The Ashes: Stuart Broad, Jonny Bairstow stumble and Mark Wood’s pace brightens 2023 England vs Australia Test series | Cricket News

If the 2025 Ashes is anything like the 2023 version, we’re in for an absolute treat.

The contest in England two years ago started at 4 and ended in a 2-2 draw, but the action in between included a controversial declaration, a controversial stumble, extreme pace bowling, lots of rain and a box office succumb to Stuart Broad.

Ahead of this winter’s battle in Australia, let’s take a look back at the Ashes to follow in 2023…

First Test, Edgbaston – Australia wins by 2 wickets

crack. It was the sound of Zach Crowley slamming Pat Cummins’ first pitch between the covers, marking the start of a series in which all but the winner was in the mix.

Ben Stokes looked completely stunned after crossing Crawley’s boundary, and this was the same look that some might have seen on his face when Stokes chose to declare late on the opening day against the hosts, who were 393 for 8, mainly through Joe Root’s fourth Ashes century (all of which, as the Australian media are always quick to point out, came at home).

Stokes’ aggressive call was criticized by some, including Kevin Pietersen, but it was meaningful, exposing Australian openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja to tricky short moments in front of the stumps. This declaration was an easy crutch to defeat England as the tourists came through unscathed and ultimately won the match.

In fact, England’s loss was mainly due to blunders on the field. It was a clutch scene as Broad bowled before taking Khawaja to 141 off a no-ball, but Stokes also failed to acrobatic catch Nathan Ryan for two. Cummins then kept his cool and led Australia over the line, adding 55 points in a row with Lyon at 227-8.

2nd Test at Lord’s – Australia won by 43 runs

At Rose, you’ll hear the quiet hum, bacon and egg blazers, and the sound of champagne being uncorked and glasses clinking. But the elegant ‘home of cricket’ turned into a bear pit on the fifth and final day of the Test, with MCC members involved in an unpleasant altercation with Australian players at lunch.

The Long Room hostilities, which resulted in three members being suspended, including one indefinitely, stemmed from Alex Carey tripping England batsman Jonny Bairstow as he crawled out of the crease.

Most experts believed that Bairstow had only been punished for falling asleep, but England were furious and questioned whether the spirit of cricket, such a vague term, had been broken.

This, along with further defensive lapses, were the hosts’ sins early in the match, as their relentless attack on the short ball led to a collapse from 188-1, giving Australia a 91-run lead in the first innings.

Particularly galling for the home fans, this chin music by the Australian attack was a last resort, as off-spinner Maestro Lyon tore his calf on the field and the tourists were running out of ideas for a breakthrough.

On the fourth day, Ryan bravely limped into bat in Australia’s second fielding for the final game of the series, but Stokes kept England alive with a spirited century on the fifth day, evoking memories of Ashton’s victory over Leeds four years earlier.

However, Stokes eventually fell for 155, caught by a pantomime villain Carey from metronomic Josh Hazlewood, and England lost. Afterwards, we all had a long discussion about Bairstow’s stumble.

Even Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Anthony Albanese spoke out about Carrey’s memorable incident, which enraged Australian biter maverick Broad. Spoiler alert – these two will meet again later in the series…

Third Test, Headingley – England win by 3 wickets

With three games remaining at 2-0 – in other words, on the brink – England called in their cavalry, with speed demon Mark Wood and ‘wizard’ Chris Woakes drafted in for their first series appearance. The behavior was revealed…

Wood bowled a rocket ball of over 95 miles per hour on his way to five fours, smashing 24 off just eight balls to help England, with Stokes scoring 80, rally from 87-5 to 237 all out, trailing by just 26 runs. England’s ask was 251 in the bottom of Australia’s second innings when Wood took two more scalps and Woakes led by six.

At 131-3, the home team looked like they had a chance. But when it became 171-6, Australia appeared on course for 3-0. However, Harry Brook’s 75 points narrowly missed the mark and they fell with just 21 points needed, with Woakes (32nd) and Wood (16th) guiding the hosts home. Woakes put Mitchell Starc through point to keep the Ashes alive.

4th Test, Emirates Old Trafford – Match Drawn

The underlying image of this match was of a somber Stokes sitting on England’s balcony as rain in Manchester washed away the team’s hopes of setting up an Oval decider. Even the most biased Australian supporter will accept that the visitors dodged a bullet.

No matches were played on the final day, with Australia winning 214-5 in the second innings, leaving England trailing England by 61 points. Marnus Labuschagne’s 111 RBI in the second inning was a rare moment of brilliance. Without that, the Baggy Greens probably would have lost on a rain-hampered fourth day.

England’s early dominance was easy to forget as Australia toasted their place in the Ashes and the conversation turned to whether there should be a reserve day for the Test and whether they could have played until 10pm to force the over. But it wasn’t supposed to be that way.

Man of the Series Chris Woakes (not bad for a player who has played only three matches) once again bowled divinely, hitting five fours in the first innings, and Wood’s dizzying pace proved too much for Khawaja, Steve Smith and Travis Head in the second innings.

Between Woakes and Wood’s bowling incisions, Zak Crawley hit 189 off 182 balls and showed why England continue to rely on their usual low scores, while Bairstow (perhaps still wise from Lord’s stumble and definitely wiser from his criticism of the wicketkeeper) was not out on 99 off 81 balls as Stokes’ men took 592 balls inside 108 overs.

Only the rain prevented England from making it 2-2 at this point.

5th Test, Kia Oval – England won by 49 runs (series finished 2-2)

England’s victory at the Oval, which ended the series 2-2, was all down to one man: Broad.

Brook’s 91-ball 85 in the first innings and Root’s 106-ball 91 in the second were mere footnotes as Broad ended his Test cricket in style with a winning salvo on the final day.

Broad, who had announced his impending retirement at the end of the third day, was first greeted by an Australian guard of honor on the morning of the fourth day, before finally brandishing his bat and hitting what would be the last ball he faced in cricket six overs deep square leg.

With Australia setting 384 to seal England’s first series win in 22 years, the hosts needed inspiration as Smith’s half-century (beaten by Stokes in the 39th over) put the visiting team in a good position at 264-3 on the final afternoon.

Woakes and Moeen Ali first turned the tide with their combination, with the former taking four wickets in an over, including the crucial scalp of Smith (54), before Broad took center stage as he deserved to end the match.

A master of the dark arts, Broad readjusted Labuschagne’s bail just before he was dismissed by Wood in the first innings, and repeated the trick before dismissing Todd Murphy for the first of his two wickets on the final day.

Carey soon followed, and Broad’s 604th Test cricket (153rd among players taking part in the Ashes), trailing only Shane Warne (195) and Glenn McGrath (157), saw England seal a memorable 49-run victory, with Broad leading his team through emotional scenes in south London.

Australian Ashes Series 2025/26

always UK and Ireland

First Test: Friday 21st November – Tuesday 25th November (2.30am) – Optus Stadium, Perth Second Test (day/night): Thursday 4th December – Monday 8th December (4.30am) – The Gabba, Brisbane Third Test: Wednesday 17th December – Sunday 21st December (12am) – Adelaide Oval Fourth Test: Thursday 25th December – Monday 29th December (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground Fifth Test: Sunday 4th January – Thursday 8th January (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground