The Ashes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Ashes

The Ashes urn, made of terracotta and about 10.5 cm (4") tall, is reputed to contain the ashes of a burnt cricket bail.
Countries	Australia  England
Administrator	International Cricket Council
Format	Test cricket
First edition	1882–83 (Australia)
Latest edition	2023 (England)
Next edition	2025–26 (Australia)
Tournament format	5-match series
Number of teams	2
Current trophy holder	Australia (Series drawn) (2023)
Most successful	Australia (34 series wins, six retentions)
Most runs	Donald Bradman (5,028)
Most wickets	Shane Warne (195)

The Ashes is a famous Test cricket series. It is played every two years between the England and Australia men's teams.

The name "The Ashes" started in 1882. Australia won a cricket match against England in London. A British newspaper, The Sporting Times, joked that English cricket had "died". It said the "body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

This joke led to the next series in Australia being called "the quest to regain the Ashes." The English captain, Ivo Bligh, promised to "regain those ashes."

After England won that series, a small urn was given to Bligh in Melbourne. People say it holds the ashes of a burnt wooden bail. This tiny urn is a symbol of the Ashes, but it's not the official trophy. It stays in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum in London. Since 1998, a Waterford Crystal trophy, shaped like the urn, is given to the winning team.

Ashes series usually have five Test matches. They are hosted by England and Australia in turns. The team that wins the most recent series holds the Ashes. If a series ends in a draw, the team that already holds the Ashes gets to keep them.

So far, there have been 73 Ashes series. Australia has won 34 series and kept the Ashes six times when a series was drawn. England has won 32 series and kept the Ashes once from a draw.

How the Ashes Began in 1882

The first ever Test match between England and Australia was in 1877. But the Ashes story truly began in 1882. Australia was touring England and played one Test match in London. It was a very close game.

Australia scored only 63 runs in their first turn at batting. England then took a small lead, scoring 101 runs. In their second turn, Australia scored 122 runs, thanks to Hugh Massie's quick 55 runs. This meant England needed only 85 runs to win.

The Australian team felt down, but their fast bowler, Fred Spofforth, refused to give up. He was inspired by the English players, especially W. G. Grace. Spofforth declared, "This thing can be done!" He then bowled amazingly, taking four wickets for only two runs. England ended up eight runs short of winning.

When England's last batsman, Ted Peate, came to bat, his team needed just ten runs. But Peate only scored two before he was bowled out. The crowd was shocked that England had lost at home. They then cheered loudly for the Australian bowlers.

The English newspapers wrote a lot about this big defeat. They praised Australia's "pluck" and criticized England. A famous poem appeared in Punch magazine.

On August 31, 1882, a magazine called Cricket published a fake obituary. It said:

SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF
ENGLAND'S SUPREMACY IN THE
CRICKET-FIELD
WHICH EXPIRED
ON THE 29TH DAY OF AUGUST, AT THE OVAL
"ITS END WAS PEATE"

Then, on September 2, a more famous fake obituary appeared in The Sporting Times. It was written by Reginald Shirley Brooks. It said:

In Affectionate Remembrance
of
ENGLISH CRICKET,
which died at the Oval
on
29th August, 1882,
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing
friends and acquaintances.

R.I.P.

N.B.—The body will be cremated and the
ashes taken to Australia.

Ivo Bligh, the English captain, promised to "recover those Ashes" on their tour of Australia in 1882–83. The Australian newspapers quickly picked up on this. England won the three-match series 2–1.

For about 20 years after Bligh's tour, the term "the Ashes" wasn't used much. But in 1903, Pelham Warner led an English team to Australia. He also promised to regain "the ashes." The Australian media loved this idea, and this time, the name stuck. Warner even wrote a book called How We Recovered the Ashes. This helped make the legend of the Ashes famous worldwide.

The Ashes Urn

For many years, there was no actual trophy for the Ashes. People just talked about the "ashes" as a symbol. Even in 1925, a poem joked about the Ashes having "no urn."

However, the small urn given to Ivo Bligh in 1882–83 became very famous. It's not completely clear how the urn was first given to Bligh. Some say it was after England won the Third Test in 1883. Others believe it was given after a private cricket match in December 1882 at a place called "Rupertswood" near Melbourne.

