The Ashes is a bilateral Test series played between England and Australia. It is a five-match series hosted alternately by the two teams roughly every two years. 

The series got the name ‘The Ashes’ after the British newspaper, The Sporting Times published a satirical obituary mourning England’s seven-run loss to Australia at The Oval in 1882, which was their first defeat against the Australians on English soil. 

Thereafter, 73 Ashes series have been played between the two sides with Australia winning 34 while England have won 32 times. Seven series have ended in a draw.

Both England and Australia have won the Ashes a record eight consecutive times each in the past. England’s winning streak spanned from 1882-83 until 1890 as the English won 16 Tests while losing only four. 

Meanwhile, Australia held the Ashes urn from 1989 to 2005 before England won a long-overdue series against the Aussies, beating them 2-1 at home to end Australia’s dominance of 16 years. 

England last won the Ashes in 2015, while Australia are the holders of the Ashes after winning the 2022 edition 4-0 in front of their home fans and then drawing 2-2 to retain the urn in England in 2023.

Here’s the list of all the Ashes series winners since 1882-83. 

Ashes winners list: Know the conquerors of the urn

Season

Winner

Margin

Host

1882-83

England

2-1 (3)

Australia

1884

England

1-0 (3)

England

1884-85

England

3-2 (5)

Australia

1886

England

3-0 (3)

England

1886-87

England

2-0 (3)

Australia

1887-88

England

1-0 (1)

Australia

1888

England

2-1 (3)

England

1890

England

2-0 (2)

England

1891-92

Australia

2-1 (3)

Australia

1893

England

1-0 (3)

England

1894-95

England

3-2 (5)

Australia

1896

England

2-1 (3)

England

1897-98

Australia

4-1 (5)

Australia

1899

Australia

1-0 (5)

England

1901-02

Australia

4-1 (5)

Australia

1902

Australia

2-1 (5)

England

1903-04

England

3-2 (5)

Australia

1905

England

2-0 (5)

England

1907-08

Australia

4-1 (5)

Australia

1909

Australia

2-1 (5)

England

1911-1912

England

4-1 (5)

Australia

1912

England

1-0 (3)

England

1920-21

Australia

5-0 (5)

Australia

1921

Australia

3-0 (5)

England

1924-25

Australia

4-1 (5)

Australia

1926

England

1-0 (5)

England

1928-29

England

4-1 (5)

Australia

1930

Australia

2-1 (5)

England

1932-33

England

4-1 (5)

Australia

1934

Australia

2-1 (5)

England

1936-37

Australia

3-2 (5)

Australia

1938

Draw

1-1 (4)

England

1946-47

Australia

3-0 (5)

Australia

1948

Australia

4-0 (5)

England

1950-51

Australia

4-1 (5)

Australia

1953

England

1-0 (5)

England

1954-55

England

3-1 (5)

Australia

1956

England

2-1 (5)

England

1958-59

Australia

4-0 (5)

Australia

1961

Australia

2-1 (5)

England

1962-63

Draw

1-1 (5)

Australia

1964

Australia

1-0 (5)

England

1965-66

Draw

1-1 (5)

Australia

1968

Draw

1-1 (5)

England

1970-71

England

2-0 (7)

Australia

1972

Draw

2-2 (5)

England

1974-75

Australia

4-1 (6)

Australia

1975

Australia

1-0 (4)

England

1977

England

3-0 (5)

England

1978-79

England

5-1 (6)

Australia

1981

England

3-1 (6)

England

1982-83

Australia

2-1 (5)

Australia

1985

England

3-1 (6)

England

1986-87

England

2-1 (5)

Australia

1989

Australia

4-0 (6)

England

1990-91

Australia

3-0 (5)

Australia

1993

Australia

4-1 (6)

England

1994-95

Australia

3-1 (5)

Australia

1997

Australia

3-2 (6)

England

1998-99

Australia

3-1 (5)

Australia

2001

Australia

4-1 (5)

England

2002-03

Australia

4-1 (5)

Australia

2005

England

2-1 (5)

England

2006-07

Australia

5-0 (5)

Australia

2009

England

2-1 (5)

England

2010-11

England

3-1 (5)

Australia

2013

England

3-0 (5)

England

2013-14

Australia

5-0 (5)

Australia

2015

England

3-2 (5)

England

2017-18

Australia

4-0 (5)

Australia

2019

Draw

2-2 (5)

England

2022

Australia

4-0 (5)

Australia

2023

Draw

2-2 (5)

England

Author: Kaustubh Potdar

Featured photo: Glyn Kirk / AFP