On Nov. 21, the first Test match of the 74th Ashes series between Australia and England will start at the Opta Stadium in Perth. Prior to this series, Australia has won 34 and England 32, with seven drawn, six of those leading to the retention of the Ashes by Australia as existing holders of the small urn.
Longtime readers will recall an earlier column that discussed the urn’s origins. After Australia’s first Test win on English soil in 1882, a satirical obituary was published in an English newspaper stating that English cricket had died, and that “the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.”
In the return three match series in 1882-83, England won 2-1, at the end of which a small urn was presented to the England captain, Ivo Bligh. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of a wooden bail, humorously described as “the ashes of Australian cricket.” Bligh’s wife subsequently said that her veil was used to create the ashes content. What started as good natured satire and humor has developed into raw, emotional and heated battles over the years, with undercurrents of colonialism and political intrigue.
Prior to the forthcoming series, 345 Ashes Tests have been played, Australia winning 142, England 110, with 93 draws. The balance in favor of Australia has widened since 2000. In 13 series since then, Australia has won 35 matches and England 19, with 11 drawn. This superiority is not reflected in terms of series wins. Australia has won six and England five, with two drawn. In the series won by Australia it has been dominant, winning 87 percent of the 30 matches. Five of these series were held in Australia. Only once since 2000, in 2010/11, has England won a series in Australia. The same can be said in reverse, Australia’s only series win in England being in 2001-02. However, Australia has run England closely in four of the five other series in England.
