England captain Ben Stokes admitted his side fell short after losing the Ashes series 4–1 to Australia, saying there were clear moments where they could have done better. Australia sealed the series with a comprehensive five-wicket victory in the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Led by Steve Smith, Australia dominated the series, winning Tests in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide before England briefly fought back with a memorable victory at the MCG. However, the hosts regained control in Sydney to ensure the Ashes remained firmly in Australian hands.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Stokes felt England were around 100 runs short and allowed Australia to build a decisive first-innings advantage. He was full of praise for Jacob Bethell, whose defiant second-innings century gave England a chance late in the match.

“It was a great game to be involved in. We should have got 100 more, and we allowed Australia to get 100 too many in the first innings,” Stokes said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. "Australia are an incredible team. They had individuals who stood up. Full credit to them. But we know we could have done better. Time for reflection is not right now. We’ve got a long time away to reflect. Come June, when we next play, hopefully, we can put the wrongs right. That knock from Bethell was simply incredible. Josh Tongue keeps going from strength to strength. We’ve got some unbelievable talent.”

Earlier in the match, England posted 384 in 97.3 overs after opting to bat first. Joe Root anchored the innings with a superb 160 off 242 balls, including 15 fours, his second century of the series after the Brisbane Test. Harry Brook added a valuable 84 off 97 deliveries, while Jamie Smith contributed 27.

In their second innings, England were bowled out for 342, with Ben Duckett scoring 42 off 55 balls and Brook adding another 42 off 48 to set Australia a target of 160. Mitchell Starc (3/72), Scott Boland (2/46), Beau Webster (3/64) and Michael Neser (1/55) led Australia’s bowling effort.

Australia’s chase was guided by contributions from Travis Head (29), Jake Weatherald (34) and Marnus Labuschagne (37), as they reached the target with five wickets in hand. Josh Tongue was the standout bowler for England, finishing with figures of 3/42.

Starc was named Player of the Series for his outstanding performances with the ball, while Travis Head, who finished as the series’ highest run-scorer with over 600 runs, was awarded Player of the Match.

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