When will the 2025 Ashes start?
The first ball will be bowled in Perth on Friday at 10:20am local time, or 1.20pm AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne. In Brisbane, tune in just after midday.
What is the rest of the Ashes schedule?
The Test schedule has shifted slightly this year. Adelaide no longer has a day-night Test, and instead the pink ball will be deployed at the Gabba in the second Test. A week between the first three Tests will help the bowlers recover.
Perth, starting 21 November
Brisbane (day nighter), 4 December
Adelaide, 17 December
Melbourne, 26 December
Sydney, 4 January
What happens if the series is drawn?
Although the 2023 series in England ended in a 2-2 draw, Australia retained the urn having won easily in Australia four years ago.
That means that if this series finishes even, the home side will keep the urn. If that happens, Australia will have held it for five series.
Will England be competitive?
The past three Ashes series in Australia have been one-sided, and England haven’t won a Test here since 2011.
But given the ageing Australian side faces uncertainty in its batting lineup and injuries to key bowlers, England have a chance. The Guardian’s writers are split on who will win the series, but most agree it will be the most competitive since 2010-11, when England last won in Australia. Then again, it depends on who you read.
Will it rain in Sydney?
Let’s just say it’s likely.
How can I follow the series?
The Guardian will be live blogging every ball of the series with an expert team of writers split between Australia and the UK.
The Guardian’s Australian cricket writer Geoff Lemon will be on the ground at each Test to provide his thoughts on each day’s cricket, while English writers Ali Martin and Simon Burnton have made the trip out to provide the tourists’ perspective.
Lemon will join Football Weekly host Max Rushden – who is English but lives in Melbourne – on the Guardian’s special Ashes Weekly podcast.
Who are the new faces for Australia?
Injuries to bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, and uncertainty around the batting lineup, means Australia’s XI might look a bit different to what fans are used to.
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Brendan Doggett, who will become Australia’s third known Indigenous player if he debuts, is a fast bowler from South Australia. He was originally in the Australian squad in 2018, but injuries slowed his progress. The 31-year-old averages 26.46 in first class cricket, and has taken 13 wickets in his past two Sheffield Shield matches.
Jake Weatherald, an opener who looks to score quickly, has also been selected for the squad. Another 31-year-old, he has worked his way into contention after moving from South Australia to Tasmania and taking two mental health breaks. He has scored 1,391 runs at an average of 53.5 since the start of last summer, including 183 for Australia A against Sri Lanka A in July.
What happened to Sam Konstas?
The young opener who wowed a full MCG on Boxing Day has been struggling for runs, and was overlooked for the side. From his five Tests, he averaged just 16.3.
But Konstas only turned 20 last month, and Cricket Australia remains committed to his development. He has been selected for the Prime Minister’s XI to play against England later this month.
Where can I watch the Ashes in Australia?
Channel Seven and Foxtel share the TV broadcast rights, and both will show every ball.
Seven’s coverage, also available to stream through 7plus, will be headlined by James Brayshaw, Mel McLaughlin and Emma Freedman, alongside callers Alister Nicholson, Tim Lane, Alison Mitchell, Andy Maher and Jason Richardson. Others to be involved are Ricky Ponting, Aaron Finch, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Greg Blewett, Lisa Sthalekar, Trent Copeland, Callum Ferguson, Holly Ferling, Damien Fleming, Brad Hodge, Simon Katich, Jason Behrendorff, Katey Martin, Kirby Short, Theo Doropoulos, Elyse Villani and Englishmen David “Bumble” Lloyd and Stuart Broad.
The coverage on Foxtel, also available through Kayo, features Adam Gilchrist, David Warner, Ravi Shastri, Brett Lee, Mark Waugh, Kerry O’Keeffe, Brendon Julian, Rachael Haynes, Isa Guha, Michael Vaughan, Allan Border, Alyssa Healy, Brad Haddin, Michael Hussey, Sarah Jones, Katherine Loughnan, Mel Jones and hosts Mark Howard and Megan Barnard.
ABC’s radio coverage is led by Jim Maxwell and Corbin Middlemas, and includes Darren Lehmann, Stuart Clark and Jason Gillespie as well as English voices Jonathan Agnew, Alison Mitchell and Phil Tufnell. Glenn McGrath was initially due to appear but pulled out due to his commercial agreement with a gambling company. Radio coverage is also provided on SEN, hosted by Gerard Whateley, and Triple M.
