Few competitions in Australian sporting history conjure up as much furore and heated contention as the Ashes. The (on average) biennial competition sees the Australians and English Test cricket teams face each other over the course of a five game series. Held in turn between Australia and England, to date there have been 72 Ashes series, and countless memorable moments since that first tour back in 1882.

The competition between the two nations has always been fierce. And while since 1882, the rivalry has spread to other sports like rugby league and union, it seems cricket is where the match-up produces its most heated, controversial, and memorable moments between the world's best cricketers. And we’re all the better for the rivalry with our friends over in the UK.

With cricket being the uniquely devised sport that it is, there really aren’t many other places where such heroics would be readily recognised. From hat tricks to centuries, there are countless terms in the cricket vocabulary that are absolute nonsense to any other sport. But those idiosyncrasies, whether in the rules or the spirit of play, are what makes cricket so good. Nothing galvanises sporting media like the cricket, and no cricket is better than the Ashes.

Scroll on for the most heroic moments in Ashes history.

Steve Waugh’s century at the SCG (2003)

Waugh’s position in the team was on the chopping block for the 2002/03 series. In a career rough patch, Waugh found himself on the second last day before stumps on 98 runs. Given the strike by Gilchrist, Waugh played the perfect drive against British spinner Richard Dawson to bring up his 29th Century, taking him above 10,000 Test runs. A deserved celebration.

The Ball of the Century (1993)

One of the most watched and remembered deliveries in Ashes history. Shane Warne—the then unknown spinner from Down Under—was brought into the attack in his first ever appearance on English soil. A slow trot towards batter Mike Gatting, known for his ability to handle spin, saw Warne’s first ever ball come from over the wicket. It pitched wide, way outside leg stump and careened back across Gatting’s pad and bat and nicked off-stump. A legend was born.

Botham’s heroics at Headingley (1981)

The first miracle that would happen at Headingley came from Ian Botham. Botham had made himself the pariah of the English team with a series of inconsistent performances as Captain. After losing captaincy, but not his role, Botham was galvanised in the third Test. After England found themselves the victims of the follow-on, a position few teams had ever come back from, Botham delivered an inspired 149 not out, to send Australia out for the second innings, in which they collapsed for 111, handing the victory to England, who went on to win the series.

Bradman decimates England at Headingley (1930)

Sir Donald Bradman cemented himself as one of cricket’s most ferocious batsmen with his monumental score at Headingley in 1930. Then just 21-years old, Bradman walloped the English attack for an insatiable 334—the first triple-century in Test cricket. Bradman was to be one of the greats, this score only confirmed it.

Warnie takes 700 (2006)

Coming only 13 years after Shane Warne delivered the ‘Ball of the Century’, it was Warne again who brought up another milestone in the Ashes. When Warne delivered one of his trademark balls to dispatch Andrew Strauss, he became the first player to ever take 700 Test wickets. At his home ground of the MCG. After announcing his retirement. In front of a crowd of around 90,000. Magical.

Steve Smith cements his love for Lords (2015)

Steve Smith is Class with a capital ‘C’. He has faced all manner of boos, bans, and bouncers over his career from the English fans, but still, Smith calls Lord’s his second home. Since that maiden Test century two years previous, he’d added another 10 centuries in 35 innings by the time of the second Test in Lord’s. His 215 in the first innings set the tone for not just a convincing Ashes victory, but the beginning of a long love affair for high scores at Lord’s.

Stokes pulls off the Miracle at Headingley (2019)

Ben Stokes threw his own name into the fire of Ashes memory with his incredible knock against Australia in 2019. Coming out when the home side were 3-41, Stokes stood strong as partners fell around him, the England side needing a massive 359 to win. Stokes’ 135 not out cemented one of the most memorable comebacks in recent memory and confirmed Stokes as the threat to the Australian side he remains today.

Nathan Lyon bats through injury (2023)

Facing a torn calf, Nathon Lyon still padded up to bat in Australia’s second innings at Lord’s. Lyon hobbled out to a standing ovation from the crowd, and faced ball after ball with courage on his decimated leg. Lyon going out to bat despite his incapacity summates Australia’s aggressive playing style in the face of ‘Bazball’. Less memorable in terms of statistics, it provided a moral statement to the Australian approach to the game. Likely Lyon’s last game in the series, the heroics set the tone for a memorable series.

Scott Boland wreaks havoc (2021)

Brought in as the specialist of the MCG, the unassuming Scott Boland had one of the most triumphant debuts in recent Test cricket memory. Just the second Indigenous Australian to play men’s Test cricket after Jason Gillespie, it had all the hallmarks of a memorable moment. And boy did it deliver. Taking just one wicket in the first innings, during the second innings, Boland took an astonishing 6/7 from just four over, the fifth best debut in Ashes history, and the best since 1982.

Adam Gilchrist hits the fastest ever Ashes Century (2006)

The 2006/07 Ashes series is full of shining moments, but Gilchrist’s century off just 57 balls stands above the rest. At the time it was the second-fastest Test century, and today is the fourth fastest—but it set a new standard for wicketkeepers with the bat, and was a glittering moment in Gilly’s illustrious career.

Stuart Broad tears Australia apart (2015)

The bowler who willingly admitted his admiration for Shane Warne to British GQ, stopped short of his mercy for the Australian team in 2015. In the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, Australia's batters succumbed in a fashion rarely seen; bowled out for 60 in the first innings. Helped in no short part by Broad, who took 8-15 off just 9.3 overs. Following his refusal to walk two years before, this cemented Broad as the ultimate Ashes villain. 

 Flintoff consoles Brett Lee (2005)

One of the tightest Test matches in Ashes history, Australia were agonisingly close to a victory at Edgbaston before falling short by just two runs. But as the last wicket fell, the individual heroics fell to Andrew Flintoff who walked over to console the last batter Brett Lee. No one really knows exactly what he said—Flintoff himself loves to change the story—but it shows just how the rivalry the two nations share is still built on sportsmanship.

Peter Siddle’s birthday hat trick (2010)

A video that lives rent-free in the head of all Australians, few will forget Peter Siddle’s 26th Birthday hat trick. Mark Taylor’s voice soundtracked one of the most memorable three-wicket hauls in Ashes history. Against a dominant English side, Siddle got Paul Collingwood and then Alastair Cook both caught to slip in consecutive balls. Then, a nervy Stuart Broad stepped up to the crease, with Siddle then placing the perfect in-swinger that struck Broad on the foot and was given out lbw.

James Anderson and Monty Panesar hold on (2009)

Late in the game, Australia looked almost guaranteed a victory in Cardiff, needing to take care of two of England’s bowlers to achieve it. However, James Anderson and Monty Panesar had other ideas. Holding out for a nail biting 69 balls and salvaging a draw, keeping England’s series alive and helping them regain the ashes after being decimated in the series before.

Jim Laker takes 19 wickets (1956)

In 1956, Laker took nineteen of a possible twenty wickets in a Test match during the match at Old Trafford, a feat yet to be equalled by any bowler since. Laker today is remembered as one of the best spin bowlers in history, helped in no short part by this monumental effort.

Root announces himself (2013)

Joe Root has made tormenting the Australian cricket team something of a hobby over the past decade. It all began at Lord’s in 2013, when Root smashed an impressive 180 off 338 deliveries to win the game for England.

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