Who won the Ashes last time? Ashes holders and how it works
Picking up where we left off in 2023...
The summer of 2023, sunning ourselves and screaming obscenities at Alex Carey, feels a long time ago, but we've made it to the next instalment of the Ashes – and it's shaping up nicely.
England jet down under in a bid to rescue the Ashes from Australia's clutches for the first time since 2015.
Captain Ben Stokes leads his men into battle with Joe Root aiming for his first century down under and a fit pace-bowling attack itching to send stumps flying into the outback over the weeks to come.
RadioTimes.com brings you a refresher from the last Ashes series in 2023.
Who won The Ashes last time?
Australia currently hold the Ashes. It is England’s task this winter to regain the urn.
England have not held the Ashes since 2017. Australia are aiming to make it five consecutive series as Ashes holders, a feat which has not been achieved by either team since England broke the Aussies’ streak in 2005.
What happened in the last Ashes series?
A tense, fiery, dramatic series in England ended in a draw, but it will always be seen as the one that got away for England.
Australia won the first Test at Edgbaston by two wickets thanks to a resolute batting masterclass from Usman Khawaja who racked up 141 off 321 balls in Birmingham.
The tourists went 2-0 up thanks to a Steve Smith century despite a heroic 155 last stand from Ben Stokes at Lord's. Tempers exploded following Alex Carey's stumping of Jonny Bairstow after the latter innocuously wandered from his crease following a delivery.
England fought back at Headingley with a three-wicket triumph thanks to the efforts of Mark Wood, who claimed seven wickets across both innings to limit the Aussies.
The hosts upped the ante in Manchester as they posted a mammoth 592 score in their first innings. They were cruising to victory before rain on Day 4 and Day 5 halted the charge. Match drawn.
The final Test at the Oval saw Stuart Broad announce he would retire upon completion of the match. Broad, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali took crucial wickets to spark an Australian collapse as England claimed a creditable series draw.
What happened in the last Ashes series in Australia?
The last Ashes series down under in 2021/22 saw Australia thump England 4-0. England were thoroughly outplayed with the final result matching their disappointing outcome four years prior.
England’s batting was a mess. They failed to reach the 300 mark during the series. Australia scored 400+ on three occasions. Joe Root, who was still skipper at the time, top scored for the tourists but averaged only 32 with the bat.
Root clung on as captain through the following West Indies tour, but ultimately removed himself from the position in April 2022. Chris Silverwood was head coach for the Ashes 2021/22 and was heavily criticised for his role in England’s heavy defeat. Silverwood left his post after the series, leading to Brendan McCullum's appointment and the dawn of the rollercoaster Bazball era.
How does a team win The Ashes?
For a team to win the Ashes, they need to win the best-of-five match Test series. If the series ends in a draw, the team which currently holds the Ashes will retain the urn. This is exactly what happened four years ago, when the teams tied the series two wins apiece, meaning the Aussies kept hold of the urn.
For England to win the Ashes in 2025/26, they need to win more Tests than Australia. In this era of Bazball fireworks and England’s refusal to draw matches, that likely means they need to claim three Test match wins.
If a match ends in a draw this winter, Australia will only need to win two Tests to retain the urn once again. England have not won a Test series in Australia since 2010/11.
The Ashes 2025/26 on TV and live stream
The Ashes will be shown live on TNT Sports.
The series runs between Friday 21st November 2025 and Monday 8th January 2026 with full timings and dates in our complete Ashes 2025/26 schedule guide.
There are multiple ways to get TNT Sports. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add TNT Sports to your existing contract from just £18 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all TNT Sports and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW pass.
You can watch the series on TNT Sports via discovery+ Premium monthly pass without signing up to a contract.
You can also access TNT Sports via discovery+ on Amazon Prime Video and stream directly to your smart TV.
Regular subscribers can stream every ball on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via the discovery+ app.
discovery+ is the streaming home of TNT Sports, showing events including live Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Premiership Rugby, UFC, Boxing and MotoGP. Learn more here: discoveryplus.com
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