Bligh himself said in 1926 that "some Melbourne ladies put some ashes into a small urn and gave them to me." His wife, the Countess of Darnley, later said that Lady Clarke, whose husband hosted the English team, "found a little wooden urn, burnt a bail, put the ashes in the urn, and... put it into her husband's (Ivo Bligh's) hands."

What's inside the urn is also a bit of a mystery. People have said it contains the ashes of a stump, a bail, or even a cricket ball. In 1998, Bligh's daughter-in-law said it was her mother-in-law's veil! However, during a tour in 2006/7, an official said it's "95% certain" that it contains the ashes of a cricket bail. X-rays showed the urn is made of terracotta and is about 15 cm (6 inches) tall. It might have been a perfume jar originally.

The urn has a label with a six-line poem on it. This poem is the fourth verse of a song published in Melbourne Punch in 1883:

When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn;
Studds, Steel, Read and Tylecote return, return;
The welkin will ring loud,
The great crowd will feel proud,
Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn, the urn;
And the rest coming home with the urn.

In 1927, after Lord Darnley (Ivo Bligh) passed away, his wife gave the urn to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). This made the urn the official symbol of the Ashes. It is kept permanently in the MCC Cricket Museum at Lord's in London. It is never given to the winning team because it's a personal gift, not a trophy.

The urn is very delicate, so it has only traveled to Australia twice. Once in 1988 for a museum tour, and again for the 2006/7 Ashes series.

Because the original urn is so fragile, a larger replica made of Waterford Crystal was created. This is called the Ashes Trophy. It has been given to the winning team since the 1998–99 Ashes series.

Ashes Series History

Early Years: 1882 to 1902

After Australia's famous win in 1882, Bligh led England to Australia to "recover those ashes." Australia won the first match, but England won the next two. So, England was seen as having "won back the Ashes" 2–1.

From 1884 to 1896, England was very strong. They lost only four Ashes Tests out of 23 played in the 1880s. England won all seven series during this time.

The games in the 1890s were closer. Australia won its first series since 1882 in 1891–92. But England still dominated, winning the next three series until 1896.

The 1894–95 series started with a thrilling win for England. They won by just 10 runs after Australia had scored a huge 586 runs in their first turn. England's bowlers, Bobby Peel and Johnny Briggs, were amazing on a wet pitch. England won the series 3–2.

In 1896, England, led by W. G. Grace, won the series 2–1. This was the end of England's longest period of Ashes dominance.

From 1897 to 1902, Australia took over. They won the 1897–98 series 4–1. Then, under captain Joe Darling, Australia won the next three series, including the classic 1902 series.

The 1902 series had five matches, but the first two were drawn due to bad weather. Australia won the Third and Fourth Tests. In the Fourth Test, Victor Trumper scored a fantastic 104 runs very quickly. England won the last Test by just one wicket in a very exciting finish. This Australian team had many great players like Trumper, Warwick Armstrong, and Hugh Trumble.

Reviving the Ashes Legend

After some issues with how tours were organized, the MCC took charge. In 1903–04, England won a series in Australia. The English captain, Plum Warner, wrote a book called How We Recovered The Ashes. This book's title brought the Ashes legend back to life. From then on, England versus Australia series were usually called "The Ashes."

Evenly Matched: 1905 to 1912

England and Australia were quite evenly matched until the First World War began in 1914. Five more series were played between 1905 and 1912. In 1905, England's captain Stanley Jackson led his team to a 2–0 victory.

Australia, led by Monty Noble, won in 1907–08 and 1909. Then England won in 1911–12 by four matches to one. Jack Hobbs became a top batsman for England, and Frank Foster and Sydney Barnes were strong bowlers.

England kept the Ashes by winning the 1912 Triangular Tournament. This tournament also included South Africa. However, the Australian team was weaker because some of their best players were not chosen due to a disagreement.

Australian Dominance: 1920 to 1933

After the First World War, Australia became very strong in cricket. They used two fast bowlers, Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald, who often bowled out the English batsmen easily. Australia won many games, including a 5–0 clean sweep in 1920–1921.

England won only one Test match out of 15 from the end of the war until 1925.

