By Rob Barnett
Australia romped to a 5-0 Ashes triumph with a 281-run win on the third evening at Sydney.
Set an improbable victory target of 448, England were skittled for 166 inside 32 overs as Ryan Harris led the way with five wickets.
Chris Rogers’ third Test ton earlier aided a score of 276 to all but put the game beyond the tourists. However, the speed of their subsequent demise was unexpected.
Rogers, the leading scorer across the sequence of 10 Ashes Tests, shared a century partnership with George Bailey shortly before reaching three figures. Bailey fell on the hook to Stuart Broad for 46, ending a stand of 109.
Brad Haddin chipped in with 28 but was one of three scalps for debutant leg-spinner Scott Borthwick either side of lunch, including Rogers caught and bowled for 119, his highest international score. Peter Siddle was last out, caught behind, to give Boyd Rankin a first Test breakthrough.
Alastair Cook nicked Johnson behind early in England's second innings before Harris had Ian Bell held at gully and Kevin Pietersen at short-leg.
Mitchell Johnson, man of the series for his amazing haul of 37 scalps, and Nathan Lyon stunningly each struck twice immediately after tea, the former ousting Michael Carberry caught behind for 43.
Ben Stokes and Broad counter-attacked with with 32 and 42 respectively, both scoring at more than a run a ball, but man-of-the-match Harris claimed the last three wickets in two personal overs for figures of 5-25.
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Welcome home #Pinkwash#TheUrnReturnspic.twitter.com/TwdmJLrp4B
— CA Digital Media (@CricketAus) January 5, 2014
5.59am - Victorious skipper Michael Clarke said: “It’s an extremely special occasion.” Speaking about his players, he added: “They rightly deserved the reward of winning 5-0.”
Clarke also said: “I think Alastair and the England team deserve a lot of credit. It’s been an extremely hard-fought series.”
5.55am - England captain Alastair Cook said: “It’s tough knowing you’ve played in five games and you’ve been beaten badly in five games. You’ve got to give a lot of credit to Michael and his team. Everything we threw at them, they responded.”
5.51am - The player of the series is Mitchell Johnson, who narrowly beat off competition from Brad Haddin. Johnson said: “That’s something I’m going to cherish for the rest of my life.” Of Haddin, Johnson added: “To come back into this team and do what he’s done in this series, he deserves to be up here as well.”
5.48am - Ryan Harris is man of the match for his eight wickets. Harris, who admitted his surprise at taking the award, said: “We didn’t expect 5-0 but we’ve done it so we’re happy.”
England hit 25 sixes in the series - their record for a series in Aus. #totalcarnage#ashesstrawclutching
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) January 5, 2014
Evening Session
Watch highlights of the evening session at the SCG
England 2nd Innings
It's over! pic.twitter.com/6kB0hPagFG
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) January 5, 2014
5.23am - AUSTRALIA WIN BY 281 RUNS TO TAKE THE ASHES SERIES 5-0!!! - WICKET! Rankin c Clarke b Harris 0; England 166 all out - Boyd Rankin edges at head height to Clarke at second slip, giving Harris a five-for. England were dismissed in 31. 4 overs.
Thanks to everyone who attended #PinkTest amazing 3 days. #Ashes#loveourSCGpic.twitter.com/4CH4TjDIJI
— Sydney Cricket Grnd (@scg) January 5, 2014
5.21am - Broad b Harris 42; Eng 166/9 - The left-hander swings, misses and has leg stump knocked back. Broad struck four sixes and three fours in his 36 deliveries.
5.19am - The ball after Broad hits four to midwicket, he loops Harris’ bouncer just over David Warner at gully. In the next over Broad flays Lyon for two leg-side sixes, the first moving England beyond 150.
5.10am - WICKET! Stokes b Harris 32; Eng 139/8 - Stokes lifts Lyon for four over extra-cover and Broad slog-sweeps the spinner for a towering six. However, the young all-rounder advances to Harris only to play on. Stokes’ swashbuckling innings occupied just 16 balls.
5.01am - Stokes lays into Lyon in an over that brings four, six, four, nought, six and nought. The first boundary was past extra-cover and the other three down the ground. Broad then slashes Johnson to the cover rope.
4.51am - After a wicketless Johnson over, Ben Stokes top-edges a sweep against Lyon but the ball falls safely in front of the fielder running in from deep backward square-leg. Stuart Broad slog-sweeps Lyon for four, moving England to three figures.
On a positive note Ben Stokes has become only the 4th player to score 250 runs and take 15 wickets in a debut series #Ashes
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) January 5, 2014
4.43am - WICKET! Borthwick c Clarke b Lyon 4; Eng 95/7 - Borthwick cover-drives his first delivery for four but, next ball, edges to slip - where Michael Clarke dives low to his left for a brilliant one-handed catch.
