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.” 

2006/07 Ashes

The 2006/07 Ashes was dubbed the "revenge" series as Australia was still smarting from the unexpected loss of the urn in the prior series in 2005. The 5 Test series was played from 23 November 2006 to 5 January 2007 at the traditonal test cricket grounds at Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia regained the Ashes, completing a rare 5–0 "whitewash", the first time this had happened in an Ashes series since 1920–21.

The last test in the series in Sydney was also notable for the retirement of several significant Australian players (Justin Langer, Glenn McGrath, and Shane Warne). England led by Andrew Flintoff was outplayed on all fronts. In contrast, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was named Player of the Series.

Top Performers:

  • Player of the Series:
    • Ricky Ponting – 576 runs at 82.28
  • Top Run-Scorers:
    • Ricky Ponting (Aus): 576
    • Michael Hussey (Aus): 458
    • Kevin Pietersen (Eng): 490 (England’s best)
  • Top Wicket-Takers:
    • Glenn McGrath (Aus): 21 wickets
    • Stuart Clark (Aus): 26 wickets
    • Shane Warne (Aus): 23 wickets
    • Matthew Hoggard (Eng): 13 wickets

Legacy:

  • One of the most iconic Australian Ashes performances — only the second 5–0 Ashes whitewash at the time (after 1920–21).
  • Marked the retirement of legends Warne, McGrath, and Langer.
  • England’s defeat led to major changes in their Test setup.
  • Australia avenged the 2005 Ashes loss in emphatic fashion.

 

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McSweeney, Nathan A
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