Your ultimate guide to the men’s and women’s Ashes

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The men’s Ashes start on Friday night and the first ball in Birmingham signals the beginning of a gruelling six weeks of late-night viewing for cricket fans in the southern hemisphere.

There’s a lot of noise about England’s swashbuckling approach to Test cricket under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, but will it stand up against Australia’s high-class bowling attack? (You can nerd up on “Bazball” and how it’s made cricket fun again here.)

Australia’s men have not won an Ashes in England since 2001 – they drew the series and retained the urn in 2019 – but the freshly crowned World Test champions have every chance to break the drought this time around with enviable pace depth compared with their wounded opponents. Then again, Stokes’ extraordinary innings to snatch an improbable victory at Headingley four years ago is the stuff of nightmares for Australians.

The women’s Ashes is equally intriguing. Australia comfortably won the past two Ashes contests and have not lost a series to England since 2014, but the absence of captain Meg Lanning is a major blow for the reigning 50-over and T20 world cup champions. The multi-format series comprises a five-day Test, played at Trent Bridge, between the first and second men’s Tests, three ODIs and three T20s.

How to watch

You can watch every ball of the men’s and women’s Ashes series live and exclusive on Channel Nine, GEM and 9NOW (Nine owns this masthead.) You can also follow our blogs each night from 7.30pm, with video of key moments and analysis from our experts in the UK, Malcolm Conn and Daniel Brettig. The first ball is at 8pm AEST.

Men’s Ashes dates and venues

EDGBASTON – June 16-20: The rowdiest of the five Ashes venues, Edgbaston had been a fortress for England, who had lost only one Test there in the 18 years after 2001. That all changed in 2019. Tim Paine’s quip he could name 15 more intimidating venues in world cricket created headlines in the lead-up, but it was Steve Smith’s twin centuries in his first Test back after the sandpaper fiasco that proved the difference. Edgbaston was the scene of the epic 2005 Ashes Test that England won by two runs. If early pictures are a guide, a flat track awaits both teams at a venue renowned for friendly batting conditions.

LORD’S – June 28-July 2: If you can get to one Ashes Test in England, get to the home of cricket, which is also home to the garish egg and bacon blazer and tie. Unlike many venues in the world game, Lord’s has retained the mystique of an old school cricket ground. The slope running diagonally across the pitch adds to the charm of the place. The walk from the dressing room to the middle through the Long Room must be one of the most salubrious of its type in international cricket. Australia’s loss here in 2009 broke a 75-year unbeaten run.

HEADINGLEY – July 6-10: The scene of Ben Stokes’ heist four years ago and the stunning Ian Botham-inspired comeback in 1981, Headingley is more fondly known by Australians as being the ground where Don Bradman made his famous 334 in 1930. Nestled in suburban Leeds, across the road from the rugby league stadium, Headingley offers a greener track than most in England. In 2009, Australia’s four-pronged pace attack destroyed England in three days for their only win in that series.

OLD TRAFFORD – July 19-23: Despite the venue being a haven for seam bowlers, Old Trafford will – at least for Australians – forever be associated with Shane Warne’s magic ball in 1993. More recently, it was where Tim Paine’s team secured a dramatic win late on the fifth day to retain the urn on English soil for the first time in 18 years. On a quirky note, the square at Old Trafford was reconfigured in 2011 from its east-west axis so that batters no longer have to contend with the setting sun.

THE OVAL – July 27-31: As the traditional host of the final Ashes Test, The Oval has engendered mixed emotions for Australia since their last winning campaign in England in 2001. The perfect case in point came four years ago when Australia’s defence of the urn was soured by a series-levelling defeat. Australian fans will hope last week’s victory in the World Test Championship final is a sign of things to come in south London. Those who live in the ground’s backdrop can watch the game out their windows.

The form

Since the last Ashes finished in Hobart in January 2022, both sides have installed new coaches. Australia moved on from the Justin Langer era, and have lost only three Tests under new coach Andrew McDonald. England have undergone a transformation under McCullum with their new audacious style.

Here’s the head-to-head form.

The key players

AUSTRALIA

Put simply, if Steve Smith did not play in 2019, Australia would have struggled to win a Test let alone retain the urn. Teams have adopted more specific tactics for Smith since, bowling shorter at his body and denying him the release single to leg. It has worked to the extent he has come back slightly to the field, but an average of 52 over the last World Test Championship cycle suggests he remains one of the best in the world. Smith will not mind one bit if England roll out flat tracks for Bazball. His role as vice-captain is also vital in this high-pressure series. This is likely to be the 34-year-old’s last Ashes tour, so we should enjoy him while we can.

Steve Smith celebrates after scoring his second ton during the Edgbaston Test in 2019.Credit: ESPA

This shapes as a legacy-defining series for Pat Cummins, whose bowling and captaincy will come under enormous strain from England’s unconventional play. Things will happen quickly in Bazball. A calm and intelligent operator, Cummins must draw on the tactical nous of his right-hand man Smith to juggle his duties in the field. His primary role, though, will be to personally combat England’s attacking batting, which may require a deviation from his orthodox methods with the ball.

