By Andy Hampson

As England celebrate their first Ashes triumph for 18 years, Australia are left to ponder where it all went wrong and whether their dominance of world cricket is over.

The Aussies may have lost the odd series over the past decade but such has been their sustained brilliance they have always bounced back.

When they were beaten in India in 2001 the prevailing sense Down Under was one of disappointment that a seemingly invincible side had been beaten, but it was a close series and the world's number one side were back winning Tests soon enough - in England.

This time the mood is different. The Test matches may have been close, as great sides do not roll over and die easily but the fact is inescapable that Australia have been outplayed for the majority of the series.

They have shown their usual fighting spirit - and plenty of it at The Oval - but this team is not one full of youthful promise. The feeling is this Ashes defeat marks the beginning of the end of a glorious era.

Australia took the mantle of the world's greatest side from the West Indies a decade ago and with fine players queuing up to get into the team, it seemed they would dominate for many years.

But just as the great West Indian well of players, particularly fast bowlers, did eventually dry up, a similar thing has happened in Australia.

The side of Allan Border, David Boon, Ian Healy and Terry Alderman which reclaimed the Ashes in 1989 found younger players such as Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting ready to take the baton.

The likes of Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer all had to bide their time before getting their chance and other fine players of the calibre of Michael Bevan, Greg Blewett and Darren Lehmann fell by the wayside.

But then at least there was a natural order of succession. Now as the great side of McGrath, Warne, Hayden and Gilchrist reach the end of their careers together, there seems to be precious little talent coming through.

The injuries that forced McGrath to miss the second and fourth Tests gave Australia an unpleasant glimpse of the future. Without him their attack lacked potency and although Warne remains as magical as ever and performed well in his absence, he cannot carry on winning matches for them for much longer.

Brett Lee's talent and Shaun Tait's youthful vigour offer promise but much like Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh with the West Indies, the retirement of McGrath and Warne could precipitate a slump.

With the ineffective Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz being the best alternatives on this tour - the steady but little-feared Stuart Clark was also called up in reserve - the cupboard seems bare.

Yet McGrath and Warne have at least given the bowling attack some teeth - which is more than can be said for the batting line-up.

A magnificent century from captain Ricky Ponting, the grittiness of Justin Langer and the promise of Michael Clarke apart, there was a serious shortage of application, and consequently runs, in the first four Tests.

There were none of the substantial totals of recent years, with the bowlers all too often having to bail out the faltering top seven.

Hayden and Gilchrist may have bullied attacks into submission for years but this summer they were unable to break the shackles of a disciplined England unit. The likes of Damien Martyn and Simon Katich also struggled and England imposed a stranglehold.

Australia simply failed to answer the questions asked of them - reverse swing was a particular problem - and the better side won.

Aussies have treated the Poms with little more than disdain or patronising sympathy for so long that a whole generation has grown up knowing little else. Eight successive series wins breeds confidence bordering on the arrogance.

Even when their tour began in miserable fashion with a Twenty20 hammering by England, a one-day defeat by Somerset and a shock loss to Bangladesh, it was put down to early season lethargy.

But it is now clear those defeats were no blip. When they started to complain about partisan crowd banter and England's use of substitutes it was apparent the pressure was beginning to tell.

Australia's cricketing infrastructure is too good for them not to return with a vengeance, but now there could be a lull after the passing of a golden generation.

Even though they are passed their peak, they still came close to winning the Ashes, and that is a mark of their greatness.

Now the transition will begin and England should head Down Under next year as Ashes favourites for the first time in two decades.