The Australian media has finally lost faith in captain Ricky Ponting [Images] and his struggling cricket team, saying their 15-year domination of the sport is over.

After predicting Australia would have little trouble beating England [Images], the country's mainstream media have suddenly given up on the ageing team, saying they no have hope of retaining the Ashes.

The five-match series is currently tied at 1-1 and after three days of the fourth Test, England are in a strong position to take the lead with one contest remaining.

Sydney's Sun-Herald newspaper published a mock obituary to Australian cricket on the back page of its Sunday edition, in a twist on the original obituary to English cricket in 1882 which helped create the Ashes.

This latest obituary said Australian Cricket had died at Trent Bridge on August 26, 2005 and would be "deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances".

The Sun-Herald's cricket columnist Peter Roebuck said Australia's dismal performances against the English were proof their reign was at an end.

"It is over. A supremacy that lasted a long time and contained many glories is on its last legs," Roebuck wrote.

"Whatever the remaining results in this series, it is clear that the period of Australian domination is over."

ERA FINISHED

Former Australia batsman Mark Waugh [Images] said he also believed Australia's golden era is finished.

Waugh said Australia, like the West Indies [Images] before them, had no idea the end was coming, but it is not such a bad thing as it would make the sport more competitive.

"The era of a dominant team in Test cricket is probably at and end," Waugh wrote in the same paper.

The Sunday Telegraph's chief cricket writer Robert Craddock said age had finally caught up with Australia's players.

"Australia tried to defy Father Time by taking an old team with seven players 33 or older to England -- totally justified on their stellar service -- but many of these fine players, quite sadly, may be destined to fall off the cliff together."

Former Australia wicketkeeper Rod Marsh said Australia's selectors are to be blamed for not introducing new and younger players before it was too late.

Marsh told the Sunday Telegraph he could see trouble brewing even after Australia won the opening Test at Lord's and was surprised the selector's didn't react sooner.

"Even though Australia won, it was more because England played badly and you could see that there were things that needed to be improved."