# List of Ashes series
[The Ashes](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-ashes) is the [Test cricket](https://www.edgepedia.org/test-cricket) series played between England and Australia, contested since the 1882-83 season and hosted alternately by the two countries. The series winner, or the previous holder in the event of a draw, takes the [Ashes urn](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-ashes-urn). Australia lead the overall series record with 35 wins to England's 32, with seven series drawn.[1](https://erone.uk/ashes-winners-list/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First contested | Season 1882-83, following Australia's seven-run win at The Oval on 29 August 1882[2](https://www.mcg.org.au/globalassets/global-media/files/mcc/club-heritage/library/2025-fact-sheets/2025-12-26_aust_v_england_all_grounds_statssupplement_day-1---tr.pdf) • [3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) |
| Overall series record | Australia 35 wins, England 32, seven drawn (through 2025-26)[1](https://erone.uk/ashes-winners-list/) |
| Test matches played | 351 Ashes Tests through 2023: Australia 146 wins, England 110, 95 draws[2](https://www.mcg.org.au/globalassets/global-media/files/mcc/club-heritage/library/2025-fact-sheets/2025-12-26_aust_v_england_all_grounds_statssupplement_day-1---tr.pdf) |
| Home advantage | Before 2025/26: in Australia, 37 series with Australia winning 21 and England 12; in England, 36 series with England winning 18 and Australia 14[2](https://www.mcg.org.au/globalassets/global-media/files/mcc/club-heritage/library/2025-fact-sheets/2025-12-26_aust_v_england_all_grounds_statssupplement_day-1---tr.pdf) |
| Whitewashes | Australia 5-0 in 1920-21, 2006-07, and 2013-14; England's largest win 5-1 in 1978-79[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrm1kSDVxnQ) • [3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) |
| Retained on a draw | Australia drew and retained the Ashes in 1938, 1962/63, 1965/66, 1968, 2019, and 2023[5](https://www.flashscore.com.au/news/the-ashes-australia-and-england-all-time-head-to-head-record/UDwoOa0f/) |
| Most recent series | 2025-26 in Australia: Australia won 4-1[6](https://www.cricket.com.au/matches/CA%3A21892) |
## Origin of the series
Test cricket between the two countries began in 1877 at the [Melbourne Cricket Ground](https://www.edgepedia.org/melbourne-cricket-ground), where Australia won by 45 runs, but the Ashes as a named contest dates from 1882. A touring Australian side under Billy Murdoch beat England by seven runs at [The Oval](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-oval) on 29 August 1882, with fast bowler Fred Spofforth taking match figures of 14 wickets for 90 runs. The Sporting Times printed a satirical obituary mourning that English cricket had died and that its body would "be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia".[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history)
When England toured Australia the following summer and won the series 2-1, the mythical ashes became a physical trophy: the England captain, Hon Ivo Bligh, was presented with an urn containing the burnt remains of a ball.[7](https://www.crictotal.com/series/history/the-ashes-history.php) England then won eight straight series, and the two sides played 22 series up to 1912, of which England won 15 and Australia 7.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history)
## Format and hosting
A typical Ashes series consists of five Test matches played under the standard rules of international Test cricket, and the contest is held biennially, alternating between England and Australia.[7](https://www.crictotal.com/series/history/the-ashes-history.php) The host is identifiable from the season notation: a single calendar year (matches usually between June and September) means England hosted, while a season spanning two calendar years (November to January) means Australia hosted.[5](https://www.flashscore.com.au/news/the-ashes-australia-and-england-all-time-head-to-head-record/UDwoOa0f/)
Home ground has mattered strongly. Before the 2025/26 series, Australia had won 21 of 37 Ashes series at home against England's 12, while England led at home 18 to 14.[2](https://www.mcg.org.au/globalassets/global-media/files/mcc/club-heritage/library/2025-fact-sheets/2025-12-26_aust_v_england_all_grounds_statssupplement_day-1---tr.pdf) A drawn series does not change hands: the holder retains the urn, which is how Australia kept the Ashes through drawn series in 1938, 1962/63, 1965/66, 1968, 2019, and 2023.[5](https://www.flashscore.com.au/news/the-ashes-australia-and-england-all-time-head-to-head-record/UDwoOa0f/)
A few seasons fall outside the normal pattern. The Ashes were not at stake in the one-off Tests of 1876/77, 1878/79, 1882, 1887/88, 1976/77, 1979/80, 1980, and 1987/88, and the 1977 [Centenary Test](https://www.edgepedia.org/centenary-test) at the MCG, a one-off match marking a century of Test cricket, was won by Australia by 45 runs, the exact margin of the 1877 match.[2](https://www.mcg.org.au/globalassets/global-media/files/mcc/club-heritage/library/2025-fact-sheets/2025-12-26_aust_v_england_all_grounds_statssupplement_day-1---tr.pdf) • [3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history)
## Eras of the contest
**England's early dominance.** England won 11 of the first 12 contests, all in the 19th century.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2015/jul/08/over-time-ashes-history-in-charts) Australia's rise came at the turn of the century with batters such as Clem Hill and Victor Trumper, and the series was suspended after 1912 by the First World War.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history)
**The Bradman era.** Australia opened the post-war resumption in 1920-21 under Warwick Armstrong with the contest's first 5-0 clean sweep, and won 12 of 13 Tests across the three series after the war.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) England won the 1928-29 series 4-1, which was England's largest series win at the time; England's largest Ashes series win was the later 5-1 victory in 1978-79.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) • [13](https://www.sportstats.com.au/zArchive/1970s/1978AE/1978AEtext.pdf) Donald Bradman then dominated: his 974 runs in five Tests in the 1930 series in England is still the record series aggregate.