Australia eye Ashes whitewash, bookmakers braced

PERTH, Dec 18 (Reuters) Bookmakers are bracing themselves for a massive payout if Australia completes a 5-0 whitewash in the Ashes series against England.

They were offering odds of up to 10-1 at the start of the series but with Australia 3-0 up after three matches, they have had to slash their prices to try restrict their losses if Ricky Ponting's men go on to win the final two tests.

The only time Australia have completed a cleansweep of a five-match series was at home in 1920-21, although they came close four years ago when they won the first four before losing the fifth.

Australia have had a habit of losing ''dead rubbers'' in series they have wrapped up but Ponting said the memories of his team's loss in England last year would ensure they did not drop their guard.

''With all that hurt that was carried over from the last series, all the guys want to finish this series on a good note,'' he told a news conference today.

''The guys will make sure we prepare right for the last two tests. I won't be happy if we lose a test match from here.'' ''We want to win every game we play. We've dominated two of the three test matches and ideally we can do that in the last two.'' Australia's determination to avenge last year's defeat in England and complete a cleansweep on home soil has intensified speculation that this could be the last Ashes series for some of the team's older players, including Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden, who are all 35 or older.

Batsmen Damien Martyn announced his retirement after the second win in Adelaide but Ponting said he was not expecting a mass exodus after the final match in Sydney.

''There hasn't been any talk about when some of these players are even thinking about retiring so I've got no idea when that's going to happen,'' Ponting said.

''I've played all my career with this group of guys so it's going to be a sad day when it happens, but hopefully it's still a long way off.'' REUTERS PM ND1618