> The Ashes 2006

Australia beat England by 10 wickets with more than a day to spare to win the fifth and final cricket Test in Sydney and secure the first 5-0 Ashes sweep in 86 years.

England, resuming at 114-5 on day four, lost five wickets for 33 runs to slump to 147 all out, leaving Australia chasing 46 runs for victory. Justin Langer, playing his final Test, combined with Matthew Hayden to reach the target. Hayden smashed Sajid Mahmood for six and then took a single to complete the win.

Australia won the first three Tests to regain cricket's oldest international trophy in record time following its 2005 loss in England. Ricky Ponting's team added victories in Melbourne and Sydney to become only the second team to take an Ashes series 5-0 after Warwick Armstrong's Australians in 1920- 21. The teams have faced each other in 64 Ashes series.

"It's been the best five or six weeks of my life,'' Ponting, who was named man of the series after scoring 576 runs at an average of 82.3, said at the presentation ceremony. "There's been some emotion and some great cricket.''

Shane Warne, the record Test wicket-taker with 708, and Glenn McGrath, five-day cricket's most successful fast bowler with 563 wickets, also quit after the match.

"To finish off the way we have is just sensational,'' Warne told the Nine Network. "Five-nil is a fantastic achievement. This team has played some exceptional cricket.''

Win Streak
England's 15-month Ashes reign was the shortest in the 124- year history of the contest as the rematch between the top- ranked teams ended in a mismatch. Since losing the Ashes on Sept. 12, 2005, Australia has won 16 of 17 Tests.

Australia extended its win streak to 12 matches, the second-longest in Test history. The record of 16 was set by Steve Waugh's Australia team between 1999 and 2001. That group was also coached by John Buchanan, who is quitting after this year's World Cup and today completed his final Test series.

Langer, Australia's sixth-highest run-scorer in Tests, was given a guard of honor by the England players as he made his way to the middle. He finished 20 not out as Australia took 44 minutes to get the runs. Hayden reached 23 not out.

England's lower order, which contributed just four runs in the first-innings total of 291, earlier collapsed for the second straight time before Steve Harmison and James Anderson rallied with 24 runs for the last wicket.

Kevin Pietersen, England's series top scorer, started the slump by getting caught behind off McGrath from the third ball of the morning. He didn't add to his overnight score of 29.

Monty Panesar was run out by Andrew Symonds for naught chasing England's first run of the session. Brett Lee had Chris Read caught at second slip by Ponting and McGrath bowled Mahmood with a delivery that nipped back off the pitch.

McGrath, who wrapped up the innings when he had Anderson caught by Mike Hussey at mid-on, finished with 3-38. Lee also took three wickets. Fast bowler Stuart Clark was man-of-the- match for his 35 runs in the first innings and five wickets. He finished with a series-topping 26 wickets.

but then their bench strength is just too good - anyways lets hope Aussies
feel the pinch