The Ashes 2010–11

Tournament Overview

Series Overview

England's 2010-11 Ashes victory in Australia was a landmark achievement — the country's first series win on Australian soil since 1986-87. Under Andrew Strauss' captaincy, England produced one of the most ruthless Ashes performances in history. Alastair Cook was the batting foundation, scoring 766 runs in the series at an average of 127.67 — a tally that placed him among the all-time Ashes batting greats. His method was remorseless: patient, accumulative, and utterly demoralising for the Australian bowlers. England won three Tests by an innings — the first touring team ever to do so in a single Ashes series. The first Test at Brisbane was a draw in which England's batting showed their quality, before a dominant Adelaide win courtesy of Cook's century and Kevin Pietersen's 227 — his career-best — which set the tone for the series. England won in Perth too (Australia's lone victory), before clinching the Ashes at the MCG with an innings win — their third such result of the series. The final Test in Sydney was won by an innings and 83 runs to complete the 3-1 scoreline. Paul Collingwood, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, and Steven Finn all contributed to an England bowling attack that took wickets consistently and denied Australia their usual home advantage. Andrew Strauss collected a series win in Australia that put him among England's all-time great Ashes captains.

Key Highlights

• 1Alastair Cook scored 766 runs at an average of 127.67 — the finest Ashes batting series of the modern era
• 2England won three Tests by an innings — the first touring side to achieve that feat in a single Ashes series
• 3Kevin Pietersen scored 227 in Adelaide — the highest score by an England batsman in Australia since 1965
• 4England retained the Ashes at the MCG by the fourth Test, winning with a match to spare
• 5Australia's batting collapsed repeatedly as England's disciplined bowling attack dismantled the home side

Teams

Explore

Series Archive