In 1926, England managed to win a rain-affected series 1–0. They won the final Test in a "timeless" match, meaning it was played until a winner was decided. Despite a difficult pitch, Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe batted brilliantly. England won comfortably.

Australia's older team broke up after 1926. In the 1928–29 series, England won easily, 4–1. Wally Hammond scored a huge 905 runs for England.

In 1930, Bill Woodfull led a very young Australian team to England. This series saw the rise of Donald Bradman. He scored an incredible 974 runs, which is still a world record for a Test series. In one match, he scored 334 runs, including 309 not out on the first day. Australia won the series 2–1.

Australia had a very strong batting lineup in the early 1930s. To counter this, England's captain, Douglas Jardine, used a controversial tactic called Bodyline in the 1932–33 series.

Jardine told his fast bowlers, especially Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, to bowl at the Australian batsmen's bodies. The idea was to make them defend themselves, leading to easy catches. Jardine called it "leg theory," but others called it "Bodyline."

England won the Ashes 4–1 with this tactic. However, Bodyline caused a huge argument between England and Australia. It was so serious that diplomats had to get involved. The MCC later changed the rules to limit how many fielders could be on the leg side.

Jardine famously said, "I've not travelled 6,000 miles to make friends. I'm here to win the Ashes."

Australia's Reign: 1934 to 1953

Australia won back the Ashes in 1934 and held them until 1953. No Test cricket was played during the Second World War.

The 1934 series was decided in the final match. Australia scored a massive 701 runs in their first turn, with Bradman (244) and Ponsford (266) setting a huge partnership. Australia won the series 2–1.

In 1936–37, Bradman became Australia's captain. He started by losing the first two Tests. But Australia fought back and won the series 3–2.

The 1938 series was full of high scores and draws. Australia kept the Ashes with a 1–1 draw. In the final match, Len Hutton scored a world-record 364 runs for England. England won by a huge margin.

The Ashes started again after the war in 1946–47. Australia, still led by Bradman, won convincingly 3–0.

In 1948, Australia, led by Bradman, completely dominated England. This team is known as The Invincibles because they played 34 matches without losing any. They won the series 4–0.

The 1948 series ended with a famous moment. Bradman played his last innings. He needed only four runs to have a batting average of exactly 100. But he was bowled out for zero runs, ending his career with an average of 99.94.

Lindsay Hassett took over as Australian captain. He led them to a 4–1 series win in 1950–51.

The tide turned in 1953 when England won the final Test to take the series 1–0. This began a great period for English cricket, with players like captain Len Hutton, batsmen Denis Compton and Peter May, and bowlers Fred Trueman and Jim Laker.

Changing Fortunes: 1954 to 1971

In 1954–55, England's fast bowlers Frank Tyson and Brian Statham were too good for Australia. England won the series 3–1.

The 1956 series saw an incredible record. England's spinner Jim Laker took 19 out of 20 Australian wickets in one match! England won the series 2–1.

But England's dominance didn't last. Australia won 4–0 in 1958–59. Their new captain, Richie Benaud, was a great spinner, and Alan Davidson was a strong fast bowler.

In 1961, Australia won a tough series 2–1 in England. This was their first Ashes win in England in 13 years.

The games in the 1960s became slower. There were fewer strong bowlers, so it was harder to win matches. Many games ended in draws. England didn't win any series during this time. Australia's captains, Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry, often played safely to avoid losing.

In 1970–71, Ray Illingworth led England to a 2–0 win in Australia. This was thanks to John Snow's fast bowling and the good batting of Geoffrey Boycott and John Edrich.

Modern Era: 1972 to Present

The 1972 series ended in a 2–2 draw, with England keeping the Ashes.

In the 1974–75 series, Australia's fast bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee were very destructive. Australia won 4–1. England then lost the 1975 series 0–1.

In 1977, a big change happened in cricket. Kerry Packer started World Series Cricket. This meant many top players, especially from Australia, were not allowed to play for their national teams. Australia had to form a new Test team.

England, led by Mike Brearley, did very well against this new Australian team. They won the 1977 series 3–0 and then a huge 5–1 in 1978–79.