4.40am - WICKET! Bairstow c Bailey b Lyon 0; Eng 91/6 - Jonny Bairstow edges Nathan Lyon, bowling round the wicket, on to pad and into the hands of George Bailey at short-leg.
Mitchell Johnson has the most Test wickets by an Australian in a 5 match #Ashes series in Australia. Currently 37 #Ashes
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) January 5, 2014
4.35am - WICKET! Ballance lbw Johnson 7; Eng 90/5 - Gary Ballance is trapped plumb in front by a ball that keeps low, giving Johnson two scalps in the over following tea.
4.31am - WICKET! Carberry c Haddin b Johnson 43; Eng 87/4 - Two balls after tea Michael Carberry cuts at Mitchell Johnson and edges high to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Afternoon Session
Watch highlights of the afternoon session at the SCG
4.10am - TEA! England 87/3; Carberry 43, Ballance - Ballance cover-drives Lyon to the rope in the last over before tea. England need another 361 to win.
4.04am - Carberry strikes the returning Johnson for consecutive fours, via an off-drive and a streaky edge over the slips.
3.51am - Harris strikes Gary Ballance on the pad and the ball flies to gully. Australia appeal for lbw and a catch but do not review. If they had, the catch may have been given. In the next over Carberry cuts Lyon uppishly for four.
3.45am - REVIEW! - Carberry plays back to Nathan Lyon’s first ball. Brad Haddin’s excited appeal for caught-behind is turned down and Australia review to no avail.
3.40am - WICKET! Pietersen c Bailey b Harris 6; Eng 57/3 - Pietersen raises England’s 50 by flicking Siddle through midwicket for three before cover-driving four. He then inside-edges Harris onto his leg and the ball loops to short-leg where George Bailey acrobatically dives backwards to hold on.
Snap! @carbs646 calls for a new bat after this... #ashes#catchuppic.twitter.com/xRaG0zUxbp
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) January 5, 2014
3.26am - Carberry thick-edges and aerially drives fours off Siddle. Pietersen gets off the mark with three to cover off Harris, who extraordinarily then breaks Carberry’s bat clean in two while the left-hander defended.
3.18am - WICKET! Bell c Warner b Harris 16; Eng 37/2 - Playing on the back foot to Harris, Bell opens the face - only to pick out David Warner at gully in a wicket-maiden.
3.12am - Bell hits Johnson through the off side for four and upper-cuts him for six as England make a brisk response to the loss of Cook. Siddle follows up with a maiden to Carberry.
3am - Ian Bell scores his first run with an off-side single against Johnson. In the next over Carberry punches a back-foot four through the covers off Peter Siddle, who has replaced Harris.
Brad Haddin has now got 50 dismissals in the two #Ashes series
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) January 5, 2014
2.49am - Michael Carberry opens his account by sweetly cover-driving Harris for four. Ian Bell plays out a maiden to Johnson.
2.44am - WICKET! Cook c Haddin b Johnson 7; Eng 7/1 - Cook pulls Mitchell Johnson’s first ball for four but ends the over by playing away from his body and feathering behind.
2.39am - England’s pursuit of 448 starts with a tight over from Ryan Harris to Alastair Cook, who gets going with a single to fine-leg.
Australia 2nd Innings
2.27am - WICKET! Siddle c Bairstow b Rankin 4; Australia 276 all out - Rankin has a first Test scalp when Siddle swishes at a bouncer and feathers behind. England need 448 to win.
2.22am - CHANCE! - Nathan Lyon skies Rankin over point but Ben Stokes, running towards the boundary, loses the ball in the sun and a tough opportunity goes begging.
2.17am - WICKET! Harris c Carberry b Borthwick 13; 266/9 - An eventful Borthwick over continues as Peter Siddle opens his account with a single to leg before Harris hits an off-side four and a leg-side six. Michael Carberry caught the latter brilliantly but carried it across the rope. Next ball, though, Harris picks out Carberry in the deep.
2.14am - WICKET! Rogers c & b Borthwick 119; Aus 255/8 - Rogers gets a leading edge and Scott Borthwick dives forward to end the opening batsman’s innings. Rogers is warmly applauded on his way off.
2.10am - The first ball after lunch Chris Rogers cover-drives a Boyd Rankin loosener for four, advancing to 118 - his highest international score.
A few more images from the #PinkTest including Cook & @JimmyAnderson9 handing their pink caps to @glennmcgrath11pic.twitter.com/1RmJmKIYzF
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) January 5, 2014
Morning Session
Watch highlights of the morning session at the SCG
1.31am - LUNCH! Australia 248/7; Rogers 114, Harris 1 - Borthwick bowls the morning session’s last over, during which Ryan Harris gets off the mark with a single to deepish mid-off. Australia lead by 419.
1.24am - WICKET! Johnson b Stokes 4; Aus 244/7 - Mitchell Johnson gives himself room to smash an off-side four but, later in the over, walks across his stumps only to have his furniture rearranged.
