The Ashes: England v Australia Test series - 50 days to go

In 50 days, the first of back-to-back Ashes series gets under way at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on 10 July.

From the number of balls Ian Botham needed to take five wickets for one run at Edgbaston in 1981 to the number of Ashes series won by Shane Warne, here are 50 facts to get you in the mood for what promises to be a thrilling summer:

50 - Age of Australia's Bert Ironmonger when he played his last Ashes Test in 1933

49 - Age of the oldest Ashes debutant, England's James Southerton in 1877

48 - Geoff Boycott's score on debut at Nottingham in 1964

47 - Former England captain Michael Atherton's score on Ashes debut at Trent Bridge in 1989

46 - Most wickets in an Ashes series, by England off-spinner Jim Laker in 1956

45 - Number of Ashes Tests in England, out of 156, won by the home side

44 - Wickets taken in Ashes Tests by former England skipper Tony Greig

43 - The number of Ashes Tests played by Colin Cowdrey between 1954 and 1975, an England record

42 - Most wickets by an Australian in an Ashes series, by Terry Alderman in 1981

41 - Number of catches held by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting in Ashes Tests

40 - Wickets taken by leg-spinner Shane Warne in the 2005 Ashes series

39 - Age (and 173 days) of England batsman Harry Makepeace in 1921, when he became the oldest player to score a maiden Ashes Test ton

38 - Number of 10-wicket match hauls taken by England against Australia, who have five more

37 - Minutes survived by England's Monty Panesar to bat out the the final day of the first Ashes Test of 2009 in Cardiff

36 - Lowest Ashes team total, made by Australia at Edgbaston in 1902

35 - Number of Ashes Tests played at Lord's - England have won 14

34 - Number of Ashes series since the resumption of competition after World War II

33 - Wickets taken by Australia fast bowler Jeff Thomson in the 1974-75 Ashes series

32 - England arrived in Australia for the 1932-33 series armed with controversial Bodyline tactics - they won the series 4-1

31 - Most stumpings by a player in Ashes Tests, by Australia's Bert Oldfield

30 - Number of Ashes series won by England. Australia have 31, five have been drawn

29 - Ashes Tests captained by Australia's Allan Border - a record

28 - Balls Ian Botham needed to take five wickets for one run at Edgbaston in 1981

27 - England's women regained the Ashes after a wait of 42 years with a six-wicket win against Australia on 27 August 2005

26 - Weeks it will take for the two back-to-back Ashes series to be completed in 2013 and 2014

25 - Mark Waugh scored a century on debut against England on 25 January 1991 - he replaced his brother Steve in the side

24 - Number of wickets taken by England's James Anderson in the last Ashes series

23 - Shane Warne's age when he made his Ashes debut in 1993 - he bowled Mike Gatting first ball

22 - Age of Len Hutton when he made 364 for England in the 1938 Ashes Test at The Oval - the record Ashes score

21 - Tests played by England fast bowler Harold Larwood, stopped abruptly after the Bodyline series

20 - Number of Ashes Tests played by current Australia captain Michael Clarke, the most of any member of the current sides

19 - Dennis Lillee's score when he was caught Willey bowled Dilley at Perth in 1979

18 - Ashes Tests captained by Mike Brearley - the most by an Englishman

17 - Allan Border's score in his final Ashes innings, at The Oval in 1993

16 - Number of years Australia held the Ashes between 1989 and 2005

15 - Honours awarded to England's team and management after the 2005 series

14 - Don Bradman is bowled for a duck by England's Eric Hollies in his final Test on 14 August 1948 - he needed four runs to secure a batting average of 100

13 - Wickets taken by Australia left-arm pace bowler Bruce Reid (for 148) in the second Test at Melbourne in 1990

12 - Runs scored by Ian Botham in his final Ashes Test, at Trent Bridge in 1989

11 - Days of Test cricket before Australia won the 2001 series

10 - Wickets taken in a single innings by Jim Laker at Old Trafford in 1956 - he had taken nine in the first innings

9 - Hat-tricks taken in Ashes Tests, the most recent by Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle in 2010

8 - Times England have won or drawn the series after losing the first match

7 - Ashes series won by Shane Warne

6 - Number of England batsmen who made centuries in the 2010-11 Ashes

5 - Australia's 5-0 defeat of England in 2006-07 was the first Ashes whitewash in 86 years

4 - Test hundreds made by Michael Clarke against England

3 - Centuries made by Australia in 2010-11. England made nine

2 - Number of runs England won by in the 2005 Edgbaston Test

1 - Total number of Ashes Tests in which Michael Clarke or Alastair Cook have captained - Clarke captained Australia in the final Test of the 2010-11 series