Scott Boland has made himself indispensable.Credit: Getty Images

Can Scott Boland, Australia’s bowling metronome, maintain his rhythm against England’s heavy metal batting? Boland’s capacity to land the ball on a handkerchief has been his weapon in his extraordinary Test career, but his predictability could also be a weakness against a batting line-up hellbent on attacking. The Victorian showed in the World Test Championship final how effective he can be in English conditions, but that was against a side that batted conventionally.

ENGLAND
No longer burdened with captaincy after a hellish Ashes in 2021/22, Joe Root can now concentrate on being his country’s best batter of this generation. Australia preyed on Root’s need to feel leather on willow 18 months ago, targeting the fourth stump line knowing the extra bounce would make him vulnerable to edging balls in this area. Conditions in England make this tactic less threatening, but Australia know his capacity to dig in will provide the hosts the fulcrum for their freewheeling ways. For all the talk of Bazball, Root remains the key wicket for Australia.

Jimmy Anderson, England’s swing king, continues to defy father time, suiting up for his 10th Ashes campaign. After lasting just four overs in 2019, Anderson will be a threat when overhead conditions suit, though he may not find much assistance from the pitches if curators roll out flat tracks to facilitate England’s attacking batting. Coming off a groin strain last month, Anderson, 40, is unlikely to play every Test. If the hosts are to regain the urn, they will need a big series from their all-time leading wicket-taker, who is just 15 victims away from joining Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan in the 700-club.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad chat in the nets at Edgbaston.Credit: Getty Images

Beware what you wish for. England captain Ben Stokes’ call for “flat, fast” pitches may suit his attacking philosophy, but less so his body. Though listed at No.6, Stokes is arguably more important to England for his deeds with the ball. He has been cleared to resume bowling duties but, nursing a knee injury, he has hardly bowled in recent months. The more friendly the pitches are for batting, the more England will need Stokes to bowl, particularly with reliable spinner Jack Leach ruled out. There is no shortage of respect for Stokes in Australia’s dressing room after his deeds at Headingley in 2019.

Men’s Ashes squads

Australia

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner.

England

Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Women’s Ashes dates and venues

TRENT BRIDGE – June 22-26: Test match
EDGBASTON – July 1: Twenty20 international
THE OVAL – July 5: Twenty20 international
LORD’S – July 8: Twenty20 international
BRISTOL – July 12: One-day international
THE ROSE BOWL, SOUTHAMPTON – July 16: One-day international
COUNTY GROUND, TAUNTON – July 18: One-day international

Key players

AUSTRALIA

Tahlia McGrath is a proven match-winner across all three formats. She powered Australia into the world cup semi-final with a decisive half-century and more recently lit up the IPL with an unbeaten 90 from 50 balls. More than that, her accurate and probing seam bowling looks made for English conditions.

The Ashes will be a test of stamina and leadership for Alyssa Healy, who captains the Australians in the absence of Meg Lanning. How she juggles her batting, wicketkeeping and captaincy duties will be a point of intrigue, although she managed it well in India last year. Healy may relinquish the opener’s role for the Test.

Things are moving quickly for Phoebe Litchfield, who is suddenly in contention to open in the Test, particularly if Healy moves down the order. The 20-year-old left-hander has already made her mark as Australia’s Next Big Thing with back-to-back 50s in her first two ODIs when Healy was injured, and displays remarkable composure and power for such a young player.

Phoebe Litchfield was still at high school when she debuted for Sydney Thunder.Credit: Ben Searcy

ENGLAND

A giant projection of Heather Knight, alongside Ben Stokes was recently illuminated on London’s Tower Bridge to promote the Ashes. No pressure, Heather. A world-class batter and respected captain, she has the task of leading an England team that are clear underdogs to the world champion Australians. But she has an excellent Test record and an even better one against Australia, including two centuries.

Nat Sciver-Brunt is arguably England’s most important player. She knows how to execute a run chase, brings big-game experience to the middle order, and understands the Australian side’s strengths and weaknesses from her time in the Women’s Big Bash League. Sciver-Brunt is one of the most experienced Test players on either side and made an unbeaten 169 against South Africa last year. She should chime in for wickets, too, with her skiddy medium pacers.

Nat Sciver-Brunt is arguably England’s most important player.Credit: Getty Images

Lauren Filer is an uncapped 22-year-old pace bowler who has bolted into the England squad. It’s a new-look pace attack following the retirement of Katherine Sciver-Brunt. Coach Jon Lewis has described her as a “point of difference bowler, someone who bowls with more pace than anyone in the country”. She swings the Dukes ball and will be out to upset an Australian batting order with plenty of firepower. It could be fun.

Women’s Ashes squads

Australia

Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham.

England

Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (vc), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt.

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