The stunning numbers behind a heralded men’s Ashes series
An Ashes series that promised so much delivered in spades even as England and Australia finished deadlocked 2-2 at The Oval.
The drawn series means Australia retain the Ashes, having held the urn since their 2017/2018 home win. The side have kept the urn having drawn the the 2019 series in the UK, and winning the 2021/2022 series 4-0 before this year’s Ashes retainment. In terms of overall series wins, Australia remain ahead 34-32, with this series the seventh drawn.
It’s just the second time that two successive men’s Ashes series in England have ended in a draw, the other occasion being back in 1968 (1-1) and 1972 (2-2).
With the attention-grabbing series wrapped up, a look at some of the statistical curiosities across the series.
World reacts to thrilling drawn Ashes series
Difficult to win beyond 2001
While retaining the urn, Australia has not won an away series in England in 22 years, having last claimed a victory back in 2001 with a 4-1 margin.
The hosts kept their record in tack this century after claiming a 49-run win, dismissing Australia for 334 in pursuit of 384.
The victory meant England have now won each of their last four men’s Test matches at The Oval in London when batting first, the equal-longest run of such games at the venue.
Stokes, Cummins reflect after compelling Ashes series comes to thrilling climax
Prolific Khawaja lays down a legacy-defining mark as Crawley shows class
Usman Khawaja’s tally of 496 runs at an average of 49.60 led the two teams across the series, with the left-hander also passing 5,000 Test runs, scored at an average of 47.20.
The 36-year-old’s figure was also the most prolific series total by an Australian opener in an away Ashes series in the 21st century, bettering Chris Rogers’ 480 in 2015. When including home series since in the same period, only David Warner’s 523 in 2013/2014 betters Khawaja’s efforts.
Video World Test Championship 05 Jun 23 04:30 Usman Khawaja finally feels like he belongs in Australia team | WTC23 Final Usman Khawaja reveals the difficulties he faced trying to fit in within the Australian setup in the early stages of his career and just how comfortable he feels now ahead of the ICC World Test Championship Final
Khawaja’s 206 runs at Edgbaston was also the first instance of a century/half-century performance by an Australian in an England Ashes since Mark Taylor’s 136 and 60 at Headingley in 1989.
Steve Smith’s 373 runs at 37.3 was down on his prolific 2019 series, though his 54 in the final innings of the series put him to 25 scores of 50+ in Ashes Tests, overtaking Steve Waugh’s 24.
Video World Test Championship 08 Jun 23 00:27 Century! Another milestone for Steve Smith | WTC23 Final Steve Smith notches up his 31st Test century early on Day 2 against India in the ICC World Test Championship Final 2023.
Don Bradman (31) and Allan Border (29) are the only players above the 34-year-old.
For England, it was a prolific series for opener Zak Crawley, whose average of 53.33 (480 runs) bettered everyone across the two teams. Of those to make 100 runs or more in the series, Crawley also topped the strike rate column (88.72).
His tally is the highest Ashes total by an England opener since Alastair Cook in the 2010/2011 series.
Most Runs – Ashes 2023
|
Player |
Innings |
Runs |
HS |
Average |
Strike Rate |
100s |
50s |
4s |
6s |
|
Usman Khawaja (AUS) |
10 | 496 | 141 | 49.6 | 39.27 | 1 | 3 | 57 | 3 |
|
Zak Crawley (ENG) |
9 | 480 | 189 | 53.33 | 88.72 | 1 | 2 | 53 | 3 |
|
Joe Root (ENG) |
9 | 412 | 118* | 51.5 | 74.77 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 7 |
|
Ben Stokes (ENG) |
9 | 405 | 155 | 45 | 64.69 | 1 | 2 | 31 | 15 |
|
Steve Smith (AUS) |
10 | 373 | 110 | 37.29 | 56.09 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 2 |
|
Harry Brook (ENG) |
9 | 363 | 85 | 40.33 | 78.74 | 0 | 4 | 39 | 3 |
|
Travis Head (AUS) |
10 | 362 | 77 | 36.2 | 71.11 | 0 | 3 | 52 | 4 |
|
Marnus Labuschagne (AUS) |
10 | 328 | 111 | 32.79 | 46.99 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 2 |
|
Jonny Bairstow (ENG) |
9 | 322 | 99* | 40.25 | 77.03 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 4 |
|
Ben Duckett (ENG) |
9 | 321 | 98 | 35.66 | 75.88 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 0 |
Broad joins elite company, Woakes wickets dictate and Starc’s swing sings
Only the late Shane Warne (195) and Glenn McGrath (157) have celebrated more than Stuart Broad in Ashes Test matches, with the fast bowler bowing out of the game with 153 wickets at an average of just 28.96.
