England's hopes of drawing the Women's Ashes were emphatically ended with Heather Knight's side rolled for just 129 in the second ODI as Australia secured a series-clinching victory.
Ashes holders Australia had retained the trophy on Thursday with a 27-run win in the first ODI, taking them on to an unassailable eight points - but England could still have levelled the score at 8-8 by winning the concluding two 50-over fixtures at Junction Oval in Melbourne.
However, they tumbled to a five-wicket loss against an Ellyse Perry-inspired home side - the tourists all out in 45.2 overs as Perry claimed 3-12 from seven overs before the Australia all-rounder struck 40 to help her team to a five-wicket-success with 88 deliveries to spare and a 10-4 series lead.
Australia made hard work of the run chase, slipping to 18-2 as Kate Cross and Anya Shrub sole struck early and then 99-5 as Cross clean bowled Tahlia McGrath (19) and then ran out Perry with a direct hit from mid-on.
Ash Gardner (31no off 34) took Australia to the brink of victory with back-to-back boundaries off Shrub sole - one six and one four - in the 35th over, before England off-spinner Charlie Dean shipped four leg byes as the match ended two balls into the 36th over.
Tuesday's final game now represents the last chance for an England side to record an Ashes victory this winter, with the women having won none of their six games so far - three defeats, a draw and two washouts - and the men folding to a 4-0 defeat in their Test series Down Under.
Perry picked up her first ODI wicket since October 2019 when a superb one-handed catch from wicket keeper Alyssa Healy removed Tammy Beaumont (6) in the fourth over of the England innings.
Knight (18) and Lauren Winfield-Hill (24) lifted England to from 11-1 to 40-1, only for the latter's exit - the opener trapped lbw by leg-spinner Alana King as her wait for a first ODI fifty since November 2016 went on - to trigger a collapse of 6-28 as the visitors plummeted to 68-7.
Skipper Knight and vice-captain Nat Sciver (8) were removed by left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen (2-25), while England then lost three wickets for just two runs as Perry accounted for Sophia Dunkley (2) and Dean (0) and Danni Wyatt (0) fell to a sensational one-handed catch from Australia skipper Meg Lanning at slip, off the bowling of Annabel Sutherland.
Sophie Ecclestone (32no) and Amy Jones (28) dragged England into three figures with a seventh-wicket stand of 39, before McGrath (3-4 from 3.2 overs) polished off the innings with the wickets of Jones and Cross (0), both lbw, Shrubsole (7), pouched by wicket keeper Healy.
England keeper Jones then took the catch off Shrub sole that removed Rachael Haynes (10) in the sixth over of the chase, with Cross cleaning up Lanning for a duck five deliveries later.
Perry - who hit five fours and a six in her 64-ball knock - proceeded to put on 31 with Healy (22) for the third wicket and then, after Healy was caught by a juggling Winfield-Hill at mid-off off Sciver, added 36 with fellow all-rounder McGrath for the fourth.
McGrath and Perry's departures left Australia five down with 31 runs still required but, there would be no England comeback as Lanning's side completed their first Ashes series victory at home since 2010/11.
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