Australia reclaim the Ashes, win third Test by 150 runs

Hosts win third Test by 150 runs to take unassailable 3-0 lead in 5-match series agianst England

The Australian cricket team celebrate after taking the final wicket to win the Ashes against England in Perth on Tuesday. — AFP

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 August 2009.

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. Once the 22-year-old lefthander 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 finished with four for 78 after dismissing James Anderson to end England’s innings for 353, sparking wild celebrations from his team mates.

“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.” Lefthander 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.

England had resumed on 251 for five requiring another 253 runs for an extraordinary victory or more likely needing to bat through the final day to save the Test. The yawning cracks that had opened up on the sunbaked wicket added an extra danger factor for the batsmen.