1965/66 Ashes
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The Ashes, the legendary cricket series between England and Australia, began in 1877 with the first-ever Test match played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The rivalry quickly grew after England lost to Australia on home soil in 1882, prompting a satirical obituary in The Sporting Times declaring that “English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.”
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The 1965–66 Ashes series in Australia was a tightly contested 5-Test series held between December 1965 and February 1966, in which Australia retained the Ashes with a 1–0 series win and four matches drawn.
England, captained by Mike Smith, struggled to convert solid batting performances into victories, despite strong contributions from Ken Barrington and Bob Barber.
Australia, under Bob Simpson, relied on steady batting from Simpson and Bill Lawry, and incisive bowling from Graham McKenzie to secure the crucial win in the 5th Test at the MCG.
Summary
- The series was dominated by defensive batting, resulting in four draws.
- Bob Cowper scored 307 in Melbourne, the first ever triple century in Australia.
- Australia’s 5th Test win allowed them to retain the Ashes.
- Leadership from Bob Simpson and performances from Bill Lawry were key.
- England had strong individual innings but could not turn them into victories.
It was the first series that the England team flew all the way from UK to Australia, leading to a flood of illness which affected several players in their ability to perform.
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