Australia revels in Ashes triumph

SYDNEY, Dec 19 (Reuters) Australians were revelling in their Ashes win today with the country's political leader and newspapers gushing over the team's success.

Cricket-loving Prime Minister John Howard led the tributes, describing the victories over England in the first three tests as ''magnificent''.

''On behalf of every Australian I am sure, I congratulate (Australian captain) Ricky Ponting and the boys for a magnificent victory,'' Howard told reporters.

''Winning back the Ashes after only 16 months has really warmed every Australian heart, and they've done a fantastic job in our name.'' Australia's series-clinching victory in the third test in Perth on Monday was front-page news in every major newspaper.

''It's Ours'' read the banner headline in the Daily Telegraph.

The Sydney tabloid even devoted part of its daily editorial to the match by poking fun at England's landslide defeat.

''So much for the idea of a close and hard-fought contest,'' the editorial read.

''As sporting slaughters go, this was comprehensive.'' The Australian broadsheet newspaper adopted a more diplomatic stance, focusing more on Australia's relief at regaining the Ashes than England's lame defence.

''Sound the trumpets, raise the flags, dust off the gongs and discard the sackcloth: Ricky Ponting's Australians have won back the Ashes and all is right with the world,'' read the front-page lead.

The Sydney Morning Herald said the victory had taken some of the pain from last year's loss but added that Australians would not be completely satisfied unless they won the series 5-0, emulating the 1920-21 team who achieved the only previous whitewash in Ashes history.

''Now for a 5-nil drubbing,'' read the front-page headline, while the back-page headline read: ''Revenge is a dish best served... rolled.'' The Herald's cricket columnist Peter Roebuck singled out Ponting as the man most responsible for Australia's win. His leadership was heavily scrutinised after the last series loss but Roebuck said he had silenced his critics.

''He has been the campaign's outstanding figure, sooner or later his achievements as captain will be acknowledged,'' Roebuck wrote.

The Australian's cricket columnist Mike Coward said England's weak capitulation had undermined their success of last year, which now seems a distant memory.

''History shows England has an incredibly destructive habit of taking much too seriously isolated success,'' Coward wrote.

''They might have won plaudits, bonuses and gongs 15 months ago, but they learned nothing about the qualities and character required to maintain success.'' REUTERS PKS BST0650