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 Shrubsole 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 Shrubsole - 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 stars as England falter with the bat
Perry picked up her first ODI wicket since October 2019 when a superb one-handed catch from wicketkeeper 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 off 65) and Amy Jones (28 off 54) 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 Healy.
Cross efforts in vain as Australia complete victory
England 'keeper Jones then took the catch off Shrubsole 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.
Sciver: Batters need to take responsibility
England all-rounder and vice-captain Nat Sciver: "I think as a batting group we probably need to adjust our mindset a little bit and make sure everyone is the best prepared they can be.
"It was tricky [on that pitch]. One ball bounced, another didn't. It was hard going but when a batter gets in on that surface it gets easier.
"Sophie Ecclestone showed that if you spend 50 or 60 balls on there and get your eye in, it becomes a lot easier.
"We just didn't do that as a batting group. One of our top five or six needs to take responsibility a bit more often and make sure they are there at the end of the innings and marshalling the troops a little bit."
What's next?
The Women's Ashes concludes next week with the third and final one-day international (11.05pm Monday UK time). Australia will be hoping to extend their margin of victory to 12-4, while England will be aiming to cut it to 10-6.
England men, meanwhile, will be in the Caribbean next month for a three-Test series against the West Indies, starting in Antigua (March 8), continuing in Barbados (March 16) and concluding in Grenada (March 24). Joe Root will remain captain for that series - but who will be interim coach?