Aussies butchered in Ashes

Cook says unbelievable, Clarke goes into retirement:

England regained the Ashes after wrapping up a spectacular victory over Australia on the third morning of the fourth Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday as the hosts took Australia’s three remaining second-innings wickets in 39 minutes to win by an innings and 78 runs.

England’s second successive three-day triumph gives them an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series with one match to play.

The winning margin is all the more remarkable given it is only 19 months since England were at the receiving end of a 5-0 thrashing by the Australians down under.

England have now beaten Australia in four consecutive home series - their best sequence since 1896.

Ben Stokes, whose five-wicket haul on Friday afternoon had taken England to the brink of glory, picked up where he left off with a wicket in his second over of the day as Mitchell Starc nicked a ball shaping away from him to Ian Bell at second slip.

Australian captain Michael Clarke announced he would be retiring from international cricket at the end of the series while England captain Alastair Cook said his team’s resounding Ashes triumph over Australia was “beyond belief”.

“To win as we have done is beyond belief,” Cook said. “I didn’t think we were quite ready to win the Ashes because I thought you needed players who were match-hardened, but the guys out there surprised me.”

He added: “We’ve won really critical moments and players have really stepped up.

They’ve made that big step from guys with little experience to match-winners for England.”

But after clinching victory by an innings and 78 runs in the Saturday sunshine at a jubilant Trent Bridge, Cook hopes England’s attacking cricket has won over a sceptical public. “We’ve tried to really enjoy every moment,” he said.

“The big thing this summer has been trying to show people our talent and players in the dressing room have really thrived in that atmosphere we’ve tried to create.

“People are prepared to express themselves more than we have done in the past.”

Scores:

Australia 60 (Stuart Broad 8 for 15) and 253 (Chris Rogers 52, David Warner 64, Mark Wood 3 for 69, Ben Stokes 6 for 36)

England 391 for 9 (Alistair Cook 43, Joe Root 130, J. Bairstow 74, Mitchell Starc 6 for 111) (bbcsport)