JUBILANT Australian captain Ricky Ponting last night revealed stinging Dad's Army taunts had driven his team to a brutal 3-0 Ashes victory - and then warned they still had unfinished business.
England legend Ian Botham had led the pre-series heckling of the likes of thirty-somethings Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath while Ponting also admitted he had been bitterly disappointed several former Australian players had thought his team was incapable of reclaiming the little urn.
"We have all felt we had a real point to prove to a lot of people coming into this series," he said. "Even on the eve of the First Test I heard a lot of ex-Australian players, some of them are commentators at the moment, ask what their prediction was going to be for the series.
"A few of them didn't think we could win. That's a bit disappointing as far as I am concerned.
"I know there were lots of Dad's Army things being bandied around and all that sort of stuff.
"I think the guys who were concerned there, have definitely made it a mission to make sure that they play a big part in this series."
The Australians broke into raucous celebration at the WACA Ground yesterday when Monty Panesar was the last wicket to fall two balls after lunch at 2.13pm – handing the world champions a 206-run win and an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Hayden, draped in an Australian flag, summed up the euphoria when he roared: "You bloody beauty" across the airwaves. The Queenslander shed a tear as the players dashed to all parts of the field to thank fans in an outpouring of emotion former Australian captain Bill Lawry said he had never seen from a cricket team in his life.
The Australians had been stung by last year's unexpected Ashes defeat – and aren't finished yet in their hunt for revenge with two Tests remaining.
"With all that hurt that was carried over from the last series, I think the guys will make sure they are preparing as well as they can and getting themselves right," Ponting said.
"I won't be happy if we lose a Test match from here and I am sure the other players are exactly in the same boat."
The Poms began the final day yesterday facing the mission impossible task of needing 292 runs to win with five wickets in hand – or to bat for three sessions to save the match.
Skipper Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen gave some hope with a dashing sixth-wicket stand of 75. Flintoff thumped eight boundaries and a glorious six off Brett Lee over mid-wicket, but his dismissal on 51 sparked a match-ending collapse.
England lost 4-10 in 33 balls heading into lunch, and had their worst nightmare confirmed immediately after the break when Shane Warne claimed the 699th wicket of his career when he bowled Panesar.
