Warne sends England spinning to defeat

Shane Warne, the scourge of English batsmen for almost a decade, claimed 11 wickets in the match as the hosts crashed to an innings-and-25-run defeat in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval on Monday.

The Australian leg-spinner, who took seven for 165 in the first innings, added another four victims to help secure Australia's 4-1 series triumph after England were bowled out for 184 in their second innings on the final day.

Pace bowler Glenn McGrath had the last laugh, though, sealing victory just before tea with the final two wickets in three balls to finish with figures of five for 43.

England, resuming on 40 for one and needing another 169 to make Australia bat again, never recovered after Warne and McGrath ripped the top order to shreds, four wickets falling for nine runs in the morning as the home team slumped to 55 for five.

The procession continued after lunch following brief resistance from Alec Stewart, who made 34 before he shouldered arms to Warne and was bowled.

Brett Lee scattered Andy Caddick's stumps next ball to make it 126 for eight before England's earlier lack of resolve on a good batting pitch was put into its true context.

Darren Gough, who top-scored with 39 not out, and test debutant Jimmy Ormond put on 58 in 19 overs for the ninth wicket, the best stand of the innings.

England, who had contrived a consolation win in the fourth test at Headingley, could not repeat those unexpected heroics as their last nine wickets fell for 144 runs.

There was to be no repeat either of the first innings, when they failed to avoid the follow-on by just 10 runs, Mark Ramprakash scoring a century and three other batsmen passing 50 in a total of 432.

Warne, whose future, fitness and commitment were questioned after a wretched tour of India earlier this year, finished with four for 64 in the second innings and 31 wickets for the series, one behind McGrath.

The Oval, however, was extra special for the 31-year-old leg-spinner.

TOP TALLY

During the first innings, he took his 400th Test wicket and in the second he moved to fifth on the all-time list, ahead of Curtly Ambrose of West Indies and just behind Pakistan's Wasim Akram with a career tally of 407 victims.

McGrath also had a landmark to cherish, becoming Australia's most successful pace bowler of all-time by overhauling Dennis Lillee's haul of 355 wickets.

England knew they needed to survive for most of Monday to avoid defeat, but Warne and McGrath soon made a nonsense of that ambition as wickets began to tumble from the fourth over.

Mark Butcher was first to go when, on 14, he prodded forward to the leg-spinner and straight into the hands of Steve Waugh at silly point to make it 46 for two.

Moments later, Marcus Trescothick, on 24, was dropped by Ricky Ponting at second slip off McGrath but there was no respite. A brutish lifter next ball struck the left-handed opener on the glove and looped straight back to a delighted fast bowler.

Almost immediately, it was 50 for four after barely 25 minutes play when England captain Nasser Hussain was trapped lbw for two by a quicker, top-spinning delivery from Warne.

Usman Afzaal, who made his maiden half-century in the first innings, joined Ramprakash.

LUNGE FORWARD

Afzaal never looked set, however, and, after a series of loose shots and five scratchy runs, he lunged forward and edged a McGrath delivery to Ponting, who atoned for his earlier error with a brilliant catch.

Stewart struck with the first boundary of the morning, driving Warne straight, before Ramprakash hit McGrath on the up through mid-off and then drove him through cover.

After a 40-run stand for the sixth wicket, though, Ramprakash became Warne's 10th victim of the game, edging the ball firmly to Matthew Hayden in the gully for 19 as the spinner began to extract prodigious turn.

A couple of further boundaries from Stewart -- 15 runs came off one Jason Gillespie over -- interrupted the flow before the beginning of the end started after lunch.

DISBELIEF

Warne, having tried unsuccessfully to bowl Stewart round his legs, then pitched one on the leg stump and hit the off as the batsman shouldered arms, blinking in apparent disbelief as he walked off.

The celebrating Australians must have expected to follow him a few balls later, only for Gough to mix aggression with dogged defence, driving fluently to take consecutive boundaries off Gillespie and McGrath as he and Ormond kept the champagne on ice for almost an hour-and-a-half.

McGrath returned to have Ormond caught by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist for a plucky 17, and Phil Tufnell edged his second delivery straight to Warne at first slip.

Australia, ranked one in the world to England's third place, had sealed their seventh Ashes victory in a row by winning the first three matches of the series. The touring side made 641 for four declared in their only innings at The Oval, including centuries by Steve and Mark Waugh, and Justin Langer.

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Mail Cricket Editor