The quick finishes with 604 Test wickets at 27.68, the fifth-leading wicket taker in the format and the second-most prolific Englishman after James Anderson (690). Broad finished with 106 wickets against Australia at home, the most by a bowler against a single opponent in home Tests, surpassing Anderson’s 106 against India. By the end of the Test, England’s line-up boasted a combined 2009 Test wickets between them, the most in a Test playing XI.
Fairytale ending for Broad as England level the Ashes
The quick also finished with 45 wickets in men’s Tests at The Oval, tied for the third-highest by a bowler at the venue. Broad also taken 45 or more wickets at six different venues in men’s Tests, the outright most by any bowler. Broad also became only player to both hit a six off the final ball faced as a Test batter, and claim a wicket with his last ball in Test cricket.
Joining Broad in the final stages of the series was Chris Woakes, whose 19 wickets at 18.1 puts him as the only bowler with 15+ wickets at average under 20 in an Ashes series since Richard Ellison back in 1985.
The only player to take more wickets than Broad in the series was Australian left-armer Mitchell Starc, who claimed 23 wickets at 27.08.
Video ICC Review 02 Aug 23 01:40 Ricky Ponting’s take on the slow over-rate fines
Bowlers bludgeoned by sixes, not helped with run outs
The 74 sixes hit across the five Test matches is a series record, bettering the 65 back in the 2013/2014 series.
Ben Stokes’ 15 of his own is also a record, passing Kevin Pietersen’s 14 in 2005.
Curiously no batter was run out in the 2023 series, just the second time (1998/1999) an Ashes of five or more matches was played out without the dismissal.
Most Wickets – Ashes 2023
|
Player |
Matches |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wickets |
BBI |
Average |
Economy |
|
Mitchell Starc (AUS) |
4 | 128.1 | 8 | 623 | 23 | 5/78 | 27.08 | 4.86 |
|
Stuart Broad (ENG) |
5 | 184.2 | 33 | 625 | 22 | 4/65 | 28.4 | 3.39 |
|
Chris Woakes (ENG) |
3 | 113.2 | 22 | 345 | 19 | 5/62 | 18.14 | 3.04 |
|
Pat Cummins (AUS) |
5 | 158.4 | 8 | 679 | 18 | 6/91 | 37.72 | 4.27 |
|
Josh Hazlewood (AUS) |
4 | 111 | 5 | 507 | 16 | 5/126 | 31.68 | 4.56 |
|
Mark Wood (ENG) |
3 | 87.4 | 15 | 283 | 14 | 5/34 | 20.21 | 3.22 |
|
Ollie Robinson (ENG) |
3 | 102.4 | 28 | 284 | 10 | 3/55 | 28.4 | 2.76 |
|
Nathan Lyon (AUS) |
2 | 66 | 4 | 264 | 9 | 4/80 | 29.33 | 4 |
|
Moeen Ali (ENG) |
4 | 126 | 15 | 463 | 9 | 3/76 | 51.44 | 3.67 |
|
Todd Murphy (AUS) |
2 | 38.2 | 0 | 181 | 7 | 4/110 | 25.85 | 4.72 |
