2019 Ashes series

This article is about the men's Ashes series. For the women's Ashes, see Australia women's cricket team in England in 2019.

2019 Ashes series
Part of Australian cricket team in England in 2019
The Specsavers Ashes Series 2019 logo
Date1 August–16 September 2019
LocationEngland
ResultFive-match series drawn 2–2 (Australia retained The Ashes)
Player of the seriesSteve Smith (Aus) and Ben Stokes (Eng)
Compton–Miller Medal:
Steve Smith (Aus)
Teams
 England  Australia
Captains
Joe Root Tim Paine
Most runs
Ben Stokes (441)
Rory Burns (390)
Joe Root (325)		 Steve Smith (774)
Marnus Labuschagne (353)
Matthew Wade (337)
Most wickets
Stuart Broad (23)
Jofra Archer (22)
Jack Leach (12)		 Pat Cummins (29)
Josh Hazlewood (20)
Nathan Lyon (20)

The 2019 Ashes series (officially the Specsavers Ashes Series for sponsorship reasons[1]) was a series of Test cricket matches played between England and Australia for The Ashes in August and September 2019. The venues were Edgbaston, Lord's, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval.[2]

Australia were the defending holders of the Ashes going into the series, having won in 2017–18. The series was the first in the inaugural 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship.[3][4]

The series was drawn 2–2.[5] Australia won the first Test decisively to gain a 1–0 series lead.[6] This was followed by a tense draw in the second Test, where a concussion substitute was used for the first time in international cricket.[7] England then levelled the series 1–1 with a narrow win in the third Test.[8] Australia fought back to gain a 2–1 series lead after winning the fourth Test, retaining the Ashes for the first time since 2001.[9] However, England levelled the series with a comfortable victory in the fifth Test, resulting in the first drawn Ashes series since 1972.[10]

Steve Smith’s phenomenal series total of 774 runs at an average of 110.54 has been lauded as one of the best batting performances of all time.[11] Ben Stokes' match-winning 135* in the third Test also received recognition as one of the best Test innings of all time.[12][13]

  1. ^ "Welcome to the Specsavers Ashes! ECB announce new title sponsor". The Cricketer. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  2. ^ "England schedule confirmed for summer 2019". Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Kohli 'excited' about World Test Championship; praises youngsters in ODI, T20I squads". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  4. ^ "FAQs - What happens if World Test Championship final ends in a draw or tie?". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Ashes 2019: Australia has the urn but no series win — so where does the result stack up?". Fox Sports Australia. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  6. ^ "Ashes: Australia break 18-year hoodoo in dominant first test display". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Aussies wobble but hang on in drawn Ashes epic". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  8. ^ Marks, Vic (25 August 2019). "Ben Stokes inspires England to sensational third Test win over Australia". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Australia retain Ashes with thrilling win over England at Old Trafford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Ashes 2019: England level series after beating Australia in final Test". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Stats Analysis: Why Steven Smith's 2019 Ashes batting performance is the greatest of all time in a series". ESPNcricinfo. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Jonathan Liew's 30 best Test innings of all time". The Independent. 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  13. ^ "The big question: was Stokes's hundred the greatest Test innings you've seen?". The Guardian. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2021.