Warne, McGrath initiated England's slide

Australia completed its seventh success Ashes series triumph with a crushing innings and 25 run win on the fifth day of the fifth Test at The Oval.

Glenn McGrath claimed 5/43 and Shane Warne added 4/64 to his first innings haul as England were bowled out 10 minutes before tea on the last day.

Warne and McGrath, now statistically Australia's two greatest ever wicket takers with 407 and 358 respectively, initiated England's slide with wonderful spells in the first hour that reduced England to 55/5 and made victory all but certain. Only a ninth-wicket partnership of 58 between James Ormond (17) and Darren Gough (39 not out), the highest of the innings, delayed the Aussie celebrations.

Australia claimed the series 4-1 after victories in the first three Tests and a loss in the fourth. The fifth Test was set up by a massive first innings total of 641/4 declared, with Steve and Mark Waugh both making centuries in their last Test in England. Shane Warne then went to work, claiming 7/165 on a turning wicket as England were bowled out for 432, with Mark Ramprakash making his first hundred in England.

Steve Waugh enforced the follow-on and after the majority of day four was washed out, Australia's rested attack overwhelmed an England batting side aiming for a draw. Shane Warne was named man-of-the-match for his match tally of 11/229 while Glenn McGrath, the series leading wicket-taker with 32 at 16.94, was named Australia's player of the series. Mark Butcher, whose innings of 173 not out almost single-handedly won England the fourth Test, was named England's player of the series, with both awards decided upon by the opposing coaches.

Another day five battle was testament to England's recent renewed combativeness but they found the prospect of an Australian side with the scent of victory overwhelming.

The first session had the potential to shape the outcome for the tourists and they ensured it would be conclusively in their favour as England lost four wickets inside the first hour. Australia's lead strikers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath opened the bowling and were involved in a personal battle to finish as series leading wicket-taker.

Warne struck first in his second over of the day, having Mark Butcher caught at silly point off pad and bat for 14 playing forward defensively. That began a slide of three wickets in three overs which saw England's top order crumble.

McGrath, who had Trescothick dropped by a diving Ricky Ponting at second slip the previous ball, dismissed the opener with a brutal delivery. McGrath made the ball explode from short of a length at the startled Trescothick, who could only lob the rearing it off the glove in self-defence to provide McGrath with a simple caught and bowled.

Nasser Hussain was next to depart for 2, leaving England 50/4 inside the first 30 minutes. Hussain played half-forward to a straight ball from Warne, trapped lbw pad before bat as the ball clipped the inside edge.

Warne and McGrath continued to turn the screws in a match-winning opening hour. McGrath surpassed his fast bowling idol Dennis Lillee as Australia's most prolific fast bowler, moving into No. 2 position behind Warne, when he slid a delivery across the left-handed Usman Afzaal, who chased it firmly and was superbly caught by Ponting at second slip for 5. Similar to the one he had dropped earlier, Ponting had to dive across in front of Warne to hold a fast two-hander. At 55/5 and needing 209 to make Australia bat again, England had lost four wickets for the addition of 15 runs.

First-innings centurion Ramprakash and Alec Stewart had to lead a recovery against the prodigious turn of Warne. Their partnership had reached 40 when Warne struck again, ripping a delivery from outside leg stump which Ramprakash couldn't resist playing at, stopping his shot too late as the ball flew from the face of the bat to gully where Hayden held an excellent reflexive catch close in. It was Warne's 10 wicket of the match, the first time he had completed a 10-wicket haul since his 300th wicket milestone match against South Africa in January 1998.

By lunch, England had reached 118/6, still 91 runs behind, after losing 78/5 in a session dominated by Australia.

Stewart and Caddick added another eight runs in half an hour before Warne claimed another bowled victim. Stewart (34), Warne's 400th wicket in the first innings, attempted to pad away a ball pitching outside leg stump but failed to get his pad to the ball and it spun across him to strike the top of off stump. Brett Lee then yorked Caddick for 17 as it appeared Australia would wrap up the match quickly at 126/8.

But Gough and James Ormond showed resistance, batting responsibly for more than an hour against Warne, Lee and a luckless Gillespie. One wicket behind Warne in the series tally, McGrath finally returned to the attack and soon had Ormond caught behind, inducing a loose drive outside off. Two balls later, Phil Tufnell steered McGrath to Warne at slip to complete the formalities and give McGrath his fifth wicket of the innings and 32nd of the series, one more than fellow destroyer Warne.