hander Stokes, who made his debut in the second test in Adelaide, showed great concentration and no little courage to help England to their biggest innings score of the series.