Ashes

Ashes urnThe eponymous trophy for the Ashes Test series; an urn containing the ashes of a burnt wicket bail.
Ashes Test
Ashes TestBen Stokes of England celebrating after hitting the winning runs to win the third Ashes Test match between England and Australia at Headingley, August 25, 2019, Leeds, England.

Ashes, symbol of victory in the usually biennial cricket Test (international) match series between select national teams of England and Australia, first staged in 1877. Its name stems from an epitaph published in 1882 after the Australian team had won its first victory over England in England, at the Oval, London. The epitaph lamented that English cricket was dead and that its body would be cremated and the ashes sent to Australia. The following year an urn containing the ashes of a wicket bail was presented to the captain of the touring English team in Australia. The urn is now kept at Lord’s Cricket Ground, headquarters of the Marylebone Cricket Club, one of the most prestigious British clubs.

Ashes results are provided in the table.

Ashes
years winners losers margin of victory (wins-losses-draws)
1882–83 England Australia 2–1–0
1884 England Australia 1–0–2
1884–85 England Australia 3–2–0
1886 England Australia 3–0–0
1886–87 England Australia 2–0–0
1887–88 England Australia 1–0–0
1888 England Australia 2–1–0
1890 England Australia 2–0–0
1891–92 Australia England 2–1–0
1893 England Australia 1–0–2
1894–95 England Australia 3–2–0
1896 England Australia 2–1–0
1897–98 Australia England 4–1–0
1899 Australia England 1–0–4
1901–02 Australia England 4–1–0
1902 Australia England 2–1–2
1903–04 England Australia 3–2–0
1905 England Australia 2–0–3
1907–08 Australia England 4–1–0
1909 Australia England 2–1–2
1911–12 England Australia 4–1–0
1912 England Australia 1–0–2
1920–21 Australia England 5–0–0
1921 Australia England 3–0–2
1924–25 Australia England 4–1–0
1926 England Australia 1–0–4
1928–29 England Australia 4–1–0
1930 Australia England 2–1–2
1932–33 England Australia 4–1–0
1934 Australia England 2–1–2
1936–37 Australia England 3–2–0
1938 draw 1–1–2
1946–47 Australia England 3–0–2
1948 Australia England 4–0–1
1950–51 Australia England 4–1–0
1953 England Australia 1–0–4
1954–55 England Australia 3–1–1
1956 England Australia 2–1–2
1958–59 Australia England 4–0–1
1961 Australia England 2–1–2
1962–63 draw 1–1–3
1964 Australia England 1–0–4
1965–66 draw 1–1–3
1968 draw 1–1–3
1970–71 England Australia 2–0–4
1972 draw 2–2–1
1974–75 Australia England 4–1–1
1975 Australia England 1–0–3
1977 England Australia 3–0–2
1978–79 England Australia 5–1–0
1981 England Australia 3–1–2
1982–83 Australia England 2–1–2
1985 England Australia 3–1–2
1986–87 England Australia 2–1–2
1989 Australia England 4–0–2
1990–91 Australia England 3–0–2
1993 Australia England 4–1–1
1994–95 Australia England 3–1–1
1997 Australia England 3–2–1
1998–99 Australia England 3–1–1
2001 Australia England 4–1–0
2002–03 Australia England 4–1–0
2005 England Australia 2–1–2
2006–07 Australia England 5–0–0
2009 England Australia 2–1–2
2010–11 England Australia 3–1–1
2013 England Australia 3–0–2
2013–14 Australia England 5–0–0
2015 England Australia 3–2–0
2017–18 Australia England 4–0–1
2019 draw 2–2–1
2021–22 Australia England 4–0–1
2023 draw 2–2–1
2025–26 Australia England 4–1–0
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Tushaar Kuthiala.
Citation Information
Article Title: Ashes
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 07 January 2026
Access Date: November 15, 2026