England’s dismal Ashes tour ended with an innings-and-122-run hammering in the one-off Test as they became the first side to be whitewashed 16-0 in the history of the multi-format series after slumping against Australia’s spinners again.

The loss on day three of the pink-ball game at the MCG followed six straight white-ball defeats, with England swept in both the one-day international and T20 international legs.

Heather Knight’s team had actually impressed earlier on Saturday in Melbourne, taking the final five Australia wickets for nine runs to dismiss the hosts for 440 before reaching 79-1 in their second knock through Knight (32) and Tammy Beaumont (47).

However, once the skipper was caught at short leg off Ash Gardner (4-39) midway through the second session, those familiar frailties against spin came to the fore once more as they were bundled out for 148 in 68.4 overs.

Leg-spinner Alana King (5-53) fittingly took the winning wicket of tailender Lauren Filer (14 off 45) as she earned her ninth scalp of the game and 23rd of the series.

The 29-year-old earlier pinned Nat Sciver-Brunt (18) lbw before bowling Sophia Dunkley (4) with a stunning delivery that pitched outside leg stump and turned back to hit off – a ball her idol, the late Shane Warne, would have been proud of.

King then castled Beaumont off an inside edge, with that wicket sandwiched by off-spinner Gardner’s dismissals of Danni Wyatt-Hodge (2) and Amy Jones (6), with the batters out sweeping to backward square and snicking behind respectively.

That England collapse of 5-17 left the tourists 117-7 at the dinner break and still trailing by 157 runs, all but guaranteeing that Australia would win the game with over a day to spare.

That duly happened with Ryana MacDonald-Gay (1) heaving a King full toss to deep midwicket, Ecclestone (18) hacking a half-tracker from Gardner to mid-on and Filer spooning leg-side after a dogged 10th-wicket stand with Lauren Bell (0no off 30) that lasted 48 deliveries – the second-longest of the innings.

The England and Wales Cricket Board will now conduct a thorough review into the nightmare tour, which will surely include discussion over the futures of Knight and head coach Jon Lewis.

Mooney makes Australia history before Ecclestone clinches five-for

Earlier on, Beth Mooney (106) became the first Australian to score a century in all three formats of women’s international cricket.

Mooney joins England’s Knight and Beaumont and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt in achieving the feat after three one-day international tons and two T20I hundreds.

She was eventually bowled by England quick Filer (2-86) as Australia were all out for 440 with a first-innings lead of 270.

Tahlia McGrath (12) and Kim Garth (0) gifted their wickets after Australia resumed on 422-5 – McGrath spooning Ecclestone (5-143) to mid-on and McGrath edging a delivery from Filer.

Ecclestone – who removed McGrath for the seventh time in internationals – trapped King (3) lbw and then clinched her third five-wicket haul in Tests, all against Australia, by catching Ellyse Perry (2) off her own bowling as the batter aimed to work leg-side.

Perry had slid down the order to No 10 after suffering a hip injury in the field while Australia rolled England for 170 on day one.

England opener Maia Bouchier’s rotten run in the multi-format series then continued as she was bowled through the gate for one by Darcie Brown’s quick nip-backer.

Bouchier scored just 46 runs across seven innings with a best of 17 in the second ODI, a knock that was followed by successive ducks in the ODI finale and first T20 international.

Knight and Beaumont went on to share a stand of 73 for England’s second wicket, with Knight getting off the mark courtesy of a gorgeous cover-driven four off Garth.

But once spin came on, the match ended in a hurry as Australia underlined their status as the best women’s team on the planet, sealing the sweep and putting England out of their misery.

Women’s Ashes results 🏏

Knight: We haven’t been good enough

England captain Heather Knight:

“Congratulations to Australia, they have played some remarkable cricket. They have really pressed home their advantage – they are brilliant at that – and it has been really tough for us.

“We have competed at times but haven’t been able to do it for long enough. I can’t fault the effort, particularly of the bowlers, but we weren’t quite good enough.”

Lewis: England will review every single aspect

England head coach Jon Lewis, speaking to TNT Sports:

“Australia have not let us play the way we want to play. We had a couple of chances earlier on in the series and we didn’t take them.

“Once you give a side who know how to play in their own conditions the opportunity to get on top, it is really difficult to come back.

“We haven’t played the pressure moments as well as we wanted to. We will look at every single aspect as we have to learn.”

’16-0 has a really nice ring to it’

Player of the Series, Alana King:

“16-0 has a really nice ring to it. We had our backs against the wall at times but for us to play the way we wanted and hopefully entertain everyone was a brilliant effort from us.”

Australia skipper Alyssa Healy:

“I am proud. On every occasion we thought England may [fight back] someone shut the door on them “