England Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Timeline

The rivalry between the Australian Men’s Cricket team and the England Cricket team started in 1877, when both teams met for the first ever test match in cricketing history. The rivalry between the two teams is very prominent and well-known in history. The rivalry between these two teams in test matches is named “The Ashes”. The Ashes is very popular among fans of the Australian and England cricket teams. It is celebrated like a festival and followed by fans religiously. The players of both teams play with grit, passion, and integrity. The fans have seen it all: the heated moments, incredible performances, brilliant saves, and close calls. The match between the teams is not only about the result; it is more about pride and legacy for them. The Australian Men’s Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team Timeline provides a gist of all the clashes between the two founding nations of modern-day cricket.

Table of Contents

1877 to 1899: The Budding Rivalry

The England Cricket team vs Australian Men’s Cricket team timeline gives an insight into the matches that have led the rivalry to the next level. Between 1877 to 1899, a total of 56 test matches were played. Out of which England won 26 matches, asserting their dominance over the Aussies.

1876-1877 Australia vs England: The first encounter between Australia and the England team was a 2 match series which ended tied with a scoreline of 1-1.

In the first match, Aussie batter Charles Bannerman scored 165 runs*(retired hurt), whereas the bowlers like William Midwinter(Australia) took 5 wickets, Thomas Kendall(Australia) took 7 wickets, and Alfred Shaw(England) took 5 wickets. Bowlers from both teams shone, showcasing their skills.

1882-1883 Australia vs England: The English off-break Billy Bates took a total of 14 wickets in 2 innings. England won the game by an inning and 27 runs as a result.

1884 The Ashes(2nd test): After winning the toss, Australia decided to bat first. Ted Peate took 6 wickets, damaging the Australian batting line-up. In the first innings of England, Allen Steel scored 148 runs, before becoming a victim of George Palmer, who bagged 6 wickets. In the second innings, the Australian batting lineup was once again destroyed by George Ulyett’s brilliant bowling spell of 7 wickets.

1884-1885 The Ashes(5th test): England won the series by 3-2. The English batter Arthur Shrewsbury scored 105* runs, also the England bowling unit dominated the Aussies by taking a total of 20 wickets of the Australian team.

1888 The Ashes(2nd test): In the 3-match series hosted by England, the hosts claimed victory by 2-1. England won by an innings and 137 runs with major contributions in bowling by England bowlers- John Briggs(5 wickets), Robert Peel(5 wickets), and William Barnes(7 wickets).

1891-1892 The Ashes: The 3rd match of the series was played at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. The English team, despite being the visiting team, defeated the Aussies by an innings and 230 runs. England set up a massive target of massive 499 runs in 1 innings, which Australia was not able to chase in second innings.

1894-1895 The Ashes(4th test): Batting first, Australia put up the target of 284 runs. Australian bowlers bowled out the English batters at 65 runs in the first innings, further giving them a follow-on, which also did not yield any good results for Australia, as they were bowled out again at a score of 72 runs, leading to their defeat.

1900-1950: The Middle Encounters between the teams

During the time period of 1900 – 1950, the England and Australian team played a total of 99 test matches. Australia dominated during this period by winning 46 matches, while England was only able to bag 29 victories to their name and 24 matches ended in a draw.

1901-1902 The Ashes: In the first test, England won by an innings and 124 runs. In the second test, Australia won by a margin of massive 229 runs. The Australian team defeated England by 4-1 in the series.

1911-1912 The Ashes(4th test): In the first and second innings, Australia scored 191 and 173 runs, respectively. In contrast, Wilfred Rhodes (179) and Jack Hobbs (178) helped England to 589 runs. The fourth test was won by England by 225 runs and by an innings.

1920-1921 The Ashes: Australia whitewashed the series by a win of 5-0. Herbie Collins, Warwick Armstrong, John Gregory, Charles Macartney, and Clarence Pellew were the major run-getters for Australia.

1928-1929 The Ashes(1st test): England dominated the Aussies again by taking the lead of 4-1. In the first test, played at the Exhibition Ground, Brisbane on 30th November,1928, England won by a huge margin of 675 runs.

1930 The Ashes(5th test): In the 1930 series, 2 matches were won by Australia, 1 by England, and 2 matches were drawn. In the fifth test, Australia won by an innings and 39 runs with the help of brilliant knocks from William Ponsford(110) and Donald Bradman(232).

1934 The Ashes(5th test): Australia batting first set up the humongous total of 701 runs in the first innings, with major contributions from William Ponsford(266) and Donald Bradman(244). England succumbed to the Aussie bowling attack, resulting in defeat.

1938 The Ashes(5th test): England won the toss and elected to bat first, setting up a target of 903 runs. Australia was only able to make 201 and 123 runs in their innings. The highlight of the match was an outstanding knock of 364 runs by Leonard Hutton.

