Australia beat England to retain Ashes

Australia retained the Ashes on Sunday when they crushed England by an innings and 48 runs to win the third Test inside three days.

Steve Waugh's Australians wrapped up victory after tea on the third day at the WACA as England folded to 223 all out after resuming their second innings at 33 for one.

England finished two men down after Chris Silverwood twisted his ankle on Friday and did not bat and Alex Tudor was felled by a Brett Lee bouncer.

The English paceman was stretchered from the field after ducking into a short-pitched delivery from Lee that snuck through the grilling on his helmet and opened up a gash above his eye which needed stitching.

On an eventful last day, English batsman Mark Butcher was charged with breaching the sport's code of conduct after smashing his stumps in frustration when he was dismissed for a duck immediately after a terrible mix-up ran out England's best batsman Michael Vaughan.

RECORD VICTORY

Australia's massive victory gave them an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series with two matches to go after their 384-run win in the first Test in Brisbane and their innings and 51-run win in the second Test in Adelaide.

The result also ensured Australia retained the Ashes, which they have held since 1989, for a record eighth time, beating the previous mark of seven successive series wins established by England between 1884 and 1890.

Needing to make 271 to force the Australians to bat again, England looked to be heading towards defeat before lunch after losing three quick wickets in the first hour of play.

But England captain Nasser Hussain and former skipper Alec Stewart both made defiant half-centuries to stall Australia's match towards victory.

Hussain fell for 61 after tea and Stewart finished unbeaten on 66 when he ran out of partners.

Already a man down with Silverwood on crutches, England could not have made worse start in their bid to save the match when they lost three wickets for one run in the first hour.

MIX-UP

Nightwatchman Richard Dawson was dismissed in the second over of the day, failing to add to his overnight score of eight, when he was caught by Waugh at point off paceman Jason Gillespie.

Opener Vaughan then departed in the fifth over when he was run out for nine after another mix-up with Butcher, their second of the match.

Vaughan had taken a single off paceman Glenn McGrath but was caught short of his ground after setting off for a second run when Butcher sent him back.

McGrath removed Butcher with the very next ball for a duck when the Surrey left-hander played across the line and was trapped leg before wicket.

Furious with himself, Butcher swiped the stumps with his bat and was charged with breaching the sport's code of conduct rules.

Australia should have had a third wicket in as many balls when Gillespie found the edge of Hussain's bat but Shane Warne dropped the catch at first slip.

Hussain made the most of his lucky escape by going on to bring up his second half-century off the series off 144 balls, reaching his 50 with a boundary off Damien Martyn.

Robert Key made 23 in a 68-run stand with Hussain before he was trapped lbw by McGrath then Stewart joined his captain in a sixth-wicket partnership of 67.

The pair survived to tea but failed to go on after the interval when Hussain was dismissed by Warne for 61, caught by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist after Martyn had dropped him at slip the previous ball.

Stewart smashed Warne over mid-on for four to reach his half-century off 66 balls before he ran out of partners.

All-rounder Craig White threw his wicket away hen he danced down the pitch to Warne and was promptly stumped then Lee finished off last man Steve Harmison when he bowled him with a full toss.

The fourth Test starts in Melbourne on December 26 with the final match beginning in Sydney on January 2.

Mail Cricket Editor