It is one of the longest running rivalries in sport and even today the Ashes fires up both Aussie and Poms so here at Joe Fortune we have pulled together some stats and data on how the Ashes has played out since 2000. This year the first test match starts late November in Perth, as opposed to Brisbane, but before looking too far ahead let’s look back at the results over the last few years.
The Ashes: Winners and Results
| Season | Host | Matches | Aus | Eng | Draw | Winner |
| 2001 | England | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | Australia |
| 2002–03 | Australia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | Australia |
| 2005 | England | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | England |
| 2006–07 | Australia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Australia |
| 2009 | England | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | England |
| 2010–11 | Australia | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | England |
| 2013 | England | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | England |
| 2013–14 | Australia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Australia |
| 2015 | England | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | England |
| 2017–18 | Australia | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | Australia |
| 2019 | England | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Drawn |
| 2021–22 | Australia | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | Australia |
| 2023 | England | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Drawn |
Who has won the most Ashes this Century?
Since the year 2000 there have been 13 Ashes series contested between both the men’s teams with Australia having won 6, England 5 and there have been 2 Draws. Australia has held the Ashes since 2017-18. Australia has won 35 test matches this century compared to England’s 19, there have also been 11 drawn games. Home advantage has been key to success in recent years, with Australia failing to win the Ashes outright away from home since 2001 and England has only won once in Australia and that was in 2010/11.
Why did the Ashes happen twice in 2013?
The Ashes happened twice in 2013 due to a bit of a scheduling shake-up by the ICC. Normally, there’s an Ashes series every couple of years, alternating between England and Australia. But in the early 2010s, cricket’s calendar was getting a bit crowded with ODI World Cups, the introduction of Test rankings, and the growing number of T20 tournaments, including the t20 World Cup.
So, the powers that be decided to bring the Ashes forward by 18 months to avoid clashing with the 2015 ICC ODI World Cup, which was set to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. That meant instead of waiting until late 2014 for the next Ashes in Australia, the decision was made to squeeze it in just a few months after the England-hosted series in mid-2013.
Basically, England hosted the usual mid-year Ashes between June and August, and won that series 3–0, before heading Down Under for the return series where the Aussies got their sweet revenge, pulling off a 5–0 whitewash. For some it was a rare treat to see two Ashes series in six months, but it was a bit of overkill for some fans and more so the players. Still, it gave us some cracking cricket as Mitch Johnson terrorised the Poms with his moustache and some proper fast and furious bowling. So, the two Ashes in one year wasn’t the norm, but it sorted the schedule out.
Why was the 2005 Ashes Series so Famous?
The 2005 Ashes series is so famous because simply put it was the greatest Test series ever played, full of drama, tension, momentum swings, and many unforgettable moments. It had everything as the world’s best players took on the world’s best team with nail-biting finishes, and the feeling that literally anything could happen next, and no-one could quite predict it.
For starters, England hadn’t won the Ashes since 1986–87, and Australia came in as heavy favourites with a team full of legends like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, and Adam Gilchrist. But England, led by Michael Vaughan, weren’t there to make up the numbers this time as they fought fire with fire with its strong bowling line-up that included Freddie Flintoff and its newest recruit from South Africa, Kevin Pietersen.
The first test match at Lords went to plan as Glenn McGrath tore through the Poms giving Australia a win by 239 runs and a 1-0 lead in the series. From there on every test had its own dramatic storyline. At Edgbaston, the 2nd Test was a heart-stopper from the moment McGrath rolled his ankle and couldn’t play after which Ponting put England into bat, and they scored over 400 runs on the first day. From here it looked like the Poms had its chance to win easily but as it turned out thanks to an incredible bowling and batting effort by Shane Warne, England won by just 2 runs. It was one of the closest finishes in test match history made even more iconic due to the handshake between Brett Lee and Flintoff…
Next up at Old Trafford where tens of thousands were locked outside on the final day because the ground was full. It appeared like the Poms would go 2-1 up but a stunning hundred in the second innings from Ricky Ponting, alongside some valiant efforts from Australia’s no 10 Jason Gillepsie and no 11 Glenn McGrath, defied England’s bowlers’ victory and ended the match in a thrilling draw. Trent Bridge saw another heroic performance from Freddie Flintoff and despite the Poms only needing about 125 to win in the fourth innings, Shane Warne ripped through England’s batters. With the tension mounting and Brett Lee bowling a hostile spell it looked like the boys in the Baggy Green were going to pull off a surprise win, but England held on, just, to win by 3 wickets in another classic encounter.
It wouldn’t be England if the rain hadn’t played its part at some stage and sure enough it did in the final test at the Oval. Australia still was in with a great chance on the final day of making the series 2-2 however, Kevin Pietersen played one of the great Ashes innings as he took on Brett Lee’s pacey bouncers. Instead of defending them the South African recruit walloped some astonishing sixes, his final score of 158 was enough to help England draw the game and win the series 2-1.
What really made it iconic and famous was the sheer quality and competitiveness. Both sides went at each other bloody hard, but with huge respect. The series became compulsive viewing all around the world and reignited interest in Test cricket, as crowds and TV ratings hit record highs. In short: the 2005 Ashes wasn’t just about cricket, it was sport of the highest quality, with two heavyweights going toe-to-toe to lay claim to being the best side in the world and no one who watched it will ever forget it.
Whilst it might be remembered as Flintoff’s Ashes it is still a mystery how Shane Warne ended up on the losing team having taken 40 wickets in 10 innings, making him the leading wicket-taker of the series. He averaged 19.9 with an economy rate of about 3.2 and recorded three five-wickets in an innings along with two ten-wicket match hauls. With the bat, Warne contributed 249 runs at an average of 27.66, including a top score of 90 and one other half-century.
How is the Ashes Winner Determined?
Every Ashes series since 2000 has been played as the best of 5 test matches and ultimately whoever wins the most games in a series is the winner. But if the scores in the series finish level i.e. 0-0, 1-1 or 2-2 then the winner of the Ashes is decided by whoever won it the previous time, known as retaining the trophy. After drawing 2-2 in England in 2023 Australia currently hold the Ashes and if England wants to be called the winner and reclaim the Ashes it will need to win the upcoming 2025/26 series like it did back in 2010/11. Here’s hoping that Pat Cummins and his team will be ready to make sure that doesn’t happen!