Ian Botham became England's captain in 1981. After Australia took a 1–0 lead, Botham stepped down as captain. Brearley returned to lead the team. The Third Test at Headingley was amazing. England was forced to bat again after being far behind. But Botham scored 149 runs, and England won by a miracle. Bob Willis took 8 wickets for 43 runs. This series is known as 'Botham's Ashes'.

In 1982–83, Australia had Greg Chappell back as captain. Australia won the series 2–1.

In 1985, England, led by David Gower, won 3–1. Australia's team was weaker because some players had gone on a "rebel tour" to South Africa.

England continued to do well in the Ashes in the 1980s. Mike Gatting led England to a 2–1 win in 1986–87.

Australian Dominance Returns: 1989 to 2003

The Australian team of 1989 was very strong. They beat England convincingly 4–0. This team included future stars like Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, and Shane Warne.

Australia then dominated cricket in the 1990s and early 2000s. They won series after series: 1990–91, 1993, 1994–95, 1997, 1998–99, 2001, and 2002–03.

Key Australian players during this time included batsmen Allan Border, David Boon, and the Waugh brothers. Fast bowlers Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie were also very important. But the most dominant player was leg-spinner Shane Warne. His first ball in Ashes cricket in 1993, which bowled out Mike Gatting, is known as the Ball of the Century.

Australia's strong performance from 1989 to 2005 greatly changed the overall statistics between the two teams.

Exciting Contests: 2005 to 2015

The 2005 Ashes series was incredibly exciting. Australia won the first match easily. But England fought back, winning the Second Test by just 2 runs, which is one of the closest finishes ever. England then won the Fourth Test. A draw in the final match gave England the series win. This was England's first Ashes victory in 18 years.

Australia regained the Ashes at home in the 2006–07 Ashes series with a huge 5–0 clean sweep. After this series, cricket legends Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, and Justin Langer retired.

The 2009 Ashes series started with a tense draw. England then won at Lord's for the first time since 1934. Australia won the fourth match to level the series. Finally, England won the Fifth Test to regain the Ashes.

The 2010–11 Ashes series was played in Australia. England won the Second Test by a large margin. Australia won the Third Test. But England won the Fourth Test by an innings, securing the Ashes. England went on to win the series 3–1, their first series win in Australia in 24 years. England's opening batsman, Alastair Cook, scored an amazing 766 runs in the series.

Australia's preparation for the 2013 Ashes series was difficult. England won the first match closely. They then won the second match easily. A draw in the third match meant England kept the Ashes. England won the fourth match, giving them a 3–0 series win.

In the second Ashes series of 2013 (which ended in 2014), Australia hosted and won all five matches. This was Australia's third "whitewash" (5–0 win) in Ashes history. Australia's bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris were outstanding.

Australia was favored to win the 2015 Ashes series in England. England won the first match, but Australia won the second. However, Australia's batsmen struggled in the next two matches. England bowled them out for very low scores. England won the Fourth Test by an innings, regaining the Ashes.

Recent Series: 2017 to Present

The 2017–18 Ashes series was seen as important for both teams. Australia won the first two matches. They then regained the Ashes with a big win in the third Test in Perth.

Before the 2019 Ashes series, both teams had strong bowlers but struggling batsmen. Australia's top batsmen, David Warner and Steve Smith, returned after being banned. England had just won the Cricket World Cup. The 2019 series ended in a 2–2 draw, so Australia kept the Ashes.

The 2021–22 Ashes series was played in Australia. It included the first Ashes Test in Tasmania. Australia comfortably beat England 4–0 to keep the Ashes.

England hosted the 2023 Ashes series. Australia won the first two Tests. England won the third. The fourth Test was drawn due to rain, which meant Australia kept the Ashes. England won the fifth and final Test, drawing the series 2–2. During this match, England's bowler Stuart Broad announced he would retire.

Ashes Results and Statistics

Since 1883, Australia has held the Ashes for about 84.5 years, and England for 55.5 years.

Here are the overall Test match results up to July 31, 2023:

Overall Test Results
Tests played	Australia wins	England wins	Draws
361	152	111	98

Here are the overall series results up to July 31, 2023:

Overall Series Results
Series played	Australia wins	England wins	Draws
73	34	32	7

To hold the Ashes, a team must win the series. If a series is drawn, the team that already holds the Ashes keeps them. Ashes series usually have five Test matches, but some have had four or six.

