England defeated Australia by an innings and 78 runs on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday to take an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Victory saw England regain the Ashes after they were whitewashed 5-0 in Australia in 2013/14.

It also gave them a fourth successive Ashes series win on home soil, with Australia's last Ashes triumph in Britain in 2001.   

Australia were in trouble right from the start of this match as they collapsed to 60 all out in 111 balls -- the shortest completed first innings in Test history -- on Thursday's first day.

Fast-medium bowler Stuart Broad, who took two wickets in the first over of the match, including his 300th at this level, finished with a Test-best return of eight for 15.

England in reply made 391 for nine declared, Joe Root top-scoring with 130, on Friday.

All-rounder Ben Stokes took a Test-best six for 36 before Durham team-mate Wood, a fast bowler, completed the win when last man Nathan Lyon played on to leave Australia 253 all out.

Adam Voges was 51 not out, with Australia losing their last three wickets in 40 minutes' play on Saturday.  

This victory gave England their second successive win inside three days after they beat Australia by eight wickets to win the third Test at Edgbaston last week.

Saturday's result also saw England end a seven-match sequence of alternating wins and losses as they achieved back-to-back wins in Test cricket for the first time in 2015.

The series concludes at The Oval in south London where the fifth Test begins on August 20.

Brief scores:

Australia 60 (S Broad 8-15) and 253 (D Warner 64, C Rogers 52, A Voges 51 no; B Stokes 6-36, M Wood 3-69)

England 391-9 dec (J Root 130, J Bairstow 74; M Starc 6-111)

Result: England won by an innings and 78 runs.

Series: England lead five-match series 3-1.
Source: AFP