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Page last updated at 14:28 GMT, Saturday, 19 September 2009 15:28 UK

England claim easy Ashes victory

Christine Ohuruogu

Ohuruogu wins 150m at Ashes meet

England were 10-1 winners in the inaugural athletics Ashes against Australia in Newcastle and Gateshead.

Australia won the men's discus early on through Scott Martin but after that it was one-way traffic.

Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu and Marlon Devonish both set British best times in the women's and men's 150m respectively.

Greg Rutherford, Hannah England, William Sharman, Richard Kilty and Charlotte Purdue also claimed wins.

England team captain Ohuruogu brought the curtain down on the event on the banks of the Tyne by completing the last in a series of English one-twos on Saturday, racing home in a British-best 16.94 seconds to beat Montell Douglas into second.

"It's always nice to bring our sport to people who wouldn't otherwise go to stadiums to watch us compete", said Ohuruogu.

In the men's 150m Devonish won in a British-best 14.88 seconds ahead of team-mate Jeffry Lawal-Balogun.

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Mark A - BBC Sport

Purdue, only 18, won the race of the day as she produced a stunning late finish to overhaul Australia's Benita Willis to win the women's two miles.

Local boy Kilty, 20, produced perhaps the shock of the day as he edged out Tyrone Edgar in the men's 60m.

Rutherford jumped 8.17m to beat team-mate Chris Tomlinson in the long jump, while Sharman pipped Andy Turner in the final stride to win the men's 110m hurdles in 13.53 seconds, one-hundredth of a second faster than his England team-mate.

"It's always nice to beat the Australians and emulate the cricketers and show them we'll be ready for them in the Commonwealth Games [in 2010]," said Sharman.

Andy Baddeley finished too strongly for Mo Farah in the men's mile to win in four minutes two seconds, and 20-year-old England was a runaway winner in the women's mile.

World 800m bronze medallist Jenny Meadows was well back in second - Lisa Dobriskey was missing because of injury - while in the women's 100m hurdles, Sarah Claxton was an easy winner in 13.17 seconds.



see also
Ashes of athletics
17 Sep 09 |  Athletics
Great North Run 2010 on BBC Tyne
17 May 10 |  Things to do
A weekend of top athletics action
08 Sep 09 |  Things to do
GB win two silvers on final day
23 Aug 09 |  Athletics
British pair light up Gateshead
31 Aug 09 |  Athletics
Meadows surges to bronze in 800m
20 Aug 09 |  Athletics
England athletes face Ashes test
02 Dec 08 |  Athletics
Superb Bolt storms to 150m record
17 May 09 |  Athletics
Athletics on the BBC
21 Apr 11 |  Athletics


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