Kevin Pietersen emerged as a hero of his adopted nation after scoring a maiden Test century to guide England to an historic Ashes victory.

Two months after polarising opinion about the value of his selection ahead of veteran Graham Thorpe for the opening Test at Lord's, Pietersen unified a cricket-mad population by providing almost single-handed defiance to Australia and end England's long wait for the Ashes.

Since Mike Gatting's side last won the urn in 1986-7 notable figures like Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart, Darren Gough, Michael Atherton and Angus Fraser have tried and failed to break Australia's dominance during eight successive series.

Some of them were there in the 23,000 capacity crowd, which rose to celebrate an outstanding success and possibly the biggest sporting achievement on home soil since the England football side lifted the World Cup in 1966.

Pietersen enjoyed his share of fortune during his superb 158 - he was dropped on 0, 15 and 60 - but his 281 minutes of occupation at the crease ended Australia's hopes of delivering another nerve-chilling finale and snatching the Ashes from England's grasp at the last moment.

But by the time he was out even Australia had accepted the inevitable and had withdrawn Shane Warne - guilty of missing the easiest opportunity to remove Pietersen early in his innings - from their attack as England defiantly progressed towards the draw they required to end 16 barren years without the Ashes.

Until Pietersen's defiance, Australia had raised the blood pressure of the nation once again by quickly running through England's top order to prompt fears of a finish every bit as tense as Edgbaston, Old Trafford or Trent Bridge.

Glenn McGrath had made the early inroads after England resumed the final day just 40 runs ahead on 34 for one and struck in the ninth over, claiming two wickets in as many balls to immediately change the momentum.

Captain Michael Vaughan edged behind pushing forward and was brilliantly caught by diving wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and Ian Bell suffered the indignity of a pair by edging the next ball low to Warne at slip.

With Warne collecting the scalps of Marcus Trescothick - which earned him his 168th English victim to take Dennis Lillee's record for the most Test wickets against England - and Andrew Flintoff before lunch, it left the match in the balance with England on 126 for five.

By then, though, the two biggest turning points of another stunning day had already happened with Pietersen escaping twice in his first eight overs at the crease. He successfully survived the hat-trick ball from McGrath but only just with a short ball brushing his shoulder on its way through to Gilchrist, resulting in fevered appeals which were rejected by umpire Billy Bowden.

But in the next over he received the first of his reprieves, pushing forward to Warne and edging behind and although Gilchrist got a glove to it, the ball ricocheted towards Matthew Hayden at slip, who could not re-adjust his position in time to take the catch.

If that miss was understandable, the biggest mistake of the day and possibly the series was Warne's straight-forward chance to end Pietersen's innings in the next over when he drove at a full-length ball from Brett Lee straight to his big mate at slip only for him to fumble.

The consequences of that miss soon became clear with Pietersen launching Warne for a couple of sixes in his next over over mid-wicket - two of seven in his innings - and began his fierce assault on Australia's attack.

Lee did his best to halt Pietersen's strokeplay with a succession of short-pitched balls shortly before lunch, two of which hit him in the ribs, but that only increased the desire of the newest recruit to England's Ashes heroes.

Pietersen hammered Lee for 37 in his first three overs after lunch, but again he enjoyed his share of good fortune when Shaun Tait missed a sharp, diving chance at fine leg after during that spell.

Such was Pietersen's defiance during that period that Paul Collingwood contributed only 10 to a 60-run stand off only 80 balls before becoming another victim for Warne by pushing forward and offering a diving catch to silly point.

That was his last success of a marathon 31 over spell unchanged from the Vauxhall End, which was only ended when the new ball was taken and he departed to the outfield to receive a mixture of a standing ovation and chants of ''Warnie dropped the Ashes''.

Only 15 minutes after his departure from centre stage in his final Test on English soil, Pietersen's stay at the crease was ended by a superb delivery from McGrath, which took out his off stump, and earned a standing ovation as the new hero of the partisan crowd.

Just as England and the Oval thought they had seen the last of Warne, England's biggest tormentor over the last 12 years, he was recalled to deliver the final act by removing Ashley Giles and Steve Harmison in the space of three balls to end the innings.

Warne, who finished with 40 wickets but still finished on a losing side in a series, claimed six for 124 and got a standing ovation as he left the field and the build-up to the mass celebrations began.

Australia's reply lasted only four balls before bad light brought the Test and the series to a premature close and England's players began a deserved lap of honour after exceeding expectations to topple the number one ranked side in the world.