Australia retain Ashes with seven-wicket win at Trent Bridge

Nottingham, August 4: Australia crushed England by seven wickets to win the third Ashes Test here at Trent Bridge on Saturday with more than two days to spare and take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five match series.

Victory gave Australia the Ashes for the seventh successive series — a record equalled only by the England sides of 1884-1890 when Ashes campaigns were often made up of fewer than five Tests. It was also Australia's 19th win in their last 21 Tests.

Mark Waugh was 42 not out off 45 balls and Damien Martyn 33 not out from 37. The pair shared an unbroken stand of 70 in 66 balls. Australia finally secured the Ashes courtesy of an Andrew Caddick no-ball which pretty much summed up England's performance in the series so far.

England off-spinner Robert Croft struck with his second ball of the innings in the first over after lunch. Having just been driven for four by Ricky Ponting, next ball he had him caught behind by wicket-keeper Alec Stewart for 17. But at 72 for two, Australia were still in command needing just another 86 runs for their victory target of 158.

Opener Matthew Hayden had made 42 off 51 balls including seven fours when he offered no stroke against fast bowler Alex Tudor and was lbw to leave Australia 88 for three. Their situation worsened when captain Steve Waugh, usually Australia's most resilient batsman, had to retire hurt on one.

As he clipped Tudor for a single, Waugh set off only to pull up with what was later confirmed as a strained left calf. He received on-field treatment before being wheeled off with Australia 89 for three, 69 runs short of victory. Bad light intervened soon afterwards with Australia 97 for three, Mark Waugh 15 not out and Martyn two not out.

England had struck in the sixth over when Caddick had Michael Slater (12) well caught at third slip by Somerset colleague Marcus Trescothick. The Australia second innings began with two vehement lbw appeals from Darren Gough against left-hander Hayden.

Hayden rode his luck, twice edging Gough in successive balls to the vacant third man area and then on 23 being dropped by Trescothick off Caddick, the ball flying high to the slip's left, with Australia 44 for one in the eight over.

Earlier, Australia had bowled England out for 162, their second innings lasting for just a further 49 balls Saturday as they added a meagre 18 runs for the loss of four wickets. Shane Warne finished the innings off when Alex Tudor (nine) was caught in the covers by Ponting. Gough was five not out.

Warne's wicket gave him innings figures of 18-5-33-6 - his best return outside Australia surpassing the six for 48 against England at Old Trafford in 1997.

It was also his best analysis anywhere for six years since taking seven for 23 against Pakistan at Brisbane in 1995 But it was fast bowler Jason Gillespie who really wrapped things up. He took three wickets for six runs in 14 balls and in the process reached the landmark of 100 Test wickets.