1946-1947 Ashes(1st test): The Aussies’ batting lineup and bowling attack were on point as batting first, they set up the target of 645 runs thanks to Donald Bradman(187) and Lindsay Hassett(128). The English team’s batting lineup was crushed by Keith Miller’s (7 wickets) and Ernest Toshack’s (3 wickets).

1950-1970: Continuance of Australian Dominance

Between 1950 to 1970, both teams played 50 matches. Australia maintained its dominance over England by winning 14 matches, while England only won 11 matches, and 25 matches were drawn. Although England did not admit their defeat so easily, as the 25 drawn test matches depict their will to thrive and succeed.

1953 The Ashes: In the 5-test match series, 4 of the matches resulted in a draw. England won the fifth match by 8 wickets.

1956 The Ashes(4th test): England prevailed by 170 runs and an innings. Batting first, England set up a total of 459 runs with 2 centuries from English batters – Peter Richardson and David Sheppard. Whereas English bowler Jim Laker took 9 wickets.

1958-1959 The Ashes: The English squad lost against the Australians 4-1. The key players were Alan Davidson, Colin McDonald, Peter May, Neil Harvey, Brian Statham, Richie Benaud, and John Mortimore.

1965-1966 The Ashes(4th test): Australia’s Bob Simpson(225) and Bill Lawry(119) helped the team to set up the target of 516 runs. Neil Hawke’s 5-wicket haul aided the Australian team to win by an innings and 9 runs.

1971-2004: Introduction of ODI format

The England cricket team vs the Australian men’s Cricket team timeline from 1971 to 2004 gives an analysis of the time period where the Austro-English rivalry switched to the limited overs cricket. The first ODI match was played between Australia and England in 1971 and after that both teams played a total of 78 matches during this period, out of which Australia won 44 matches, and England won only 32 games.

1970-1971 Australia vs England: The first ODI international match was played in the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 5th January 1971. John Edrich was selected Player of the Match for his 82-run performance for the England team, and Australia won the match by 5 wickets.

1975 Prudential World Cup: The teams encountered each other at the 1st Semi final of the first ever World Cup of men’s cricket history at Headingley, Leeds on 18th June,1975. Australia won the toss and elected to field. The English team was bowled out at 93 runs due to the damage done by Gary Gilmour’s brilliant spell of 12 overs, 6 maidens, 14 runs, and 6 wickets. Australia registered an easy win by 4 wickets.

1979-1980 Benson & Hedges World Series Cup: The English team whitewashed Australia in the series by 4-0. They defeated the host team, Australia, on their land. Geoff Boycott, Peter Willey, and Graham Stevenson were some star performers in the series for the English team.

1984-1985 Beson & Hedges World Championship: The match was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 17th February 1985. It was the first match of the series, England batting first set up the target of 214 runs at the loss of 8 wickets. Brilliant knocks from Aussie batters- Robert Kerr(87) and Dean Jones(78*) led their team towards victory.

1984-1985 Rothmans Four-Nations Cup: The second match of the cup was played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 24th March 1985. England, batting first, put up a total of 177 runs on the scoreboard. Aussies chase the target without any hardships to register an easy win.

1985 The Ashes(5th test): England won the 5th test match by an innings and 118 runs. Some of the major performers for the England team were Richard Ellison(10 wickets), Tim Robinson(148 runs), David Gower(215 runs), and Mike Gatting(100*).

1987-1988 Reliance World Cup(Final): The Australian and English teams faced off each other at the final of the 1987 World Cup. The match was played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 8th November 1987. Australia won their first ever World Cup by defeating England with a margin of 7 runs in this game.

1989-1990 MRF World Series(Nehru) Cup: The 2nd league match between Australia and England was played at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium on 19th October 1989. Batting first, Australia set up the target of 242 runs. A brilliant knock of 124 runs by Wayne Larkins led England to clinch the victory in the game.

1990-1991 Benson & Hedges World Series: In the 4 match series, Australia won all 4 matches. Some of the star performers from the Australian team were Simon O’Donnell, Dean Jones, Geoff Marsh, Greg Matthews, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Mark Waugh.

1998-1999 Carlton & United Series: Australia demonstrated their superiority over the English side by winning five of the seven games in the series.

2001 Natwest Series: Australian team won all 3 matches of the Natwest Series. Key performers for Australia were Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Steve Waugh, Jason Gillespie, Shane Warne, and Adam Gilchrist.

2002-2003 The Ashes(5th test): England won the match by 225 runs. Major contributions from Mark Butcher(124 runs), Nasser Hussain(75 runs), and Michael Vaughan(183 runs) aided in their team’s win.

