SYDNEY: Australia bowled England out for 166 in its second innings on Sunday to win by 281 runs on the third day of the fifth Ashes to secure a 5-0 series sweep at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The 5-0 sweep was only the third in the history of Ashes encounters after Australia's 1920-21 and 2006-07 triumphs.

Demoralised England capitulated after tea against the home side's pace attack, losing seven wickets in 52 minutes on their way to being bundled out for 166 in 31.4 overs, getting nowhere near the 448 target for victory.

It was the sixth time the beleaguered tourists had been skittled for under 200 in the series and the crushing defeat is expected to have major ramifications for English cricket just months after they beat Australia 3-0 in England.

Paceman Ryan Harris finished with five for 25 and man-of-the-series Mitchell Johnson, who took 37 wickets in the five matches, had figures of 3-40.

Skipper Alastair Cook (7), Ian Bell (16) and Kevin Pietersen (6) all fell in the middle session as England limped to tea on 87-3 but it was carnage after the interval as four wickets tumbled in two overs with the tourists falling apart against inspired Australian bowling and fielding.

Cook, who has endured a miserable series with the bat, was caught behind off Mitchell Johnson for seven and was followed by Bell, who was snapped up the gully off Ryan Harris.

Pietersen was athletically caught by George Bailey close to the bat off Harris to leave hapless England at 57-3 as their top order once again failed to fire.

Cook, who scored just seven in the first innings, played tentatively at a Johnson outswinger and was caught behind in the second over of the innings to give the left-arm paceman his 35th wicket of the series.

The England skipper has scored just 246 runs at 24.60 in this series, in sharp contrast to the last tour of Australia in 2010/11, when he amassed 766 runs at 127.66.

Bell, who was impressive in last year's Ashes series in England, and Pietersen, have both averaged less than 30 in the series.

Michael Carberry (43) feathered Mitchell Johnson to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin just two balls after the resumption and three balls later debutant Gary Ballance was trapped plumb in front by Johnson for seven.

Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow was caught close in by George Bailey off spinner Nathan Lyon for a three-ball duck and debutant legspinner Scott Borthwick was magnificently caught by skipper Michael Clarke off Lyon for four.

Ben Stokes offered some belated resistance, punishing Lyon for 20 off one over before he played Harris on to his stumps for 32 off 16 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Stuart Broad also went down swinging with four sixes and three fours in his 42 off 36 balls before bowled by Harris, and Boyd Rankin was last man out, caught overhead by Clarke at second slip to complete the victory.

Australia were dismissed for 276 in their second innings shortly after lunch with Chris Rogers top-scoring with 119.

Rogers, who scored 116 in the second innings of the fourth Test in Melbourne, was caught and bowled by debutant leg-spinner Scott Borthwick shortly after lunch. Borthwick finished with three for 33 off six overs.

Rogers earlier shared in a fifth-wicket partnership of 109 with Bailey, who top-edged Stuart Broad to Borthwick at deep square leg for 46.

Brad Haddin became the highest-scoring Australian wicketkeeper in a Test series with his breezy 28 off 40 balls.

Haddin, the nemesis of the English bowlers in this series with his lower middle-order batting, finished the series with 493 runs at 61.62 to better the previous best of 473 held by Adam Gilchrist against South Africa in 2001-02.

The highest successful run chase at the SCG is Australia's 288 for two against South Africa eight years ago.