Cricket - The Ashes
The original and most famous Test series in cricket. The first ever international cricket match was played between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1877.
Five years later, after England had lost to the Aussies on home soil for the first time, an English newspaper - the Sporting Times - printed a mock obituary stating that the body of English cricket had died and will be cremated and taken to Australia.
The physical representation of this is a small urn which, depending on which story you believe, contains the burnt remains of either a stump, bails, ball or even a Victorian lady's veil...The object of Anglo-Australian rivalry is kept under lock and key at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, with a replica presented to the winning captain at the end of each series.
Five years later, after England had lost to the Aussies on home soil for the first time, an English newspaper - the Sporting Times - printed a mock obituary stating that the body of English cricket had died and will be cremated and taken to Australia.
The physical representation of this is a small urn which, depending on which story you believe, contains the burnt remains of either a stump, bails, ball or even a Victorian lady's veil...The object of Anglo-Australian rivalry is kept under lock and key at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, with a replica presented to the winning captain at the end of each series.
| YEAR | VENUE | TESTS | RESULT | HOLDERS |
| 1876-7* | Australia | 2 | Dw 1-1 | - |
| 1878-9* | Australia | 1 | Aus 1-0 | - |
| 1880* | England | 1 | Eng 1-0 | - |
| 1881-2* | Australia | 4 | Aus 2-0 | - |
| 1882* | England | 1 | Aus 1-0 | - |
| 1882-3 | Australia | 4 | Dw 2-2 | ENG |
| 1884 | England | 3 | Eng 1-0 | ENG |
| 1884-5 | Australia | 5 | Eng 3-2 | ENG |
| 1886 | England | 3 | Eng 3-0 | ENG |
| 1886-7 | Australia | 2 | Eng 2-0 | ENG |
| 1887-8 | Australia | 1 | Eng 1-0 | ENG |
| 1888 | England | 3 | Eng 2-1 | ENG |
| 1890 | England | 2 | Eng 2-0 | ENG |
| 1891-2 | Australia | 3 | Aus 2-1 | AUS |
| 1893 | England | 3 | Eng 1-0 | ENG |
| 1894-5 | Australia | 5 | Eng 3-2 | ENG |
| 1896 | England | 3 | Eng 2-1 | ENG |
| 1897-8 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 1899 | England | 5 | Aus 1-0 | AUS |
| 1901-2 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 1902 | England | 5 | Aus 2-1 | AUS |
| 1903-4 | Australia | 5 | Eng 3-2 | ENG |
| 1905 | England | 5 | Eng 2-0 | ENG |
| 1907-8 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 1909 | England | 5 | Aus 2-1 | AUS |
| 1911-2 | Australia | 5 | Eng 4-1 | ENG |
| 1912 | England | 3 | Eng 1-0 | ENG |
| 1920-1 | Australia | 5 | Aus 5-0 | AUS |
| 1921 | England | 5 | Aus 3-0 | AUS |
| 1924-5 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 1926 | England | 5 | Eng 1-0 | ENG |
| 1928-9 | Australia | 5 | Eng 4-1 | ENG |
| 1930 | England | 5 | Aus 2-1 | AUS |
| 1932-3 | Australia | 5 | Eng 4-1 | ENG |
| 1934 | England | 5 | Aus 2-1 | AUS |
| 1936-7 | Australia | 5 | Aus 3-2 | AUS |
| 1938 | England | 4 | Dw 1-1 | AUS |
| 1946-7 | Australia | 5 | Aus 3-0 | AUS |
| 1948 | England | 5 | Aus 4-0 | AUS |
| 1950-1 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 1953 | England | 5 | Eng 1-0 | ENG |
| 1954-5 | Australia | 5 | Eng 3-1 | ENG |
| 1956 | England | 5 | Eng 2-1 | ENG |
| 1958-9 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-0 | AUS |
| 1961 | England | 5 | Aus 2-1 | AUS |
| 1962-3 | Australia | 5 | Dw 1-1 | AUS |
| 1964 | England | 5 | Aus 1-0 | AUS |
| 1965-6 | Australia | 5 | Dw 1-1 | AUS |
| 1968 | England | 5 | Dw 1-1 | AUS |
| 1970-1 | Australia | 6 | Eng 2-0 | ENG |
| 1972 | England | 5 | Dw 2-2 | ENG |
| 1974-5 | Australia | 6 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 1975 | England | 4 | Aus 1-0 | AUS |
| 1976-7* | Australia | 1 | Aus 1-0 | - |
| 1977 | England | 5 | Eng 3-0 | ENG |
| 1978-9 | Australia | 6 | Eng 5-1 | ENG |
| 1979-0* | Australia | 3 | Aus 3-0 | - |
| 1980* | England | 1 | Dw 0-0 | - |
| 1981 | England | 6 | Eng 3-1 | ENG |
| 1982-3 | Australia | 5 | Aus 2-1 | AUS |
| 1985 | England | 6 | Eng 3-1 | ENG |
| 1986-7 | Australia | 5 | Eng 2-1 | ENG |
| 1987-8* | Australia | 1 | Dw 0-0 | - |
| 1989 | England | 6 | Aus 4-0 | AUS |
| 1990-1 | Australia | 5 | Aus 3-0 | AUS |
| 1993 | England | 6 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 1994-5 | Australia | 5 | Aus 3-1 | AUS |
| 1997 | England | 6 | Aus 3-2 | AUS |
| 1998-9 | Australia | 5 | Aus 3-1 | AUS |
| 2001 | England | 5 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 2002-3 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-1 | AUS |
| 2005 | England | 5 | Eng 2-1 | ENG |
| 2006-7 | Australia | 5 | Aus 5-0 | AUS |
| 2009 | England | 5 | Eng 2-1 | ENG |
| 2010-1 | Australia | 5 | Eng 3-1 | ENG |
| 2013 | England | 5 | Eng 3-0 | ENG |
| 2013-4 | Australia | 5 | Aus 5-0 | AUS |
| 2015 | England | 5 | Eng 3-2 | ENG |
| 2017-8 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-0 | AUS |
| 2019 | England | 5 | Dw 2-2 | AUS |
| 2021-2 | Australia | 5 | Aus 4-0 | AUS |
| 2023 | England | 5 | Dw 2-2 | AUS |