2002-2003 ICC World Cup: The Australian team and the England team encountered each other in the 37th match of the 2003 World Cup at St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on 2nd March 2003. England won the toss and elected to bat first, but the English batting lineup was destroyed by a brilliant bowling spell from Andy Bichel(10 overs, 20 runs, and 7 wickets). Leading to Aussies to a victory over England by 2 wickets.

2004 ICC Champions Trophy(Semi-final): The 2004 ICC Champions Trophy was hosted by England. The Australian team and the England team faced off each other in the semi-final of the tournament on 20th September 2004. Batting first, Australia set up the target of 259 runs, which the English team chased successfully in 46.3 overs.

2005-2025: Rise of T20 Cricket

The England Cricket team vs the Australian Men’s Cricket team timeline between 2005 to 2015 gives a detailed analysis of the Australia and England team introduction to the newer and shorter format, along with One day and T20 formats. In the T20 format, the competition between the teams is neck to neck. Out of 26 matches, Australia and England have won 12 matches each while 2 matches ended in no result.

2005 Australia vs England: The first ever T20 international match was played between Australia and England at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, on 13th June 2005. England won this game by 100 runs, as the English bowling line-up faltered in the run chase.

2005 The Ashes(2nd test): This test match between Australia and England is a very significant one as it showcases England’s passion and dedication towards the game.

England won this match by 2 runs. Despite Shane Warne’s 6-wicket haul, England

managed to win the game.

2006-2007 ICC Champions Trophy: The 2006 champions trophy match between AUstralia and England was played in the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, on 21st October 2006, England, batting first, set up a total of 169 runs. Australia chased the target in just 36.5 overs.

2007 ICC World Cup: The 35th match of the tournament was played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua, between Australia and England. Batting first, England set up the target of 247 runs in 49.5 overs. Australia won by 7 wickets.

2009-2010 ICC Champions Trophy(Semi-final): In the semi-final, batting first, England set up the target of 257 runs. Aussie batters outshone due to brilliant knocks from Shane Watson(136*) and Ricky Ponting(111*).

2009-2010 ICC World Twenty20(Final): The final match of the 2010 T20 World Cup was held at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on 16th May 2010. England won the match by 7 wickets and became the T20 World Champions for the first time.

2013 ICC Champions Trophy: In the face-off between Australia and England in the 3rd match of the tournament, England won the toss and elected to bat first, setting up a total of 269 runs with major contributions from Ian Bell(91 runs) and Jonathan Trott(43 runs). Australia couldn’t managed to chase the target Leading to a loss by 48 runs.

2017 ICC Champions Trophy: England won the 10th match of the tournament by 40 runs by the D/L method by making 240 runs in 40.2 overs at the loss of 4 wickets.

2017-2018 Trans Tasman Tri-Series: England dominated the series by 2-1.

Key performers of the series were Glenn Maxwell, Josh Butler, Kane Richardson, Chris Jordan, and Dawid Malan.

2019 ICC World Cup: The encounter between the Australia and England team took place at Lord’s, London on 25th June 2019. Australia set the target of 285 runs in 50 overs by batting first. The Aussie bowling line-up bowled out the English team at the score of 221 runs and won the game for their team.

2019 ICC World Cup(2nd Semi final): The 2nd semi final of the 2019 World Cup was played in Edgbaston, Birmingham on 11th July 2019. After winning the toss, Australia elected to bat first, putting up a total of 223 runs in 49 overs. English batters gave an apt reply for the target; knocks from Jason Roy(85 runs), Joe Root(49 runs*), and Eoin Morgan(45 runs*) help England to win this game.

2021 ICC T20 World Cup: On October 30, 2021, Dubai International Cricket Stadium hosted the tournament’s 26th match. England won the match by 8 wickets with 50 balls remaining. Key performers for England were Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes, Tymal Mills, and Jos Buttler.

2023 The Ashes(5th test): The most recent test match between Australia and England took place at London’s Kennington Oval on July 27, 2023. England scored 283 runs in the first innings and 395 runs in the second innings. Australia scored 295 runs in the first innings and 334 runs in the second innings.

2024 England vs Australia: The most recent face-off between both teams in T20 format was on 13th September 2024 at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. England won the toss and elected to field first. With the loss of six wickets, Australia set the target of 193 runs for England. Thanks to the efforts of Phil Salt (39), Liam Livingstone (87), and Jacob Bethell (44), England chased the given target.

2024-2025 ICC Champions Trophy: The latest encounter between the Australian team and the England Team was on 22nd February 2025 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Batting first, England set up a total of 351 runs with major contributions from Ben Duckett(165) and Joe Root(68). However, Josh Inglis’s brilliant knock of 120 runs led Australia to victory.