England wins the 'Ashes' at Trent Bridge
England regained the 'Ashes' after an innings and 78-runs win on the third day of the fourth test. The second successive 3-day triumph gave England a 3-1 lead in the series with one match left to play. This was England's fourth successive win at home. Aussie captain Michael Clarke, who saw his team surrender Ashes at Trent Bridge, confirmed his retirement after the series.
What are the Ashes?
The Ashes is the name of the test cricket series played between England and Australia. It consists of a series of five test matches, each lasting up to five days. The two nations meet roughly every two years, with winners claiming one of the famous/smallest trophies in sports, the Ashes urn. The matches are held alternately in England and Australia.
History of Ashes
The Ashes story began in 1882, when England was beaten at home for the first time by Australia. This prompted a British newspaper to print a satirical obituary that English cricket had died. It said that the body will be cremated and ashes taken to Australia. In the next English tour of Australia, those ashes became real, obtained by burning a pair of bails.
Who is better?
A team must win a series to gain the right to hold the Ashes. A drawn series results in the previous holders retaining the Ashes. Including the 2015 Ashes, a total of 69 series have been played, with Australia winning 32 and England 32. The remaining five series were drawn. Australia though has a higher win-loss % of 39.8 when compared to England's 32.7.
2015 Ashes series
The 2015 Ashes series is the ongoing series scheduled between 8 July and 24 Aug 2015. The venues for the series are Sophia Gardens, Lord's, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, and The Oval in that order. The first test was won by England by 169 runs. Australia won the second test was by 405 runs. England won the third test by 8 wickets.
Records set in the 4th test
England bowled Australia out for 60 runs in 111 balls on the first day of the fourth test, making it the shortest first innings in Test history. Australia's top scorer from the innings was 'extras', with 14, which has never happened before in the Ashes.
