Everything you need to know about the Ashes

Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes will captain Australia and England

Calling all cricket fans! Get ready as ones of the biggest competitions in the sport is about to get underway Down Under... the Ashes.

The special series of matches between England and Australia are cricket's most historic rivalry and one of the longest-running face-offs in sport.

But what is it all about and what can we expect to take place over the next couple of months?

Keep reading to find out...

What is the Ashes?

Who will get their hands on the famous Ashes urn?

The Ashes is the most famous cricket tournament in the world and the history of the tournament goes back nearly 150 years.

England and Australia meet roughly every two years, with the winners claiming one of the most famous (and smallest) trophies in sport - the Ashes urn.

The teams play five separate Tests, and the nation that wins the most Tests takes the series and becomes the holder of the Ashes.

England and Australia take turns in hosting the tournament, with the upcoming series taking place in Australia from November until January 2026.

Why are they called The Ashes?

It all started with a jokey article in a newspaper

The story of the Ashes began way back in 1882, when England were beaten at home at the Oval for the first time by Australia.

The series defeat shocked the sporting world at the time and prompted The Sporting Times newspaper to print a satirical story on the 'death of English cricket'.

The newspaper said English cricket would be burnt down and the ashes sent to Australia.

When England next toured Australia those ashes became real - a pair of bails were burned and the ashes put into the now famous urn.

The winning players are given a replica to celebrate with, as the real trophy is far too fragile.

The original urn lives in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) museum at Lord's cricket ground in London.

When and where are The Ashes taking place?

The first Test gets underway in Perth in Western Australia

The upcoming Ashes series will be played over five Tests, with each one taking place in a different city across Australia.

Here are the UK dates and locations for the 2025-26 Ashes series:

* First Test: 21-25 November, Perth

* Second Test: 4-8 December, Brisbane

* Third Test: 17-21 December, Adelaide

* Fourth Test: 25-29 December, Melbourne

* Fifth Test: 3-7 January, Sydney

Who is in the England Ashes squad?

It will be the second time that Ben Stokes (in the centre) will captain England during an Ashes series

England have named a 16-player squad for the upcoming Ashes series. They are:

• Ben Stokes (captain)

• Harry Brook (vice-captain)

• Jofra Archer

• Gus Atkinson

• Shoaib Bashir

• Jacob Bethell

• Brydon Carse

• Zak Crawley

• Ben Duckett

• Will Jacks

• Ollie Pope

• Matthew Potts

• Joe Root

• Jamie Smith

• Josh Tongue

• Mark Wood

Who are the current holders of the Ashes?

Australia are the current holders of the Ashes, having retained them with a draw in the 2023 series.

Ashes rules state that if the series is drawn, then the team that currently holds the Ashes gets to "retain" the trophy.

So if England and Australia were to draw again in the upcoming series, Australia would keep the famous urn.

There have been 73 previous Ashes series with Australia winning 34 of them and England 32.

The other seven have ended in draws - including in 2023 - with Australia retaining the Ashes in six of those series.

When did England last win The Ashes?

Alastair Cook was captain the last time England won the Ashes

It's been a little while since England got their hands on the tiny trophy.

England last won the Ashes ten years ago, in 2015, when they were the home side.

You have to go back a little further in time, to the 2010–11 series, when England were last victorious Down Under.

Australia go into this series as favourites, having held the Ashes since 2017, but despite the home advantage, some experts think that it might not be that easy for them.

Australia's captain Pat Cummins will miss the first Test due to injury and former England bowler Stuart Broad has said: "It's probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won, and it's the best English team since 2010."