Seven moments that defined the 2023 men's Ashes

The first ball

England had promised to be aggressive and to take the game to Australia under their highly successful 'Bazball' credo. And the first ball of the series was the new regime's mission statement in a nutshell. 

At 11am in Birmingham on the opening morning of the Test match, Australia captain Pat Cummins began the contest by offering a full ball outside off to England's Zak Crawley. 

The tall right-hander responded by crashing it through the empty covers, sending the Edgbaston crowd into raptures and Australia's fielders to the ropes, and providing a glimpse into the English mentality for the next five matches.  

The declaration

England's run rate rattled along at five an over on the opening day of the series and despite Australia's lackadaisical over rate, the hosts were on track for 400 before stumps. 

With the hosts' hyper-attacking approach appearing questionable at 5-176, Joe Root (118no) and Jonny Bairstow (78) combined to completely change the complexion of the innings. 

As wickets continued to fall around him, Root was in a league of his own, employing his now-famous reverse scoop shots off the quick bowlers while still managing to have success against the spin of Nathan Lyon. 

The former England captain reached his first Ashes hundred since 2015 and with No.10 Ollie Robinson as company, decided to take things up a gear with two imperious sixes off the veteran Lyon.

Root, in top form, had not offered a chance to the visitors, and together with Robinson (who had lasted 31 balls for 17) had the ability to take England far beyond their 8-393.

However, with half an hour left in the day, Ben Stokes declared, ending England's innings after 78 overs and making Australia bat for four overs before stumps. 

Root's brilliant innings ended on 118 not out off 152 balls, with seven fours and four sixes. 

Australia's openers got to the close unscathed as England set the tone for their approach but denied themselves an opportunity to take a large early advantage – a decision that would cost them in a match that was ultimately decided by just two wickets. 

The injury

Nathan Lyon knew his Ashes series was over the moment it happened. 

Racing in from the boundary in an attempt to catch a skied Ben Duckett pull shot, Lyon felt a sharp pain that caused the veteran spinner to tell Usman Khawaja: "I've just blown my calf to bits."

The impact it had on the series is evident in the fact that Australia were unable to win any of the final three Tests without their 100-match man, who gamely came out to bat and added 15 with Mitchell Starc for the final wicket – runs that loomed as crucial as England ultimately fell short in their thrilling run chase. 

The stumping 

It was the moment that brought out the worst in the traditionally genteel patrons of the Lord's Long Room, and bitterly divided two countries, with even the respective Prime Ministers having something to say. With England tasked with a monster chase of 371 on the final day of the second Test, Jonny Bairstow was caught out of his ground by a quick-thinking Alex Carey, who executed a stumping from distance off paceman Cameron Green.

That's the short version.

The hosts felt aggrieved. Non-striker Stokes wondered if the umpires had called over (they hadn't – Carey had the ball in his gloves for less than a second) while Bairstow evidently felt entitled to wander down the pitch after quickly tapping his bat inside his crease – a habit the Australians later revealed they had picked up on. Cue arguments about the Spirit of Cricket, and a predictable series of hot takes from either hemisphere.

Perhaps the most telling impact the moment had was to ignite a fire in Stokes, who then set about recreating his Headingley 2019 masterpiece in a flurry of fours and sixes. The ending was different though – his wonderful 155 wasn't quite enough and Australia took a 2-0 lead to Leeds, where Carey was public enemy number one.

The cavalry

After missing selection in the first two Tests – both Australia victories – England brought in Chris Woakes and Mark Wood for the third Test at Headingley. 

Their impact was immediate: Wood unleashed his fearsome pace – regularly hitting speeds in the mid-150kph range – to take 5-34 in the first innings while Woakes took three wickets in each innings with his unerring accuracy.

But while they were both exceptional with the ball, arguably their most important contribution came with the bat. 

Needing 251 to win, Woakes came to the crease after England had slumped to 6-171. A 59-run partnership with Harry Brook (75) got the hosts to within sight of victory, but it required Wood (16no) to join forces with Woakes (32no) to see them home in a typically nervy finish. 

Wood heaved Pat Cummins for six into the Football Stand before Woakes sliced Mitchell Starc through the ring field on the offside in the following over to seal a famous victory.

Wood finished with 14 wickets at an average of 20.21 while Woakes claimed 19 wickets at 18.14 and was also named Player of the Series. 

The rain

After winning the third Test at Headingley by a narrow three wickets, England bossed the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

After Australia were bowled out for 317 in the first innings, England hammered their opponents to all parts of the Manchester venue, led by Crawley's 189 off 182 balls. 

The hosts' run rate was 5.49 for their entire 107.4 overs, with 58 fours and eight sixes, while allowing the Australian bowlers to deliver only three maidens. 

Such was the pace at which they scored, Australia were already four wickets down in their second innings when stumps were called on the third evening. 

From there on though, it was the Manchester weather that asserted its dominance on the contest.

Only the middle session was possible on day four (30 overs), during which Marnus Labuschagne registered what proved to be a crucial hundred in the context of the series, while no play was possible on the fifth day. 

England were denied a chance at securing the five wickets they needed for a series-levelling victory in Manchester and Australia's retention of the Ashes urn was confirmed, albeit in rather anti-climactic fashion. 

The replacement ball

Just a couple of overs before the rain hit midway through day four of the final Test, England had one of their many requests for a replacement ball upheld by the umpires. By then, the sight of the hosts' bowlers, and their skipper Stokes, milling around the umpire asking for a change of cherry – and with it, the hope of some swing or seam movement – had become routine. On this occasion though, there was nothing routine about the replacement ball they were given.

"I walked straight up to Kumar (Dharmasena, umpire) and said straightaway, 'That ball looks nothing like the one we were playing with. I can see writing on it'," Khawaja told cricket.com.au.

"It felt harder than any ball I've faced in this Ashes series – and I've opened the batting against the new ball every single time.

"I said, 'I don't know what's going on – you've gone from an old, reverse (swinging) ball to a brand-new ball."

The following morning, as England resumed having only bowled 11 deliveries with their fresh ball, the game changed quickly. After putting on 134 at a decent clip on day four, Khawaja and David Warner were suddenly confronted by an altogether different scenario.

"I asked Joel (Wilson, umpire) again today, 'how are we using this ball right now, it's so new' and he said, 'there was nothing else in the box'," added Khawaja. "Personally I think if there's nothing else in the box that can match the ball you have, you can't really change it."

From England's perspective, the switch did the trick. Australia lost three wickets in a hurry to put a massive dent in their run chase, and the hosts went on to win by 49 runs.

Ricky Ponting labelled it a "huge blunder" and called for an investigation, but the damage was done.

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Australia won by two wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 43 runs

Third Test: England won by three wickets

Fourth Test: Match drawn

Fifth Test: England won by 49 runs

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

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood