England seal famous triumph with Sydney win

England won the fifth Ashes test by an innings and 83 runs on Friday to claim a first series triumph in Australia in nearly a quarter of a century.

The tourists, who had already ensured they would retain the famous urn, needed a little more than 17 overs to remove Australia's last three batsmen on day five of the final test to win the series 3-1.

"We came over here desperately wanting to win the series. Obviously in Melbourne we retained the Ashes but we really wanted to finish with a bang over here in Sydney," an ecstatic Andrew Strauss said on the podium.

"All credit to the guys, they've been outstanding again, the way the bowlers bowled on day one, the batsmen dipped their bread in it again and we got another victory.

Image: England's players celebrate on the podium with their trophies after defeating Australia in the fifth and final Ashes cricket test at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Jan. 7, 2011.

Text: Reuters
Images: AFP/AP