England and Australia are ready to begin another fight for the Ashes in Perth on Friday. England come with a clear goal. They want the Ashes back. They have waited since 2015.
As the new contest approaches, it is a good time to look back at five Ashes battles that shaped this rivalry. These moments span more than a century and show why the Ashes is one of cricket’s most intense stages.
2019: Smudge rises, Stokesy shows his greatness
The 2019 series ended level, so Australia kept the urn. Steve Smith owned the summer. He returned after his ban and faced loud home crowds, but he stayed calm and scored runs at will.
He made 774 runs in seven innings. He scored two hundreds in the first Test at Edgbaston. Many felt he could have come close to Bradman’s 974 in 1930 had he played all innings.
But the most dramatic scene came at Headingley. England were almost gone. They were nine down and needed 73. Ben Stokes took charge. He protected Jack Leach and kept hitting. England reached 362 for 9. Stokes stayed unbeaten on 135. It became one of the finest innings of the modern game.
2005: Fire, emotions, thrill
Many fans call the 2005 series the best of all time. England had not beaten Australia in almost twenty years. The pressure was huge.
Australia won the first Test with ease at Lord’s. The series changed when Glenn McGrath stepped on a stray ball before the second Test and missed the match. England grabbed the chance. Andrew Flintoff’s all-round show lifted the side.
The Edgbaston Test finished with England winning by just two runs after Michael Kasprowicz edged behind. The teams drew the next match. England moved ahead at Trent Bridge after a late push from Shane Warne kept Australia alive for a while.
At The Oval, Australia tried to come back again. Kevin Pietersen hit 158 and Ashley Giles added an important fifty. England held on. They won the Ashes 2-1.
1981: Botham changes everything
Ian Botham turned the 1981 Ashes into his own story. He began as captain. He struggled and stepped down. Then came a cricket miracle.
England followed on at Headingley and were almost written off. Botham smashed 149 not out and set Australia 130. Bob Willis bowled with fire and took 8 for 43. England won by 18 runs.
Botham was not done. He took five for one at Edgbaston in a spell that stunned Australia. England won again. At Old Trafford, he hit 118 to seal the series 3-1.
1948: Bradman’s Australia – the unbeatable
Australia’s 1948 team ruled the tour. They stayed unbeaten. They won the Ashes 4-0. It was Don Bradman’s final Test series.
At Headingley, they chased 404 with ease. Arthur Morris made 182. Bradman made 173 not out. The Oval gave cricket one of its most famous moments. Bradman needed four runs to finish with an average of 100. Eric Hollies bowled him for a duck. Bradman ended with 99.94.
1932-33: Bodyline shocks the Aussies and the cricket world
The 1932-33 series brought the biggest storm. England wanted to stop Bradman, so captain Douglas Jardine used the leg-side attack now known as Bodyline.
Harold Larwood delivered the plan with great accuracy. England won the series 4-1 and kept Bradman quiet by his standards.
But Australia hated the tactic. Officials said it was unfair and risky. The tension between the boards grew so high that the series became famous for its controversy, not just the results.
These stories show why the Ashes is more than a contest. It is drama, history and rivalry all rolled into one. The next chapter begins in Perth.
