London, August 27: Australia won the fifth and final Ashes Test by an innings and 25 runs here at The Oval on Monday to seal an emphatic 4-1 series victory.

A spirited ninth-wicket rearguard partnership of 58 in 75 minutes, the best of the innings, between Jimmy Ormond and Darren Gough delayed the inevitable.

But when debutant Ormond was caught behind off Glenn McGrath for 17, the end was nigh for England.

Last man Phil Tufnell (nought) became the fast bowler's fifth victim of the innings when he edged to Shane Warne at first slip and with just eight minutes before tea at 1432GMT the series was over - Gough was a defiant 39 not out.

Delighted Australia captain Steve Waugh said: "There was always a danger England would be on a roll after their win at Headingley. But I thought we bowled our best all series today (Monday)."

McGrath took five for 43 and leg-spinner Warne four for 64, the pair cementing their world class reputations with 32 and 31 wickets in the series respectively.

England captain Nasser Hussain insisted his side had done their best but on this occasion were powerless against the dynamic duo.

"You have to give credit to McGrath and Warne. They came at us for an hour and broke our backs.

"We've shown in this series that we can get runs against them but the accuracy of McGrath and the variation of Warne means you are never safe. They are two world class bowlers.

"What would have been really great would have been to get those extra 10 runs and avoided the follow-on because being in the field for two days while they got 641 for four declared was hard work but I didn't see anyone's head drop."

At lunch England were 118 for six in their second innings, still 91 runs behind Australia's 641 for four declared.

But the loss of two wickets in two balls reduced them to an even worse 126 for eight. Alec Stewart (34) had added just a single to his lunch score when trying to kick at a delivery from leg-spinner Warne, the ball brushed his pad before turning into his unguarded stumps.

Stewart, 38, playing in his 115th Test, has made himself unavailable for England's tour to India this winter, prompting speculation that this could be his last Test.

If true, it was an embarrassing end to a distinguished career.

That was the last delivery of the 49th over. Next ball a thunderbolt yorker from fast bowler Brett Lee gave Andrew Caddick (17) no chance, obliterating his wicket.

England started the day on 40 for one, a deficit of 169 but were soon on their way to losing three wickets for four runs in 17 balls inside the opening 30 minutes.

There were no home ground heroics from Surrey left-hander Mark Butcher (14) who had added just three runs to his overnight 11 when he was snapped up by Steve Waugh at silly-point off Warne's eighth ball of the day.

Marcus Trescothick (20 not out overnight), dropped in the slips the previous ball, fell immediately afterwards to McGrath's 11th delivery of the morning.

The Somerset left-hander got behind a vicious lifter and the ball spooned up to give McGrath an easy caught and bowled victim. The opening batsman was out for 24 and England were 48 for three.

Hussain was powerless to prevent further collapse.

Playing only half-forward against Warne he failed to get his bat to the ball before his pad and was rightly given out lbw for two by South African umpire Rudi Koertzen.

England were now 50 for four and that soon became 55 for five.

Nottinghamshire left-hander Usman Afzaal (five), who made a Test best 54 first time around, lunged at McGrath to see Ponting make no mistake this time with the diving slip catch.

It was a fine way for McGrath to surpass fellow Australian quick Dennis Lillee's Test match haul of 355 wickets.

Mark Ramprakash then helped Surrey colleague Stewart put on 40. But Ramprakash (19), England's first innings hero with 133, was surprised by a sharply bouncing Warne delivery and edged to Matthew Hayden at first slip.

England were 95 for six, the master spinner taking 10 wickets in a Test for the fifth time in his career.