Australia make sure of last rites leaving tourists to ponder an uncertain future

There were a couple of wobbles along the way butat 2.30pm on the final day in Sydney, Australia had knocked off atarget of 160 to win the fifth

- Ali Martin Sydney Cricket Ground

Test by five wickets and claim the Ashes bya 4-1scoreline.Like their tour as a whole, there was a nagging sense of what might have been for England with a few more runs on the board, or better catching and tighter bowling earlier in the contest. But there could be few quibbles from the injured Ben Stokes as he watched the final rites from first slip.

This has been a chastening tour for Stokes and his team, the Ashes lostinarecord-equalling11daysand just that two-day shootout victory in Melbourne to show forit. High hopes were followed by crushinglows, even if Jacob Bethell’s 154 in this Test was a genuine moment of promise.

‘Australia simply played superior cricket across the bulk of the series,

with the flashing blade of Travis Head, the left-arm majesty of Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland’s accuracy standing out. England underwhelmed with the bat, while their bowling prompted the words “cut for four” far too often.