Man of the match: Steve Smith (111)
AUSTRALIA delivered another crushing defeat in the third Test in Perth to take an unassailable 3-0 lead and regain the Ashes urn for the first time since 2009.
Mitchell Johnson inevitably dealt the final blow at 5.45am British time this morning, James Anderson fending the ball to George Bailey at short leg as England's tail struggled again following the removal of Ben Stokes.
Durham all-rounder Stokes hit a wonderful maiden Test century but, remarkably, this was England's first of the series. Australia have scored seven.
Indeed, there is a whole range of statistics which could be reeled off to show a complete disparity in quality between the two sides.
Yes, there have been three lost tosses for Alastair Cook which have resulted in the Australians' getting the advantage of batting first on some belting pitches.
But that excuse can be given little credence really, considering England's biggest failures with the bat have come in their first innings, resulting in three uphill, and ultimately futile, battles.
The bowlers, therefore, have a more legitimate excuse in that, so short have the England innings been, they have been terribly overworked on some baking hot days.
Nevertheless, Anderson and Graeme Swann are two of the most experienced squad members, and yet they currently hold monstrous averages of 58.42 and 80 respectively.
By contrast, four of the five leading wicket takers are Australian, a list headed by Johnson who has taken 23 scalps at 15.47, an average which was at one stage below nine.
Worst of all, the England bowlers have been guilty of allowing Australia to build the scoreboard pressure which the batsman have then wilted under.
They can complain of tiredness quite legitimately but it does work both ways.
For, just as Australia had been 132-6 in Brisbane and 174-4 in Adelaide, they were again struggling at 143-5 on the first day in Perth. Perhaps, we thought, England were going to get a foothold in this series, after all.
Then, Steve Smith arrived at the crease. A hitherto largely unheralded player in this Aussie renaissance, Smith went on to compile only his second Test century.
In Perth, though, this was a much more enjoyable event than his first ton, which actually came in the draw this summer at the Oval amid English celebrations of a 3-0 series victory.
How long ago those days seem now already! Smith was supported by the excellent Brad Haddin who became only the fourth wicketkeeper to score four consecutive Test half centuries - and, together, they ensured Australia recovered to 385 all out.
Despite Cook and fellow opener Michael Carberry compiling their highest stand of the series at 85, the hosts' score was still look good.
This was because England had ended day two on 180-4, still more than 200 behind having lost Cook and Kevin Pietersen before the close.
Cook at least made 72 this time, his highest score of the series. But he then cut spinner Nathan Lyon to David Warner at point in an identical dismissal to the one which had got Warner on day one.
Pietersen, who had been horribly bogged down - scoring just four runs from his first 40 balls - then launched a foolish attack on Peter Siddle, a bowler for whom he seemingly does not rate.
It was a bad mistake and he managed instead only to slog to Johnson at mid-on. Incidentally, Siddle has now accounted for Pietersen on 10 occasions, more than any other bowler.
Maybe it is time for Pietersen to show his opponent a little more respect, though this is a word which has been in short supply in this bitterest of series.
BBC correspondent Jonathan Agnew even dedicated part of his blog to criticising the poor sportsmanship which has been a common theme in the three matches so far.
The latest most blatant example coming from some England players' refusal to applaud Shane Watson's century, as is customary - but the Aussies have hardly been angels.
As mentioned by myself previously, sledging - while an accepted part of the game - is best done with genuine wit and humour rather than simply being abuse.
Back to the action anyway, and resuming on day three, England predictably repeated their previous collapses in Brisbane and Adelaide by losing their last six wickets for 61.
Stuart Broad, who is still considered by many Australians to be public enemy number one following his antics in the summer, was one of only two men to fall to Johnson on this occasion.
But, along with his lbw dismissal from a Johnson yorker, Broad also suffered a bruised toe and, attending interviews on crutches, he became almost symbolic of just how shattered and tortured England looked, both mentally and physically.
Indeed, in many observers' eyes, the third day which followed was the one in which the wheels officially came off for England.
Australia constructed a lead of 369 runs for the loss of just three second innings wickets, eventually declaring 503 ahead, as England produced a performance in the field with which even a park side would be embarrassed.
Matt Prior continued his poor form behind the stumps, as well as with the bat, as he missed a stumping from Graeme Swann's first delivery to Warner before messing up another one an hour later for good measure.
The whole innings was summed up on the fourth day, though, when there was a complete breakdown in communication in the outfield between Bell and Anderson.
