England captain Andrew Strauss and his Australia counterpart Ricky Ponting reached common accord on Sunday after the home side regained the Ashes on an emotional evening at the Oval.
"When we were good as we were in Cardiff and we were in Leeds we were exceptional, when we were poor we were very, very poor," Ponting told a news conference after his team had been beaten by 197 runs in the fifth and final Test.
Strauss used the same words to describe his team's performances in a series which fluctuated from hour to hour, session to session, day to day and match by match.
"I think it just shows that when we are bad we are very bad and when we are good we are very good," he said.
"It's a five-test series and there's ebb and flow. At the important moments we came good, we bowled them out cheaply in the first innings which was absolutely crucial and we dug in and got runs.
"We didn't get a load of hundreds but the guys in the lower order got 50s and 60s and got us enough on the board."
Ponting did not seek to conceal the pain he felt at becoming only the second Australian captain since Billy Murdoch in the 19th century to lose two Ashes series in England.
England regained the Ashes after 16 years at the corresponding Oval Test four years ago.
"I don't think you can get any more disappointed that I am right now," he said.
"Looking back at 2005, I was feeling exactly the same. We all spoke about it and built the series up so much but we've come up short."
England, who scraped a draw against the odds in the first Test in Cardiff, took a 1-0 lead in the second, winning at Lord's for the first time against Australia since 1934.
Australia squared the series at the fourth Test at Headingley in Leeds.
FRUSTRATED PONTING
"It was pretty special, so many emotions, hope and frustration, worry, despair at times," Strauss said.
"Until you get over the line you don't realise how hard it is to get over that line.
"It's an amazing day and it's one that seemed a long way off after Headingley. All credit to the guys, they had to did deep, very, very deep. An Ashes series forces the players to dig very, very deep and the guys have done that and come out fighting.
Ponting, 34, who was run out by a magnificent direct hit from Andrew Flintoff in his final Test, said he had wanted to make a big score in what may be his final Ashes series in England.
"I was pretty determined to play well today," he said.
"I wanted to make a big score. To get 60-odd again was disappointing. I had some opportunities through the series which I haven't grabbed, two 30-odds, a 60-odd and a 70-odd here. For me that's not good enough. You need top order players to go on to make big scores."