Brad Haddin finishes the series with 493 runs at average of 61. The most runs scored by any player at number 7 or below in a test series
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) January 5, 2014
1.20am - WICKET! Haddin b Borthwick 28; Aus 239/6 - Borthwick is introduced and, immediately after dropping short to be pulled for four, forces Haddin to play on via a low full-toss. The wicketkeeper-batsman is afforded a standing ovation for his crucial runs in this rubber.
And that's 3000 Test match runs for Brad Haddin! #Ashes#PinkTestpic.twitter.com/oxBZ8KxwEk
— CA Digital Media (@CricketAus) January 5, 2014
1.11am - Haddin plays himself in during a quiet period as Rankin bowls with economy. In the next over Haddin upper-cuts Stokes for four and, having taken a leg-side single that extends the lead to 400, pulls another boundary over mid-on.
12.59am - Rogers and Haddin, England’s two main batting scourges in this series, keep the scoreboard ticking. Stokes is back in place of Broad.
STAT ALERT: Haddin breaks the record for most runs scored batting 7 or lower in any Test series. http://t.co/dkb0MhSSw7#ashes
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) January 5, 2014
12.46am - Brad Haddin works Boyd Rankin, who has succeeded Pietersen, for two to leg to open his account.
12.38am - WICKET! Bailey c Borthwick b Broad 46; Aus 200/5 - Bailey drives Broad for four but next ball top-edges a hook to Scott Borthwick, who holds an athletic catch at deepish square-leg. That ends a stand of 109.
Congratulations to Chris Rogers! Another Ashes hundred in Sydney for Australia. Like a good wine - he gets better with age #VintageClass
— Middlesex Cricket (@Middlesex_CCC) January 5, 2014
12.32am - HUNDRED! Rogers (143b 14x4 0x6) - The left-hander cuts Pietersen to the rope to raise his third Test ton. The top-scorer across this sequence of 10 Ashes games gets a deserved standing ovation.
12.30am - HUNDRED PARTNERSHIP! - Rogers gloves Broad for three to fine-leg, taking him to 98. He then turns Pietersen to leg for one, raising the century alliance, and wisely turns down a second run.
12.16am - Rogers expertly late-cuts Pietersen for a delicate four, moving him into the 90s and Australia’s advantage past 350. Broad returns in place of Anderson.
12.09am - Part-time off-spinner Kevin Pietersen, who did not bowl in Tests during 2013, takes over from Stokes with a maiden to Bailey. Rogers then beautifully drives a widish Anderson ball to the rope.
The view of the #PinkTest@scg from the @bbctms commentary box #Ashespic.twitter.com/w3lavY5Qwo
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) January 5, 2014
11.58pm - Rogers takes Stokes for consecutive fours, the first guided past gully and the second a textbook straight drive.
11.52pm - Ben Stokes replaces Broad and begins with a tight over. Anderson concedes his first runs of the day, Bailey thick-edging four to third man.
11.43pm - George Bailey drives Broad past mid-off and clips him through midwicket for fours, the second taking Australia beyond 150. Anderson delivers another maiden to Rogers.
That looks like a pink cowboy hat being worn by Shane Warne…! #PinkTest#Ashespic.twitter.com/XTXSfaSCNx
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) January 4, 2014
11.35pm - Stuart Broad opens the bowling and, after a no-ball, Chris Rogers gets the day’s first run off the bat with a single to leg. James Anderson starts with a maiden to Rogers.
Pre-Play News
The England players hand over their specially made pink caps to @glennmcgrath11 at the #PinkTest#Ashespic.twitter.com/808hGaEzdE
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) January 4, 2014
11.25pm - As the players head on to the field, they shake hands with legendary Australia seamer McGrath. Each tourist gives a pink England cap to him.
Day 3 at the @scg& it's definitely the #PinkTest today! #Ashespic.twitter.com/u2mh7bx7n6
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) January 4, 2014
11.20pm - Following day two, England batting coach Graham Gooch talked up emerging all-rounder Ben Stokes, whose talent ecb.co.uk’s Matthew Sherry measures here.
.@wwos9 commentator @BumbleCricket looking great at the @scg! #PinkTest#Ashespic.twitter.com/31HarLqN8d
— CA Digital Media (@CricketAus) January 4, 2014
11.10pm - This is Jane McGrath Foundation Day, named in honour of Glenn McGrath’s late wife, when the SCG, players and spectators turn pink to raise money for McGrath breast care nurses across Australia and awareness of breast cancer in general.
Boycott in the pink for @McGrathFdn#PinkTest#Ashespic.twitter.com/Jq5rnYE9P0
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) January 4, 2014
11pm - Hello and welcome to our blog coverage of day three at Sydney. England need quick wickets to give themselves a chance of victory. Australia are set to resume their second innings in 30 minutes on 140 for four, 311 ahead, with Chris Rogers on 73 and George Bailey 20.