England vs Australia: Cricket, Ashes & Head-to-Head

England vs Australia is the oldest and fiercest rivalry in cricket, played out every two years in a five-Test contest called the Ashes. Australia are the current holders and historically the stronger side: they lead the all-time Ashes series tally 35 to 32, with seven series drawn, and have held the urn continuously since the 2017-18 series.

This guide breaks down England vs Australia in cricket: what the Ashes actually is, how each team plays, the complete head-to-head record, and how the latest 2025-26 series played out. Series results follow Durham CCC’s full Ashes winners list. For more nation-versus-nation football guides, see our Ghana vs England and Portugal vs Hungary breakdowns.

In this guide

1. England: Bazball and bold batting
2. Australia: ruthless pace and patience
3. Head-to-head: the all-time record
4. Reading the rivalry: how to judge each series
5. England vs Australia: side-by-side
6. Frequently Asked Questions

England: Bazball and bold batting

England play aggressive, fast-scoring Test cricket under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, the style fans call “Bazball.” It thrills at home and travels badly, which explains England’s recent Ashes troubles in Australia.

• 1. Aggressive “Bazball” philosophy, England bat positively and chase wins instead of draws, scoring at rates once unthinkable in Test cricket.
  A team chasing 435 on a final day, as England did at Adelaide in 2025-26, shows the mindset.
• 2. Stokes-led never-say-die spirit, Captain Ben Stokes has built a side famous for comebacks, most memorably in the drawn 2023 home series.
  Stokes’ 83 at Adelaide was one of few England innings that resisted the Australian attack.
• 3. Talented but inconsistent batting, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook and Joe Root can dominate sessions but have collapsed under Australian pace in away series.
  Crawley’s 85 at Adelaide was bright, but England kept losing clusters of wickets together.
• 4. Dreadful away record, England are winless in their last 18 away Ashes Tests, with their last series win in Australia all the way back in 2010-11.
  Three straight heavy defeats in 2025-26, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, sealed the series in just 11 days.

Australia: ruthless pace and patience

Australia play the classic hard-nosed Australian way: a fearsome pace attack, deep batting, and a refusal to lose the small moments. At home in the Ashes they have been close to unbeatable for a decade.

• 5. The best pace attack in world cricket, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland rotate with relentless hostility on bouncy Australian pitches.
  Starc was named Player of the Series in 2025-26 after terrorizing England with the new ball.
• 6. Deep, grinding batting lineup, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey can bat for days and post huge totals.
  Head scored 391 runs in seven innings, including a match-turning 170 at Adelaide.
• 7. Home fortress since 2011, Australia have not lost a home Ashes series since 2010-11, winning 4-0 in 2021-22 and 4-1 in 2025-26.
  England’s only 2025-26 win came at the MCG; everywhere else Australia dominated.
• 8. Winning ugly when it matters, Australia stayed calm through injuries, Hazlewood missed the whole 2025-26 series, Lyon played only two Tests, and still won comfortably.
  Even without their captain and spinner at full strength, Australia sealed the Ashes after three Tests.

Head-to-head: the all-time record

Across 140+ years the ledger favors Australia, and the gap has widened in the modern era. Four numbers tell the story of the rivalry.

• 9. Ashes series: Australia 35, England 32, 7 drawn, Through the completed 2025-26 series, Australia lead the overall series count by three.
  A drawn series lets the holder retain the urn, which helped Australia’s tally in 2019 and 2023.
• 10. Individual Tests: Australia 152, England 112, Across 361 Tests played between the two nations, Australia’s win advantage is even larger.
  Roughly 40 more Test wins for Australia over the rivalry’s history.
• 11. The urn never changes hands on a draw, If the series is tied, the previous holder keeps the Ashes, that is how Australia retained them in 2019 and 2023.
  England had to win the 2023 series outright to take the urn; a 2-2 draw left it in Australian hands.
• 12. England’s wins are getting rarer, England’s last Ashes series win came at home in 2015; Australia have held the urn ever since, across six straight series.
  That is the longest Australian hold since the 1990s, when they dominated the 1990s Ashes too.

Reading the rivalry: how to judge each series

The Ashes follow a rhythm that repeats every two years. Knowing the pattern helps you read each new series like a seasoned fan.

• 13. Home advantage is enormous, England usually compete at home and collapse away; Australia do the same in reverse, though less dramatically.
  The 2023 series in England finished 2-2; the 2025-26 series in Australia finished 4-1.
• 14. The first Test sets the tone, Australia’s eight-wicket wins at Perth and Brisbane in 2025-26 put England on the back foot immediately.
  England chasing the series from 2-0 down forced them into reckless cricket.
• 15. Watch the fast bowlers, not just the batters, Ashes series are usually decided by which pace attack takes 20 wickets cheapest.
  Starc and Boland repeatedly undid England’s top order in 2025-26.
• 16. The urn, not the scoreboard, is the prize, A drawn series keeps the trophy with the holder, so trailing teams must chase wins, not safety.
  That rule turned the 2023 finale into must-win cricket for England, and they fell short.

England vs Australia: side-by-side

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ashes in cricket?

The Ashes is a Test cricket series between England and Australia, played every two years with the venue alternating between the two countries. The name comes from an 1882 mock obituary declaring English cricket dead after Australia’s famous win at The Oval, and the winners hold a small urn, the Ashes, until the next series.

Who won the 2025-26 Ashes?

Australia won the 2025-26 Ashes 4-1 at home, sealing the series with an 82-run win in the third Test at Adelaide. Mitchell Starc was named Player of the Series; England’s only victory came at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The fifth Test at Sydney finished in early January 2026.

Who has won the most Ashes series?

Australia, with 35 Ashes series wins to England’s 32, and seven series drawn. Australia have held the urn continuously since regaining it in the 2017-18 series, including draws in 2019 and 2023 where the holder retains the trophy.

How many Tests have England and Australia played?

The two nations have played 361 Tests against each other. Australia have won 152 of them to England’s 112, with the rest drawn, a clear Australian edge that has grown in the modern era.

When is the next Ashes series?

The Ashes are played biennially, alternating between England and Australia. With the 2025-26 series staged in Australia, the next edition will be held in England, with Australia arriving as the holders of the urn.

Final thoughts

England vs Australia is cricket’s greatest rivalry because it never stops delivering drama, even when Australia keep winning. The ledger says Australia, the history says either side, and the next series is always worth the wait. For another classic national-team rivalry, read our Iraq vs France guide.