Lexi Webster
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia, dating back to 1882. It is the sport's most celebrated rivalry, with the two teams competing for a symbolic trophy. The series has varied in length, but since 1998, it has consistently consisted of five matches, played biennially and alternating between the two countries. Australia has been dominant in the Ashes, winning 34 series and 150 of the 356 Ashes Tests played overall. They retained the Ashes in the 2023 series, marking their continued reign over England in this historic cricket rivalry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of Ashes series won by Australia | 34 |
| Total number of Ashes Tests won by Australia | 150 |
| Percentage of Ashes Tests won by Australia in England | 29.8% |
| Percentage of Ashes Tests won by Australia in Australia | 52.3% |
| Number of consecutive Ashes Tests won by Australia after the First World War | 8 |
| Year of Australia's first Ashes series win | 1891-92 |
| Number of consecutive Ashes series won by Australia from 1934 to 1950-51 | 5 |
| Number of consecutive Ashes series won by Australia from 1958-59 to 1968 | 4 |
| Number of consecutive Ashes series won by Australia from 1989 | 4 |
| Number of consecutive Ashes series won by Australia at home since 2005 | 2 |
| Number of consecutive Ashes Tests won by Australia at home since 2005 | 8 |
| Number of Women's Ashes series won by Australia | 9 |
| Number of drawn Ashes series | 7 |
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What You'll Learn
Australia's first Ashes win was in 1882
In 1882, Australia won its first Test match on English soil, beating its hosts by seven runs in a two-day match at The Oval in London in late August. This victory sparked the tradition of the Ashes. The match was soon followed by a mock obituary in The Sporting Times, lamenting the loss and declaring the death of English cricket. The obituary stated: "The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."
Ivo Bligh, England's captain for the return series in Australia in 1882-83, promised to "regain those ashes". The three-match series resulted in a two-one win for England, but a fourth match, won by the Australians, remains a matter of dispute. The Ashes urn, crafted during this series, is now the most important icon in cricket.
Australia took its first series win in 1891-92, beating England 2-1. Since then, Australia has dominated the Ashes, with 34 wins and six retained by draws, compared to England's 32 wins and one retained. Australia are the current holders of the Ashes, having retained them with a draw in the 2023 series.
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Australia won eight Tests in a row after World War One
Australia has had numerous golden eras in Test and white-ball cricket. One of them was in the aftermath of World War One, when Australia won eight Tests in a row. This included the first-ever clean sweep in a five-match series in 1920/21, with Warwick Armstrong's team whitewashing England 5-0. Armstrong's men then returned to England in 1921, losing only two games late in the tour and narrowly missing out on being the first team to complete a tour of England without defeat.
England won only one Test out of 15 from the end of the war until 1925. In a rain-hit series in 1926, England managed to eke out a 1–0 victory with a win in the final Test at The Oval. This was a timeless match, played to a finish because the series was at stake.
Australia's success in the aftermath of the First World War was due in part to the tactic of using two express bowlers in tandem. Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald regularly crippled the English batting, and Australia recorded overwhelming victories both in England and at home.
The 1921 tour of England was Armstrong's last series, and Australia won three out of the five Tests. The side was inconsistent in the latter half of the 1920s, losing its first home Ashes series since the 1911–12 season in 1928–29. However, the 1930 tour of England heralded a new age of success for the Australian team, with legends of the game including Bill Ponsford, Stan McCabe, Clarrie Grimmett, Archie Jackson, and Don Bradman.
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Australia won in 1958-59 with a 4-0 victory
The 1958-59 Ashes series saw Australia defeat England by 4-0. Led by Richie Benaud, Australia's triumph was considered one of the biggest upsets in Test cricket history, as England had won the previous three Ashes series and were considered the stronger team.
The Australian team's success was largely due to the leadership of its aggressive captain, Richie Benaud, who is now regarded as one of the greatest captains in Test cricket. Benaud was a master at upsetting the concentration of batsmen and took an ordinary Australian team to shape it into a winning side. Benaud's positive and attack-minded leadership made all the difference, and he led what appeared to be an average team to five series victories in succession.
The English press had considered the Australian team to have little chance of winning the series, as they had only one recognised great player, Neil Harvey, and had lost the fast bowling combination of Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller. However, there were signs of recovery, and Australia was expected to perform better on their home ground.
The English team, led by Peter May, was labelled the strongest ever to leave England. They boasted a formidable bowling attack, an outstanding wicket-keeper, and impressive batsmen. Despite this, England suffered a dismal batting display, with their worst score in Australia since Archie MacLaren's team were dismissed for 61 in 1901-02.
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Australia's most dominant Ashes period was from 1989 to 2001
Australia has won 34 Ashes series and 150 of the 356 Ashes Tests played overall. The Aussies moved ahead of England in total series honours in 2017/18 (33 to 32) and have won more Tests—144 to 108, with 94 drawn.
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played biennially, alternating between the United Kingdom and Australia. It is the sport's most celebrated rivalry and dates back to 1882, when Australia won its first Test match on English soil at The Oval in London. England won the next two Tests, but the mock obituary published in The Sporting Times declared the death of English cricket, stating that "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". The English media dubbed the tour the quest to regain the Ashes, and England won the next series in Australia, taking home a small urn said to contain the ashes of a wooden bail.
The powerful array of bowlers that both countries boasted moved into retirement in the 1960s, and their replacements were of lesser quality, making it more difficult to force a result. England failed to win any series during this time, a period dominated by draws as teams found it more prudent to save face than risk losing. Of the 20 Tests played during the four series, Australia won four and England three.
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Australia are the current holders of the Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played biennially between England and Australia, dating back to 1882. It is the sport's most celebrated rivalry. Australia are the current holders of the Ashes, having retained them with a draw in the 2023 series.
The term "The Ashes" originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval—its first Test win on English soil. The obituary stated that English cricket had died and that "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". The English media dubbed the subsequent tour the quest to regain the Ashes. After England won two of the three Tests, a small urn was presented to English captain Ivo Bligh in Melbourne. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of a wooden bail, humorously described as "the ashes of Australian cricket".
Australia first won an Ashes series in 1891–92, beating England 2–1. The rivalry has seen periods of dominance for both teams, with Australia holding the Ashes for six series spanning nineteen years and England winning four series in a row in the 1950s. England has won 32 of 72 Ashes series, while Australia has won 34.
Australia's 2017/18 series win meant the Aussies moved ahead of England in total series honours (33 to 32). Australia has won 150 of the 356 Ashes Tests played overall, compared to England's 110 wins. Australia has won four consecutive series in England and eight overall, starting with their success in 1989.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia have won 34 Ashes series.
Australia have won 150 of the 356 Ashes Tests played overall.
Australia have won 29.8% of their Ashes Tests in England.
Yes, Australia won eight Tests in a row in the immediate aftermath of World War One. They have also had two other spells of holding the urn for six straight series.