Australians have scored 264 centuries (100 runs or more) in Ashes Tests. Twenty-three of these were double centuries (200 runs or more). Englishmen have scored 212 centuries, with 10 double centuries. Australians have taken 10 wickets in a match 41 times, and Englishmen 38 times.

Match Venues

The Ashes series switches between England (and Wales) and Australia. Each match in a series is played at a different cricket ground.

Australian Venues

In Australia, the main grounds used are:

• The Gabba in Brisbane (since 1932–33)
• Adelaide Oval (since 1884–85)
• Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) (since 1876–77)
• Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) (since 1881–82)

The MCG traditionally hosts the Boxing Day Test (December 26), and the SCG hosts the New Year's Day Test.

The Brisbane Exhibition Ground hosted one Test in 1928–29. The WACA Ground in Perth hosted its last Ashes Test in 2017–18. It was supposed to be replaced by Perth Stadium for the 2021–22 series. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final Test was played at Bellerive Oval in Hobart. This was the first Ashes Test ever held in Tasmania.

English Venues

In England and Wales, the current grounds used are:

• Old Trafford in Manchester (since 1884)
• The Oval in Kennington, South London (since 1884)
• Lord's in St John's Wood, North London (since 1884)
• Headingley in Leeds (since 1899)
• Edgbaston in Birmingham (since 1902)

Other grounds that have been used include:

• Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales (since 2009)
• The Riverside in Chester-le-Street (since 2013)
• Trent Bridge at West Bridgford (since 1899)

One Test was also held at Bramall Lane in Sheffield in 1902. The Oval traditionally hosts the final Test of the series.

Sophia Gardens and The Riverside will not host Ashes Tests again until at least 2035. Future Ashes series venues in England will include Lord's, The Oval, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, The Rose Bowl, Old Trafford, and Headingley.

In Australia
Stadium	State	First Test	Last Test	Played		Australia wins			Draws*		England wins		Ref
MCG, Melbourne	Victoria	1882–83	2021–22	51		25	2021		7		19	2010
SCG, Sydney	New South Wales	1882–83	2021–22	52		23	2018		7		22	2011
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide	South Australia	1884–85	2021–22	33		19	2021		5		9	2010
Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane‡	Queensland	1928–29	1928–29	1		0	–		0		1	1928
The Gabba, Brisbane	Queensland	1932–33	2021–22	22		13	2021		5		4	1986
WACA Ground, Perth‡	Western Australia	1970–71	2017–18	13		9	2017		3		1	1978
Bellerive Oval, Hobart	Tasmania	2021–22	2021–22	1		1	2021		0		0	–
In England and Wales
Stadium	County†	First Test	Last Test	Played		England wins			Draws*		Australia wins		Ref
Old Trafford, Manchester	Lancashire	1884	2023	33		7	1981		18		8	2019
Lord's, London	Middlesex	1884	2023	37		7	2013		14		16	2023
The Oval, London	Surrey	1884	2023	37		17	2023		14		6	2015
Trent Bridge, Nottingham	Nottinghamshire	1899	2015	22		6	2015		9		7	2001
Headingley, Leeds	Yorkshire	1899	2023	26		9	2023		8		9	2009
Edgbaston, Birmingham	Warwickshire	1902	2023	16		6	2015		5		5	2023
Bramall Lane, Sheffield‡	Yorkshire	1902	1902	1		0	–		0		1	1902
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff	Glamorgan	2009	2015	2		1	2015		1		0	–
The Riverside, Chester-le-Street	Durham	2013	2013	1		1	2013		0		0	–

^*Including abandoned tests

^†County cricket clubs who play at the grounds

^‡Former grounds which no longer host Test Matches

More About Cricket

In Spanish: The Ashes para niños

• History of Test cricket from 1877 to 1883
• History of Test cricket from 1884 to 1889
• History of Test cricket from 1890 to 1900
• The Women's Ashes
• Ella-Mobbs Trophy (the Rugby Union equivalent of England-Australia matches)