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Perth - Maintaining a stranglehold over England batsman Kevin Pietersen gives Peter Siddle a great deal of personal pleasure, the Australian paceman said on Wednesday.
Siddle dismissed Pietersen for the 10th time in tests when the flamboyant batsman mistimed a pull and was caught by a leaping Mitchell Johnson in the first innings at Perth.
"He's obviously inflicted a lot of pain on us over the years, so to see the back of him is always nice," Siddle told reporters a day after Australia took an unassailable 3-0 lead to claim the Ashes back from England.
"To be the one to get him, it does bring a lot of joy to myself personally, but also the team."
An in-form Pietersen can tear apart any bowling attack and Siddle said he relished the challenge of bowling to the best in the business.
"It just comes down to the challenge - you want to challenge yourself against the best players in the world and he's one of those," Siddle said. "(I) rise to the challenge and try to build as much pressure on him as I can.
"I'm lucky enough to get him, but it could be anyone in the side."
For someone who grew up watching Australia dominate world cricket, Siddle, 29, was naturally thrilled to have finally tasted Ashes triumph.
"It's been a long time coming for a fair few of us," Siddle said. "To have played in three ... and lost, obviously there was a lot riding on this series.
"Growing up, I never really saw an Australian side lose an Ashes series.
"So to be a part of a few myself had been disappointing and it was unfinished business," said Siddle, who has claimed 11 wickets so far behind team mates Johnson (23) and Ryan Harris (12).
Siddle and his fast bowling colleagues got able support from off-spinner Nathan Lyon who often held one end up and provided the crucial breakthroughs.
Lyon's 10 wickets in the three tests might look pale in comparison to Johnson's tally of 23 but the spinner was happy to have chipped in whenever his team needed.
"If I'm taking no wickets and Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris are taking all the wickets, I'm more than happy for that," Lyon said.
"We're out there together, we bowl in partnerships and it's a team game."
