The Ashes 2023: How to watch in Australia

The Aussies are about to embark on a mission for a historic away Ashes win, and it shapes as one of the most intriguing and close contests in a generation.

Staff writers

4 min read

June 16, 2023 - 6:52PM

The Ashes captivates the nation like no other sporting contest, and dates back longer than just about any other.

The battle for the urn is where legends are made, where heroes are born and where memories are seared into our consciousness for life.

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Laker taking 19 at Old Trafford in 1956. Botham’s Leeds comeback in 1981. Warne’s Ball of the Century. Flintoff’s 2005 brilliance. Johnson’s 2013/14 destruction. Stokes’ Headingley heroics in 2019.

The tales of Ashes brilliance on the biggest stage live on forever in the hearts and minds of cricket fans, and we will see another iteration of that this winter.

Very little else matters to an Australian cricketer without the Ashes, and very little matters to the Australian public if we lose them.

Steve Smith will look to replicate his heroics from the 2019 series. (Photo by Ryan Pierse – ECB/ECB via Getty Images)

Ben Stokes broke Australian hearts with one of the greatest innings of all time at Headingley in 2019. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

2023 will see Australia return to the motherland, hoping to maintain an eight-year-long grasp on the urn.

In their way stand a rejuvenated and innovative England side that have taken all before them with their swashbuckling approach to the game, dubbed “BazBall”.

The last time Australia toured England, a side led by Tim Paine and Justin Langer fell heartbreakingly short of winning the Ashes on foreign soil for the first time since 2001, with Steve Smith’s masterful 774 runs at 110 only bettered by a day and a half of sheer will by Ben Stokes at Headingley.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s blockbuster Ashes, which coincides with a concurrent women’s Ashes series as well.

How to watch The Ashes

Both the men’s and women’s Ashes will be shown live on Nine, as well on its streaming service 9Now.

Each day’s play will be available to re-watch on 9Now, with mini highlights packages produced for each day and each Test.

Who’s commentating?

During play, Nine will take the world feed, produced by Sky Sports UK, headlined by former Australian cricketer Mel Jones, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, and India’s Dinesh Karthik, alongside Ian Ward, Mike Atherton, Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain on analysis.

The coverage will also include Australian Test great Ricky Ponting, as well as former English captains Andrew Strauss (Lord’s Test only) and Eoin Morgan, as well as Kevin Pietersen.

Nine will provide their own coverage and commentary during session breaks, as well as before and after play.

Former Australian cricketer Mark Taylor (centre) will headline Nine’s coverage of the Ashes. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Nine’s commentary team for the Men’s Ashes will be hosted by Roz Kelly, and includes former Australian captain Mark Taylor, Ashes winner Ian Healy, World-Cup winning captain Aaron Finch and former Australian internationals Callum Ferguson and Stephen O’Keefe.

Mark Taylor will be at each Test on the ground, and joined by broadcaster Louise Ransome, while former Australian women’s internationals Rachael Haynes, Elyse Villani and journalist Emma Lawrence will join Nine’s coverage for the Women’s Ashes.

Sky’s in-play commentary team for the Women’s Ashes will feature: Nick Knight, Isa Guha, Mel Jones, Simon Doull, Mark Butcher, Charlotte Edwards, Lydia Greenway, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Charles Dagnall.

Where are the matches?

First Test — Edgbaston, Birmingham

Friday, June 16 – Tuesday, June 20 (7.30pm AEST)

Second Test — Lord’s, London

Wednesday, June 28 – Sunday, July 2 (7.30pm AEST)

Third Test — Headingley, Leeds

Thursday, July 6 – Monday, July 10 (7.30pm AEST)

Fourth Test — Old Trafford, Manchester

Wednesday, July 19 – Sunday, July 23 (7.30pm AEST)

Fifth Test — The Oval, London

Thursday, July 27 – Monday, July 31 (7.30pm AEST)

Australian cricketer Alyssa Healy is gearing up for a huge series. Picture: Supplied

Women’s Ashes

Test match – Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Thursday, June 22 – Monday, June 26 (7.55pm AEST)

First T20 International – Edgbaston, Birmingham

Saturday, July 1 (3.30am AEST)

Second T20 International – The Oval, London

Wednesday, July 5 (3am AEST)

Third T20 International – Lord‘s, London

Saturday, July 8 (3.30am AEST)

First One-Day International – Bristol County Ground, Bristol

Wednesday, July 12 (10pm AEST)

Second One-Day International – The Rose Bowl, Southampton

Sunday, July 16 (8pm AEST)

Third One-Day International – The County Ground, Taunton

Tuesday, July 18 (10pm AEST)

What are the teams?

Australia Men (first two Tests)

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

Australia Women

Meg Lanning (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England Men (First Test)

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

Reserves: Josh Tongue, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, Matthew Potts, Dan Lawrence

England Women (Only Test)

Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt (vc), Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt

What are the odds? (via Betr, 15 June 2023)

Men’s series odds

England – $2.40

Australia – $1.90

Draw – $7.00

Men’s series top wicket taker

Pat Cummins (Aus) – $5.00

Ollie Robinson (Eng) – $6.00

Mitchell Starc (Aus) – $7.00

Mark Wood (Eng) – $7.50

Men’s series top run scorer

Steve Smith (Aus) – $4.00