World Test Champions Australia face a quick turnaround to their next assignment, as they head to Birmingham to begin the first Test of the 2023 Ashes at Edgbaston, against their eternal rivals England. The Ashes is cricket’s oldest and most famous bilateral series, contested between the first two Test nations since 1877, and bearing that historic name since the English team’s 1882-83 tour Down Under.
The story behind the name of the iconic series is now the stuff of legends. It goes back to 1882, when Australia toured England for a one-off Test at the Oval in London, and shocked their hosts in a low-scoring thriller. Two days after the end of the Test, those famous lines appeared in The Sporting Times:
"In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29 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."
Those Ashes would become symbolic, as English captain Ivo Bligh promised to return them to home soil on their subsequent trip to Australia. They would also be memorialized in physical form in the famous urn, a small terracotta item which is now housed at the MCC.
For nearly 150 years, the Ashes have been the most significant cricketing event for both these nations, and provided some of the most iconic moments in the history of Test cricket — Botham's Ashes, Shane Warne's ball of the century, the image of Andrew Flintoff and Brett Lee shaking hands after England's nail-biting victory in 2005, or the heroics of Ben Stokes at Headingley in the 2019 series. Australia have dominated the Ashes historically, with 150 wins to England's 110, but only 34 series wins compared to England's 32, a gap the English cricketers will be keen on narrowing.
In its 2023 iteration, the battle will be between the world champion Australians under Pat Cummins, looking to retain the Ashes after a demolition of England in 2021-22, and a new-look England side under Ben Stokes who have been enthralling the world with the aggression of 'Bazball'. The first series of the new WTC cycle, these Ashes stand to tell fans a lot about what direction these two cricketing giants will head in. Watching England’s batters target Australia's world-class bowling is a battle worth tuning in for, right from the first Test beginning June 16 at Edgbaston, through to the fifth Test at the Oval in the last week of July....read more
After the 2023 Ashes, the next Ashes series will take place in Australia in December-January 2025/26
Where can I watch the Ashes series?
Users in India can watch The Ashes on the Sony Sports Network on TV and can live stream the same on the Sony Liv app
Where will the Ashes be held in 2023?
The Ashes 2023 will be held in England and be played across five venues - Edgbaston, Headingley, Lord's, The Oval and Old Trafford.
Which team has won the Ashes the most times?
Australia have won the Ashes for a record 35 times
What are the unknown facts about the Ashes series?
There are actual Ashes in the Ashes urn
Jim Laker's match-figures of 19/90 came at the 1956 Ashes
The highest attendance during the Ashes is a whopping 91,902 on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the 2013 Ashes
What is the history behind The Ashes series?
The story behind the name of the iconic series is now the stuff of legends. It goes back to 1882, when Australia toured England for a one-off Test at the Oval in London, and shocked their hosts in a low-scoring thriller. Two days after the end of the Test, those famous lines appeared in The Sporting Times:
In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29 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.
Those Ashes would become symbolic, as English captain Ivo Bligh promised to return them to home soil on their subsequent trip to Australia. They would also be memorialized in physical form in the famous urn, a small terracotta item which is now housed at the MCC.
Why is England losing to Australia in the Ashes?
England trail Australia in the Ashes, behind by just three series wins. In the first 10-odd series, England and Australia went neck and neck, until the mid-1980s. Between 1986 and 2005, Australia won all the eight Ashes series to extend their lead. Then came one of the most memorable Ashes series of all time in 2005, where Michael Vaughan led England to a 2-1 win over Australia, regaining the Urn after 19 long years
Who will win the Ashes now the series is tied at 1-1?
If the Ashes series ends in a draw, the famous Ashes urn remains with the winner of the previous series
How is the Ashes different from other series?
The Ashes is cricket’s oldest and most famous bilateral series, contested between the first two Test nations since 1877, and bearing that historic name since the English team’s 1882-83 tour Down Under.
How did the Ashes series start?
The first-ever Test series between England and Australia was played in 1876/77. The England cricket team had toured Australia and New Zealand, which back in the day was considered to be just another First-Class cricket tour before it was classified as an official Test series.
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