England rout Australia by 197 runs to regain Ashes

London: England pulled off a sensational 197 run victory over Australia in the fifth and final cricket Test to regain the coveted Ashes urn after a four-year gap here today.

After setting Australia an improbable target of 546 runs, the hosts wrapped up Australia's second innings at 348 at The Oval to clinch the series 2-1 and make Andrew Flintoff's swansong Test a memorable event.

A packed Oval crowd erupted into celebration when spinner Greame Swann dismissed Michael Hussey to draw curtains on a keenly contested series between the arch-rivals.

Hussey stood tall amid the ruins with a valiant 121-run knock while skipper Ricky Ponting also batted bravely for his 66 before Flintoff effected his brilliant run out.

Ponting suffered the ignominy of being the only the second Australia captain in 132 years of Ashes history to lose two series on England soil. The other was Australia's first touring captain Billy Murdoch a century ago.