[9](https://www.sutherlanddcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Steve-Smith-Perspective.pdf) England's response in 1932-33 was the [Bodyline](https://www.edgepedia.org/bodyline) series, in which [Douglas Jardine](https://www.edgepedia.org/douglas-jardine)'s fast bowlers, principally Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, bowled short-pitched leg-theory deliveries at the batters; England won 4-1 amid diplomatic tension between the two countries.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) Australia won the three series after that, and after the Second World War took 1946-47 (3-0), 1948 (4-0, Bradman's unbeaten "Invincibles"), and 1950-51 (4-1).[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history)
**The post-war swing to England.** From 1953 to 1986-87 the two sides played 19 series, of which England won 9 and Australia 6, with four draws.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) Jim Laker's 19 wickets for 90 runs in a match at [Old Trafford](https://www.edgepedia.org/old-trafford) defined England's 1956 win, and Australia held the urn through the 1960s.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) England's 5-1 win in 1978-79 came against an Australian side missing its [World Series Cricket](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-series-cricket)-signed players.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) • [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrm1kSDVxnQ) The 1981 series, "Botham's Ashes", saw [Ian Botham](https://www.edgepedia.org/ian-botham)'s all-round play, including the Headingley Test won after England followed on, secure a 3-1 comeback win.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history)
**Australia's golden run.** From 1989 to 2006-07 Australia won 9 of 10 series, including eight in a row from 1989 to 2003, a stretch in which they won 28 Tests to England's seven.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) • [8](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2015/jul/08/over-time-ashes-history-in-charts) England's 2-1 win in 2005, decided partly by [Shane Warne](https://www.edgepedia.org/shane-warne)'s 40 wickets against [Andrew Flintoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/andrew-flintoff)'s match-winning moments, is widely regarded as one of the greatest series ever played, but Australia answered with a 5-0 whitewash in 2006-07, the swansong for Warne, Glenn McGrath, and [Justin Langer](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-langer).[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history)
**The modern era.** England won three straight series from 2009, including a 3-1 win in 2010-11, their first in Australia in 25 years.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) Back-to-back series in 2013 produced starkly opposite results: England won 3-0 at home, then Australia won 5-0 at home within five months, with Mitchell Johnson taking 37 wickets.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) Australia have held the urn since their 4-0 win in 2017-18, with drawn series in England in 2019 (2-2) and 2023 (2-2) either side of a 4-0 win in 2021-22.[3](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history) The 2025-26 series extended Australia's unbeaten run to five series from 2017-18 onwards, three wins and two draws.[1](https://erone.uk/ashes-winners-list/)
## The 2025-26 series
Australia retained the Ashes with a 3-0 lead after three Tests, sealing the series at [Adelaide Oval](https://www.edgepedia.org/adelaide-oval) with an 82-run win in the third Test.[10](https://www.cricket.com.au/matches/CA%3A21890/australia-men-england-men-men-s-ashes-2025-26) England's four-wicket win in the fourth Test at Melbourne was their first Test victory on Australian soil in 15 years, and Australia took the series 4-1.[6](https://www.cricket.com.au/matches/CA%3A21892) • [11](https://www.whathifi.com/streaming-entertainment/how-to-watch/the-ashes-2025-26-4k) England's drought of series wins in Australia now extends back to 2010-11.[12](https://apnews.com/article/0bcb2a55c20b463f4bcbb79cf52e7096)
## References
1. [Ashes Winners List: Every Series Result From 1882 to 2026, Erone](https://erone.uk/ashes-winners-list/)
2. [Statistical Supplement 2, 2025 Boxing Day Test, Melbourne Cricket Club](https://www.mcg.org.au/globalassets/global-media/files/mcc/club-heritage/library/2025-fact-sheets/2025-12-26_aust_v_england_all_grounds_statssupplement_day-1---tr.pdf)
3. [History, Men's Ashes Hub, Cricket Australia](https://www.cricket.com.au/mens-ashes/history)
4. [The Ashes: Full Series Results from 1882 to 2025, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrm1kSDVxnQ)
5. [The Ashes: Australia and England's all-time head-to-head record, Flashscore](https://www.flashscore.com.au/news/the-ashes-australia-and-england-all-time-head-to-head-record/UDwoOa0f/)
6. [Australia Men v England Men, Men's Ashes 2025-26, cricket.com.au](https://www.cricket.com.au/matches/CA%3A21892)
7. [The Ashes History, CricTotal](https://www.crictotal.com/series/history/the-ashes-history.php)
8. [Over time: Ashes history in charts, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2015/jul/08/over-time-ashes-history-in-charts)
9. [Highest aggregates in an Ashes series, Sutherland District Cricket Club](https://www.sutherlanddcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Steve-Smith-Perspective.pdf)
10. [Australia Men v England Men, Men's Ashes 2025-26 3rd Test, cricket.com.au](https://www.cricket.com.au/matches/CA%3A21890/australia-men-england-men-men-s-ashes-2025-26)
11. [How to watch The Ashes 2025/26 online, What Hi-Fi?](https://www.whathifi.com/streaming-entertainment/how-to-watch/the-ashes-2025-26-4k)
12. [Bazball revolution falters for England in the Ashes, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/0bcb2a55c20b463f4bcbb79cf52e7096)
13. [sportstats.com.au](https://www.sportstats.com.au/zArchive/1970s/1978AE/1978AEtext.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Cricket › Cricket practice and culture › The Ashes rivalry*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license