Australia had used up all its magic.

After Steve Waugh's first-innings heroics, the Australian captain was unable to conjure another trick.

Even if he could, the very best his side could have hoped for was to hold out for a draw on the final day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Instead, Australia crashed to a massive 225-run defeat at the hands of an England side buoyed by a strong showing in its fourth Test loss in Melbourne and was forced to settle for a 4-1 series win instead of the rare 5-0 scoreline it so desperately wanted.

Waugh refused to use the absence of injured paceman Glenn McGrath and legspinner Shane Warne as an excuse, blaming a raft of missed opportunities in the field for Australia's loss.

"The first three Test matches weren't close and they weren't contested that well," he said.

"The last two Tests were excellent Test matches and I think as players you really want a good contest out in the middle.

"It's nice to win and nice to dominate but at the end of the day you get more pleasure out of doing something special in a real tough, close Test match."

Chasing a mammoth 452 for victory, Australia was bowled out for 226 in its second innings after another disastrous collapse in which it lost 5-90 in the morning session.

Despite batting in obvious pain after injuring his elbow while bowling on Sunday, Jason Gillespie remained unbeaten on three after Stuart MacGill was the last man out, bowled by England destroyer Andrew Caddick for one shortly after the lunch break.

Caddick closed the innings with 7-94, giving him 10 wickets for the match after his 3-121 in the first, the 34-year-old's maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Another big contributor was England opener Michael Vaughan, who overcame a duck in the first innings to post an impressive 183 in the second to be named man of the match.

He also won man of the series honours after amassing 633 runs.

England skipper Nasser Hussain was pleased with the win but recognised his side was still a long way behind the Australians, whom he rated the best side in the world.

"It was a great Test match, one of the best I've played in," he said.

"Not only because we won but because of the support, because of the conditions, because of Steve Waugh, because of their team, because of our team ... I enjoyed it."

Australia's nightwatchman, Andy Bichel, was given out on the fourth ball of the day lbw to Caddick without adding to his overnight score of 49.

Waugh, who made a breathtaking 102 amid intense scrutiny over his future to rescue his side after a top order collapse in the first innings, was dismissed for just six when he chopped a Caddick delivery onto the stumps.

Damien Martyn added just two runs for the day before he was caught behind by Alec Stewart off the bowling of Richard Dawson for 21 and Martin Love could manage only 27 before he was bowled by Steve Harmison.

Adam Gilchrist also succumbed when he edged Caddick to Mark Butcher, running to his left from second slip, to be dismissed for 37 as Australia went to lunch floundering at 8-193.

Brett Lee smashed nine fours and a six on his way to 46 but was caught behind by Stewart off Caddick shortly after the break.

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