As Australia attacked with rich abandon, Bailey skied one and it looked a sure wicket until both fielders hesitated and the ball fell comically between them. The sound of raucous, mocking Aussie laughter filled the Waca.
Even Anderson, a modern day legend with 336 Test wickets to his name, looked finished as Aussie new boy Bailey then took great delight in his fortune by smashing a world record 28 runs off one over.
Somehow, it actually got worse. For skipper Cook, this was meant to be a joyous celebration of 100 caps - but, instead, he was out for his first golden duck in Test cricket to a viscous Ryan Harris inswinger.
Carberry (31), Joe Root (19) and Pietersen (45) then all made starts which they could not convert before Stokes joined Bell at the crease.
The tourists' two most in-form batsmen calmed the storm a little but Bell (60) could not survive the night as he was adjudged via DRS to have edged behind off Siddle.
Resuming with five wickets left, then, Stokes stoked the dream for as long as he could, although Prior (26) had exposed the tail at the other end, edging Johnson behind to Haddin.
That was the only wicket to fall in the morning as England reached lunch on 332-6 but, within three overs of the resumption, Stokes' vigil finally ended as he also edged behind, this time off Lyon.
The fat lady could begin to warm her vocal cords for her official appearance and, indeed, England did not keep her waiting much longer.
Swann was out for four to Lyon before Johnson picked the last two wickets - of Tim Bresnan and Anderson - to make it six for the match without having hit his form of the first two Tests.
Man of the match was instead awarded to Smith for his century as Australia began their biggest Ashes party since 2007.
Of course, the 2006-07 series was Australia's last Ashes series victory - and what a thumping it was!
A 5-0 whitewash as the careers of Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne ended on the highest of highs.
Now, current skipper Michael Clarke has not been shy in voicing his aim to repeat the feat which is rated as low as 13/8 with some bookmakers.
For England, the inquest has already begun with former captain Geoff Boycott demanding coach Andy Flower immediately reviews his position, rather than waiting until the end of the series.
BBC Sport chief sports writer Tom Fordyce has penned a front-page article on 'Ten reasons why it went wrong for England' while the Guardian has a similar review from Vic Marks.
At the Telegraph, another former England bowler-turned-journalist Derek Pringle has also suggested Flower must consider his position, while the newspaper scores the series on a session-by-session basis as 31-8 to Australia.
My thoughts are still slightly fogged by the late nights and early mornings but cautious instinct suggests Flower should not be forced into anything too drastic in terms of his own position given his previous success.
At the same time, the coach and his skipper Cook need to be ruthless and mix it up for the last two Tests, regardless of whether it works or not.
Drop the under-performing Pietersen and Prior for Gary Ballance and Jonny Bairstow. Replace Swann and even Anderson (or Broad, if injured), and put some faith in the giant attack of Steven Finn and Boyd Rankin.
After all, this trio of tall pacemen when including Chris Tremlett, was something which was much hyped before the series began.
Since Tremlett struggled at Brisbane in the first Test, though, the whole idea and therefore much of England's preparation seems to have been ditched.
These are just some ideas off the top of my head and, shorn of some of England's stars of the modern day, it would likely be perceived as a weaker team which would lose 5-0.
But, when the current XI look like being whitewashed anyway, something simply must be done.
Yes, the series may be over and the Ashes sadly back Down Under - but the selection for the fourth Test in Melbourne will still be a source of some fascination as an England fan.
It begins, as is traditional, in the early hours of Boxing Day.
THE ASHES 2013/14
| 21-25 Nov | FIRST: Australia 295 & 401-7d beat England 136 & 179 by 381 runs | Brisbane |
| 5-9 Dec | SECOND: Australia 570-9d & 132-3d bt England 172 & 312 by 218 runs | Adelaide |
| 13-17 Dec | THIRD: Australia 385 & 369-6d beat England 251 & 353 by 150 runs | Perth |
| 26-30 Dec | FOURTH TEST | Melbourne |
| 3-7 Jan | FIFTH TEST | Sydney |
CENTURIES
148 Michael Clarke (Australia)
124 David Warner (Australia)
120 Ben Stokes (England)
118 Brad Haddin (Australia)
113 Michael Clarke (Australia)
112 David Warner (Australia)
111 Steve Smith (Australia)
103 Shane Watson (Australia)
FIVE-WICKET HAULS
7-40 Mitchell Johnson (Australia)
6-81 Stuart Broad (England)
5-42 Mitchell Johnson (Australia)
