Ashes Winners List: Every Series Result From 1882 to 2026

Australia lead the overall Ashes winners list with 35 series wins, England have won 32, and seven series have been drawn. Australia retained the Ashes after six drawn series, while England retained them once. The latest completed series was The Ashes 2025–26, which Australia won 4–1 at home.

What counts as an Ashes series?

The Ashes is the Test-cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Its name came from England’s loss to Australia at The Oval in 1882, after which a mock obituary suggested that English cricket had died and its ashes would be taken to Australia. England’s following tour of Australia, in 1882–83, became the first series recognised in the Ashes record.

The series lengths have varied considerably. The earliest contests could contain only one, two or three Tests, while some later contests featured six or seven. Since 1998–99, Ashes series have consistently been played over five Tests. The small urn itself remains at the MCC Museum at Lord’s; a replica is presented to the winning captain.

A drawn series does not automatically mean that the trophy changes hands. The team holding the Ashes before the series retains them if the series finishes level. That convention explains why Australia retained the urn after the drawn series of 1938, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1968, 2019 and 2023. England retained it following the drawn 1972 series.

Every Ashes series result

The tables below list the recognised Ashes series in chronological order. A scoreline shows Tests won by the series winner, followed by Tests won by the opponent. “Drawn” indicates a level series, with the holder recorded where relevant.

1882–83 to 1928–29

Season	Result	Season	Result
1882–83	England, 2–1	1884	England, 1–0
1884–85	England, 3–2	1886	England, 3–0
1886–87	England, 2–0	1887–88	England, 1–0
1888	England, 2–1	1890	England, 2–0
1891–92	Australia, 2–1	1893	England, 1–0
1894–95	England, 3–2	1896	England, 2–1
1897–98	Australia, 4–1	1899	Australia, 1–0
1901–02	Australia, 4–1	1902	Australia, 2–1
1903–04	England, 3–2	1905	England, 2–0
1907–08	Australia, 4–1	1909	Australia, 2–1
1911–12	England, 4–1	1912	England, 1–0
1920–21	Australia, 5–0	1921	Australia, 3–0
1924–25	Australia, 4–1	1926	England, 1–0
1928–29	England, 4–1

England’s first eight Ashes series victories came in succession from 1882–83 to 1890. Australia’s first Ashes series win arrived in 1891–92. The balance shifted several times over the following decades, before Australia’s 5–0 win in 1920–21 became the first Ashes whitewash.

1930 to 1968

Season	Result	Season	Result
1930	Australia, 2–1	1932–33	England, 4–1
1934	Australia, 2–1	1936–37	Australia, 3–2
1938	Drawn, 1–1; Australia retained	1946–47	Australia, 3–0
1948	Australia, 4–0	1950–51	Australia, 4–1
1953	England, 1–0	1954–55	England, 3–1
1956	England, 2–1	1958–59	Australia, 4–0
1961	Australia, 2–1	1962–63	Drawn, 1–1; Australia retained
1964	Australia, 1–0	1965–66	Drawn, 1–1; Australia retained
1968	Drawn, 1–1; Australia retained

The 1932–33 contest, won by England 4–1 in Australia, became known as the Bodyline series because of England’s fast, leg-side-focused bowling tactics. Australia then held the Ashes across six successive series from 1934 to 1950–51. Their 1948 side won the five-Test series in England 4–0 and went unbeaten across the entire tour.

1970–71 to 1997

Season	Result	Season	Result
1970–71	England, 2–0	1972	Drawn, 2–2; England retained
1974–75	Australia, 4–1	1975	Australia, 1–0
1977	England, 3–0	1978–79	England, 5–1
1981	England, 3–1	1982–83	Australia, 2–1
1985	England, 3–1	1986–87	England, 2–1
1989	Australia, 4–0	1990–91	Australia, 3–0
1993	Australia, 4–1	1994–95	Australia, 3–1
1997	Australia, 3–2

The 1970–71 series is unusual in the list because seven Tests were played. Six had originally been scheduled, but an additional match was arranged after the third Test was abandoned. England’s 5–1 win in Australia in 1978–79 remains their largest Ashes series winning margin.

Australia’s 1989 win began an eight-series hold that lasted through 2002–03. That equalled England’s record of holding the Ashes for eight consecutive series between 1882–83 and 1890. Long sequences such as these help explain why a simple all-time winners list needs the context of retention as well as outright wins.

Modern Ashes results

Season	Result	Season	Result
1998–99	Australia, 3–1	2001	Australia, 4–1
2002–03	Australia, 4–1	2005	England, 2–1
2006–07	Australia, 5–0	2009	England, 2–1
2010–11	England, 3–1	2013	England, 3–0
2013–14	Australia, 5–0	2015	England, 3–2
2017–18	Australia, 4–0	2019	Drawn, 2–2; Australia retained
2021–22	Australia, 4–0	2023	Drawn, 2–2; Australia retained
2025–26	Australia, 4–1

England’s 2–1 win in 2005 ended Australia’s eight-series period as holders. Australia responded with a 5–0 home victory in 2006–07, one of three Ashes series in which every Test was won by one side. Australia also completed 5–0 wins in 1920–21 and 2013–14.

The 2019 and 2023 series both finished 2–2, so Australia retained the urn as the pre-series holders on each occasion. The 2025–26 result extended Australia’s unbeaten Ashes sequence to five series from 2017–18 onwards, comprising three wins and two draws.

Reading the winners list beyond the headline totals

The series totals show a close rivalry, but home conditions have historically mattered. Across 74 Ashes series through 2025–26, Australia won 21 of the 37 series played in Australia, while England won 14. In England, England won 18 of 37 series and Australia won 14; five were drawn.

The Test-match picture is different again because individual series have not always had the same number of matches. Across all Ashes Tests listed through 8 January 2026, Australia had won 146 matches and England 111, with 93 draws. That gives Australia a wider lead in individual Tests than in series victories.

For readers assessing a forthcoming contest, historical records are useful only when paired with the immediate context: venue, squad availability, recent Test results and the likely playing conditions. A considered cricket prediction should distinguish between a century-long trend and the specific circumstances of one five-Test series.

A rivalry shaped by results and retention

The Ashes winners list is more than a sequence of scorelines. It records shifts in dominance, from England’s early command to Australia’s long holds in the mid-20th century and from 1989 to 2002–03, as well as the modern run of tightly contested series. Australia remain the holders after their 4–1 victory in 2025–26, while England’s most recent outright Ashes success remains their 3–2 home win in 2015.