The Ashes 2017–18

Tournament Overview

Series Overview

Australia's 2017-18 Ashes victory on home soil was a comprehensive reclaiming of the urn they had surrendered to England at The Oval in 2015. Steve Smith, captaining Australia for the first time in a home Ashes series, led from the front with 687 runs at an average of 137.40 — utterly dominant on tracks that England's bowlers never properly mastered. The first Test at the Gabba, traditionally Australia's fortress, ended in an Australian victory by 10 wickets after England collapsed in their second innings. The pattern was set. Australia won in Adelaide in a memorable day-night Test by 120 runs, then claimed the series with a devastating innings victory at Perth where Nathan Lyon and the pace attack dismantled England in two days. England's resistance never materialised — their batsmen could not handle the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood, who bowled with sustained hostility throughout the series. The fourth Test at Melbourne was a seven-wicket win for Australia before the series wrapped in Sydney. Pat Cummins, in his first full Ashes series after years of injury disruption, took 23 wickets and showed the world the all-round fast-bowling talent that would go on to make him one of the best in the game. England's humbling defeat would eventually lead to significant changes in English cricket.

Key Highlights

• 1Australia won 4-0 to reclaim the Ashes they had lost in England in 2015
• 2Steve Smith scored 687 runs at an average of 137.40 — a dominant batting series
• 3Nathan Lyon took 21 wickets to cement his status as Australia's premier spinner
• 4Pat Cummins announced himself as a world-class Test bowler with 23 wickets
• 5England's batting collapse in the first Test at the Gabba set the tone for the series

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