Home > Cricket > Tournaments > Ashes Series

1990-91

Australia's pace bowlers (Reid, Alderman, Hughes, McDermott) were the dominant figures in this series, especially Bruce Reid who took thirteen wickets in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. Mark Waugh replaced his brother Steve in the Australian team at Adelaide, and duly responded with a debut century. The two drawn matches both saw England attempt, but fail, to reach ambitious run targets, despite a 203 opening stand between Gooch and Atherton in Adelaide.

Australia 3 England 0.

1993

The defining moment of this series occurred on the second day of the opening Test, when Shane Warne bowled Mike Gatting withan unplayable leg break for his first delivery of the series. Warne took 34 wickets for the series with some kaleidoscopic spin bowling and received valuable assistance from Tim May, Merv Hughes and Paul Reiffel. Heavy scoring by the Australian bats was the order of the day, with all of the top seven in the batting order contributing at least one century, Boon registering three. In Michael Slater the tourists unearthed a heavy-scoring opening partner for Mark Taylor - they contributed 260 at the top of the order in the Lord's Test. Border and Steve Waugh's unbeaten stand of 332 at Headingley was the biggest partnership of the series. Mike Atherton replaced Gooch as captain after the Fourth Test, and both were easily the most consistent England batsmen of the summer. Twenty-four players were tried for England during a series which saw the departure of erratic chairman of selectors Ted Dexter. Thorpe scored a century on debut at Trent Bridge, while the pace attack of Malcolm, Fraser and Watkin gained England a belated victory at The Oval. Border's team achieved two innings victories in his third and last series as victorious Ashes captain.

Australia 4 England 1.

1994-95

Mark Taylor's Australians carried on where Border left off, with the home team's series marked by wide margins of victory, heavy scoring by the batsmen, and domination by Shane Warne and Craig McDermott - Warne finishing off the MCG Test with a hat-trick. England's pace bowlers engineered a victory at Adelaide and nearly did the same in the preceding Test in Sydney where Australia succeeded in a desperate struggle to a draw. Gooch and Gatting ended their long international careers in this series, while Greg Blewett started his with a century in each of his first two Tests.

Australia 3 England 1.

1997

The Australians, captained by Mark Taylor, started the series shakily when they lost eight wickets in the first twenty overs of the series. Hussain's double century was the standout of England's thumping four-day victory at Edgbaston, but Taylor's courageous century when his career seemed all washed up, was an emotional highlight. Glenn McGrath's 8/38 at Lord's was the lasting memory of a rain-affected draw. The Australian juggernaut gathered momentum as the series progressed, and they drew level with a big win at Old Trafford highlighted by dual centuries from Steve Waugh. Headingley brought an innings victory, and when Mark Waugh caught Devon Malcolm off McGrath's bowling the Nottingham Test was won and the Ashes remained in Australia's keeping. An exciting England victory at The Oval gave them a scoreline that flattered against a powerful Australian outfit under a brilliant leader.

Australia 3 England 2.

1998-99

Like 1997, Mark Taylor's Australians were dominant - but like 1997, they dropped their guard often enough to keep the interest alive. Alec Stewart's Englishmen were saved from defeat in Brisbane by a ferocious last-day thunderstorm. No such luck in Perth where they were obliterated in two and a half days. When Peter Such fell leg before to Glenn McGrath at Adelaide the Ashes were retained before Christmas. Steve Waugh rescued Australia from batting collapse in this series several times. Michael Slater's three second innings centuries all set up unbeatable leads, while Stuart MacGill showed that Shane Warne - unavailable till the last Test - was not missed. For England it was the bowlers who provided the only joy, especially Dean Headley - who spearheaded an amazing 12-run win at Melbourne - and Darren Gough, whose hat-trick in Sydney was like something out of a dream. Australia was presented for the first time with a new crystal replica of the Ashes urn, theirs to hold until England can win it back - and that won't happen until the next millenium.

Australia 3 England 1.

2001

"We can open up some old scars," threatened Steve Waugh before the series. His Australians were favourites once more, but England believed they had a chance, following four wins and a draw in their last five series. Alas, the crest of England's wave was like one lapping at the beach - Australia's force was more tidal and they swept to their seventh successive Ashes victory in 11 days. Australia very nearly secured a whitewash, the only blip on that horizon a generous declaration at Headingley and the best performance of Mark Butcher's career. Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, who shared 63 wickets in the series, and the revolutionary arrival of Adam Gilchrist as a rampaging counterattacking No. 7 - note his whirlwind 152 at Edgbaston and 90 at Lord's - did for England . The scars weren't just inflicted by Australia : injuries to the batsmen Thorpe, Hussain and Vaughan and to the left-arm spinner Giles didn't help. But one man wasn't going to let injury affect him. Well, he was Australian. Despite tearing his calf muscle at Trent Bridge, Steve Waugh came back for the fifth Test at The Oval, his final appearance on English soil, and this Waugh hero hobbled on one leg to a bloody-mindedly brilliant 157 not out.

Australia 4 England 1

2002-03

The series was lost before a ball had been bowled. A defensive Nasser Hussain chose to field at Brisbane: backfired was an understatement: Australia were 364 for 2 by the close and an ill-balanced England, already shorn of Gough and Flintoff, never recovered. By the second Test the result of the series - eight Aussie wins on the spin - was already taken for granted and attentions turned to debating if this really was the best Australian side of all time. "In full flight, Australia's cricketers were wondrous to behold," Wisden noted, although these weren't the sentiments shared by a despairing Stewart who announced this was the largest gap between the two sides he had known. An ill-tempered series was over in just 11 days, including being terrorized by Brett Lee on a Perth flyer. Two crumbs provided scant comfort - Vaughan proved cool and collected (his 633 runs earning him the Man of the Series award) a cruising victory in the fifth Test at Sydney, albeit a dead rubber. Caddick, in his final Test, took 10 wickets, and England were given a glimpse of a brighter future, however distant it may have seemed.

Australia 4 England 1

2005

After 16 years of effortless Australian dominance, England finally regained the Ashes in one of the most thrilling series of all time. At Lord's in late-July, 17 wickets tumbled on a frenzied first day, but Australia emerged triumphant with a 239-run win. Ten days later at Edgbaston, however, McGrath trod on a stray cricket ball and the course of the summer had irrevocably changed. A thrilling match ensued, in which Flintoff and Warne emerged as the two kingpin performers. England won at the last gasp, by 2 runs, and carried their momentum onto Old Trafford , where 10,000 fans were turned away on the final morning as secured a draw with their last pair at the crease. A Flintoff century at Trent Bridge put England firmly on top, but Lee and Warne refused to give up the ghost, combining superbly as England lost seven wickets in their pursuit of 129. The win, however, meant that England needed only avoid defeat at The Oval. That didn't seem entirely likely as they slumped to 126 for 5 before lunch on the final day, but Kevin Pietersen cracked a blistering maiden Test century to put the result beyond doubt. Cue scenes of jubilation across a captivated nation.

England 2 Australia 1

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