AUSTRALIA REGAIN ASHES WITH THIRD TEST WIN OVER ENGLAND

JOSH HAZLEWOOD'S FIVE-WICKET HAUL LEADS HOSTS TO INNINGS VICTORY AT THE WACA

Josh Hazlewood bowled brilliantly to take 5-48

Australia regained the Ashes after bowling England out for 218 to win by an innings and 41 runs in the third Test at the WACA in Perth.

The home side sealed the win late in the afternoon session with no play possible before lunch due to intermittent showers and, quite remarkably in a Test match, rain having got under the covers overnight.

Ground staff used leaf blowers to dry the resulting wet patches but England remained unhappy with the state of the pitch as play finally began at 1pm local time.

There was little they could do once the action begun, though, and Australia were quickly into the England middle order with Pat Cummins sealing the win as he had Chris Woakes (22) caught behind.

With Australia six wickets from victory, there were farcical scenes at the beginning of the day as it emerged that the heavy overnight rain had managed to penetrate the covers and left a number of wet spots, including a couple on a good length outside a right-hander's off stump.

In between flurries of rain, the clear-up operation continued with the home side insisting the pitch was fine to play on and the tourists claiming precisely the opposite.

After the sides took an early lunch, the umpires sided with the Australians and the hosts needed just six balls to take the fifth England wicket.

Josh Hazlewood landed his first ball on a damp patch, it stayed low and knocked back Jonny Bairstow's (14) off stump.

Hazlewood struck with his first ball of the day, bowling Jonny Bairstow

England fans were calling for play to be abandoned soon afterwards when the seamer hit a crack and the ball veered towards second slip but while batting was tricky, the pitch was not dangerous.

Moeen Ali (11) was next to go, trapped lbw by Nathan Lyon (2-42) for the third time in the series, just as he and Dawid Malan looked to be settling in and when Malan (54) gloved behind down the legside off Hazlewood, England's race was run.

Hazlewood completed his five-for as Craig Overton's (12) leading edge carried to Usman Khawaja at gully and Cummins had Stuart Broad (0) caught behind three balls later.

Dawid Malan offered some resistance, making 54

Cummins hit James Anderson flush on the helmet with a ferocious bouncer next ball but, although the tailender survived the rest of the over, Australia would not be denied for long.

Woakes had batted sensibly and farmed the strike well but he was the last man to go, feathering a Cummins (2-53) short ball behind to spark wild Australian celebrations.

Having lost the urn, England will head into the final two Tests looking to avoid a repeat of the 5-0 whitewash they suffered on their last visit to Australia in 2013/14

Information source : Sky Sports