England secured an emphatic three day victory at Edgbaston to go 2-1 ahead in the Investec Ashes series, meaning the hosts could seal the urn at Trent Bridge next week.

Ian Bell and Joe Root eased the hosts to their 121 run target with an unbroken third wicket stand of 73 amid scenes of celebration in the second city.

Australia earlier added 97 runs to their overnight score and posted 265 in their second innings with both Peter Nevill and Mitchell Starc scoring half-centuries.

It was Steven Finn, who had helped himself to a five-fer on the previous evening, that made the vital breakthrough when Nevill was caught behind, to the thinnest of edges by an athletically diving Jos Buttler.

Josh Hazlewood was next to go – plucked one-handed in the slips by Root, off the bowling of Ben Stokes – making the score 245-9.

And Australia’s third morning resistance was ended when Starc, who scored 58 off 108 deliveries, attempted to slap Moeen Ali over extra-cover where substitute fielder Josh Poysden took the catch.

The early wicket of Alistair Cook, bowled by Mitchell Starc for seven, then gave the visitors renewed optimism with the ball.

Adam Lyth then fell to Josh Hazlewood for 12 with 51 runs on the board, only for Bell and Root to go on the counter offensive and finish the game in a hurry.

Bell scored 65 not out, his second half-century of the match after moving up the order to number three. Root’s golden summer continued as he hit the winning runs and finished unbeaten on 38.