Original Ashes Era

Lore & Background

One of the highlights of Australia's early history was the 1882 Test match against England, which took place at The Oval. In this match, Fred Spofforth took 7/44 in England's second innings, securing a victory for Australia by preventing England from making their 85-run target. After this match, The Sporting Times printed a mock obituary proclaiming the death of English cricket and announcing that 'The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.' This was the start of the famous Ashes series.

In Their Own Story

The air at The Oval was thick with anticipation in August 1882. As the final wicket fell, a hush descended over the crowd before the roar of English celebration erupted. In the Australian dressing room, silence reigned until a captain spoke softly, promising that these ashes would be returned to England by the next winter. The vow was etched into the hearts of every player who followed.

Reader's Guide

The team draws its players from teams playing in the Australian domestic competitions – the Sheffield Shield, the Australian domestic limited-overs cricket tournament and the Big Bash League. Australia are the current ICC Cricket World Cup champions. They are generally regarded as the most successful national team in the history of cricket.

Did You Know?

• Australia played and won the first ever Test match in 1877.
• Australia is the only team to win three consecutive Cricket World Cups (1999, 2003, and 2007).
• Australia have won the ICC Champions Trophy twice (2006 and 2009), the only team to be back-to-back winners.
• On 12 January 2019, Australia won their 1,000th win in international cricket.