England recaptured the Ashes after an 18-year wait today when the adopted countryman Kevin Pietersen hit a blistering 158 and Australia's batsmen decided against even trying to mount a reply in failing light at the Oval.

The draw, after a collapse by the England middle order, was enough to hand the team victory by a margin of 2-1 after arguably the most absorbing Ashes series ever.

After the first Test at Lord's, where Australia won by a comfortable 239 runs, England were a distant 9-1 to grab the Ashes off the old enemy. But victory in the "greatest Test ever" at Edgbaston and a frantic run chase at Trent Bridge left England needing only a draw from the fifth and final test.

Today's final day, played out in front of a sell-out crowd, started with England on 34-1, after the loss yesterday of Andrew Strauss.

Marcus Trescothick and the captain Michael Vaughan appeared to have the measure of the Australian attack until Glenn McGrath claimed the wickets of Vaughan and Ian Bell in successive calls - and Pietersen was called in with the score at 67-3.

When he left the pitch after hitting 158 runs off 187 balls over almost five hours, including a partnership of 109 with Ashley Giles for the eighth wicket, the draw was guaranteed.

The end came at just after 6.15pm tonight when umpires Rudi Koertzen and Billy Bowden strode theatrically onto the pitch at the Kennington ground and removed the bails to show that play was over for the day, with Australia on 4-0 in their second innings.

The English victory will be celebrated tomorrow with an open-top bus procession from Mansion House in the City of London to Trafalgar Square.

At the front of the bus alongside Vaughan - who has won respect and plaudits for his leadership of a closely-knit England team, will be Andrew Flintoff, the Lancashire all-rounder whose exploits with bat and ball have been decisive over the series.

Up there with them will be Pietersen, the 25-year-old who made his Test debut at Lord's and scored his maiden Test century this afternoon, riding his luck after being dropped no less than three times.

Pietersen's score helped England to a total of 335, well ahead of early predictions. With only ten overs left to mount an impossible run chase and with the light failing, Australia decided not to bother.

Accepting the man of the match award, Pietersen said it had been a "special, special time" for him personally, adding: "But for every single player who has played in this series, English or Australlian, it has been amazing."