Australia have ceded the urn in embarrassing circumstances, suffering an innings and 78-run defeat in the fourth Ashes Test early on day three.
Ben Stokes of England celebrates as the English power their way to an Ashes series win. Photo: PhotoSport
See how the game unfolded here
Australia resumed at 241 for seven on day three, with news breaking of Michael Clarke's impending retirement and England holding a 90-run lead.
It was only a matter of time at Trent Bridge before the hosts took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-Test series and reclaimed the urn.
The tail delayed the inevitable for 39 minutes before Nathan Lyon played on, the uprooted off stump triggering wild celebrations.
Adam Voges finished 51 not out, one of few positives in what has been a miserable match for the tourists.
Realistically, there was only one result possible in the game after Australia were skittled for 60 in 18.3 overs on day one, Stuart Broad recording unprecedented figures of 8-15.
The tourists showed a bit more ticker after their ignominious day-one debacle, the fastest first innings in Test history.
However, Australia still needed a handful of reprieves to avoid their first two-day Test loss since 1890.
David Warner was dropped twice on Friday, while Chris Rogers and Peter Nevill were recalled after video replays revealed no-balls.
Bad light also helped push the game to a third day.
The shambolic defeat, which follows a similarly one-sided game at Edgbaston last week, will have major ramifications.
Already, Clarke has seemingly fallen on his sword after vowing to fight on three days earlier.
Clarke is but one of many batsmen to be exposed in a handful of woeful collapses that shaped the series.
Much had been made of the topsy-turvy nature of the much-hyped contest.
The reality is Australia's 405-run win in the second Test at Lord's, in which Steve Smith scored his maiden double-century, was the anomaly.
Brutal bursts of seam and swing bowling from Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Ben Stokes and Steve Finn exposed the Australian batting order in Cardiff, Birmingham and Nottingham.
Cook paid tribute to his young team mates for the victory.
Ben Stokes took six wickets to help bowl out the touring side for 253 in their second innings after Joe Root's 130 provided the backbone of England's 391 for nine declared.
"Ben Stokes was fantastic with the skill and swing he produced in the second innings, Joe Root has gone from strength to strength, alongside (Jos) Buttler, (Moeen) Ali, (Mark) Wood and others," said the England captain.
Cook, who led England to a 5-0 drubbing in the last Ashes series in Australia, also recognised the efforts of experienced players including Stuart Broad, who took 8-15 as the touring side were skittled out for 60 on the first morning of the match.
"I am lucky to have senior players like Broady to step up, and the support from Jimmy (Anderson) too," Cook said.
"When you lose 5-0 there's big turnaround and a new side develops pretty quickly. There's a lot of talent and the guys have come in and done incredibly well."
Cook also acknowledged the efforts of former coach Peter Moores who was sacked in May and replaced by Trevor Bayliss.
"It all comes down to hard work. A lot of that work has been done over the last 18 months," Cook said.
"One person - Peter Moores, the amount of work he did with those players," he added.
"You saw them growing into international players and this has been the finish to that, which Trevor Bayliss developed when he came in.
"I had to take a big step forward as captain. I am quite stubborn and it took a while. But ultimately you are only as good as the other 10 players."
