Ashes 2013: The media reaction in Australia after England win the series

The Australian media reluctantly bowed to England bowler Stuart Broad this morning after he ripped their cricket team's batting to shreds yesterday.

Broad's stunning display of pace bowling allowed England to halt Australia's charge to victory in yesterday's fourth Investec Test at Durham, with the 27-year-old taking six for 50 to secure a third successive series win for his side.

But despite his brilliance with the ball, Broad has courted controversy this summer.

He failed to walk when he nicked one in the opening Test and has been accused of time-wasting when England have been up against it.

According to Malcolm Knox in the Sydney Morning Herald, though, his talent has risen above all.

"Stuart Broad is no doubt looking forward to coming to Australia this year, and we can only wish him a safe tour. Australian crowds will enjoy having him," he wrote, hinting at Broad's role as a pantomime villain.

"Antagonistic he may be, obnoxious even, stretching the laws to their limits, but the last thing the nation will unanimously vote for is to have Broad banned.

"Whatever else can, will and must be said about Broad and his demeanour, he is an impact bowler of the highest calibre.

"Like others of that kind, he can spend long periods bowling dreck, as a Test career average of 32 and strike rate of 62 suggest.

"This summer, he has mostly caused more threat to resolutions about fair play than to the Australian batsman.

"He has spent more time than the third umpire slowing the game down. But when thrown the ball and asked to win a Test match, he has the knack. Is there anything a captain values more?"

In the Australian, Wayne Smith accused the Baggy Green of being the architects of their own downfall.

Chasing 299 to win they had made 109 without loss before they folded to 224 all-out.

"No one does shameful collapses quite like Australia and Michael Clarke's side conjured up one to remember, or rather to forget, at Durham to hand the Ashes series to England," Smith wrote.

"Not since it was beaten in 1953, 1955 and 1956 has Australia lost three Ashes series in succession but rarely, with so much on the line and with victory so clearly in sight, has a team succumbed so meekly."

The Age opted for a hybrid of the two opinions, adding that poor batting when the heat was on and brilliance from Broad had ensured the urn remained on English soil.

"Not a lot has separated the sides for three of the four Tests, with the exception being the second Test blow-out at Lord's which England won by 347 runs," the paper read.

"But when it's come to the crunch, England have been in a different league.

"Ian Bell scored a hundred in each of the three victories, yet couldn't buy a man-of-the-match award, with bowlers James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad taking it in turns to decimate Australia.

"In their 74-run fourth Test loss, Australia had victory in their sights at 1-120 with 179 more needed.

"By stumps they were all out for 224.

"Broad stood up to be counted with a sizzling six-wicket haul and Australia's batsmen choked under pressure.

"After David Warner and Michael Clarke had exited, Australia lost their compass completely."

The final word went to Broad, though, with the Australian simply headlining him as the man "you love to hate".

PA