Victory well urn-ed

Six runs ahead after the first innings and resuming their second on 34 for one, England recovered from a top-order collapse to bat almost the entire day before being dismissed for 335.

The world champion Australians were left to face less than an over from Steve Harmison, getting to four without loss before accepting an offer of bad light and their historic defeat.

The South Africa-born Pietersen was eighth man out, bowled by Glenn McGrath, but by then he had saved the game. He hit seven sixes and 15 fours, faced 187 balls and batted for four and three-quarter hours.

Warne produced a mammoth performance to take six wickets for 124 to go with his six in the first innings, but did not get enough support.

England battled back after losing the opening Test at Lord’s by 229 runs. They last won the Ashes in 1986-87, Australia winning a record eight series in a row since.

When Pietersen was finally dismissed, Warne ran over to him to shake his hand as he headed for the pavilion in the evening shadows.

Michael Vaughan’s side had looked to be tottering towards defeat at lunch as the collective genius of Warne and McGrath reduced them to 127 for five.

Pietersen, however, in his first Test series for his adopted country, mixed his unlikely good fortune with extraordinary leg-side shot-making.

Refusing to rein back, his audacity during the afternoon had the anxiety-ridden 23,000 capacity crowd singing again.

For Warne, Pietersen’s friend and Hampshire teammate whod ropped the easiest chance he offered when on 15, there were few consolations, just new records.

In his last Test in England and one day short of his 36th birthday, the leg spinner completed 40 wickets for the series and 172 in all against his favourite opponents.

Brief scores: England 373 & 335 ( M Vaughan 45, K Pietersen batting 158, A Giles 59, McGrath 6/124) Australia 367 & 4/0.)