Wisden on the Ashes

Book excerpt: *Updated edition to include the 2017-18, 2019 and 2021-22 Ashes series* Wisden on the Ashes: The authoritative story of cricket's greatest rivalry is a detailed chronological journey through the history of this famous English-Australian contest. With Test reports, scorecards, "Great bowlers of the year" and other fascinating material from the archives, together with new editorial pieces, this is a remarkable record of cricket's most enduring battle. The book begins its journey with England's first tour of Australia in 1876 and the subsequent three series prior to the 1882 tour that led to a mock obituary being placed in the Sporting Times "In affectionate remembrance of English cricket, which died at The Oval on 29th August, 1882. ... The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia." Celebrating the players who made their mark on the game and the controversies that shook the sport, the book covers every series since then through to the most recent series. In 2005 England won a highly competitive series that helped raise the popularity of the sport, and each series since then has attracted huge attention. This book will be a welcome addition to all cricket enthusiasts' collections, as well as an ideal gift purchase. This updated edition includes the 2017-18 series, which saw England fail to defend the Ashes, the summer 2019 series held in England, which was the first drawn series since 1972, and the Covid-affected 2021-22 series. It also includes a colour photo section celebrating the players, the matches and the key moments from an ongoing rivalry.