40+ years: Will this summer finally produce a close home Ashes series?

Could this summer see the first close Ashes series down under in more than 40 years?

Veteran cricket journalist Robert Craddock certainly hopes so having covered the sport for four decades in Australia without seeing a tight series on home soil.

England have only won two series in Australia since 1980, and on both of those occasions in 1986/87 and 2010/11 they were the far superior team with the series wrapped up early and the home side only winning one Test.

In fact, apart from those two series, which England won 2-1 and 3-1 respectively, the Aussies hold a 33-4 record in Tests against England since the turn of the 80s.

But with England heading down under this time under the leadership of coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, could this be the series where we see a close battle, much as we have been witness of when the Aussies tour England?

Craddock discussed the prospect of the upcoming 2025/26 series with Gerard Whateley on SEN Mornings.

Whateley: “This could be it, there hasn't been a great Ashes series on these shores for so long.

“When England have won in Australia, they've won in a lopsided series. All the good ones have happened in England. 

“Could this be the summer that breaks the mould?”

Craddock: “It’s such a good point. I started covering cricket in 1986, and in that 40-year timespan, I’ve been hoping to cover a thrilling series in Australia and it has not happened.

“The two England won, they won easily, they were far better than Australia, and Australia's galloped home in the others. 

“Isn’t it weird? 40 years, there hasn’t been a great Ashes series in Australia since that time.

“This could be it. It has that feeling of it I think.”

Ashes series results in Australia since 1980

1982/83 - Australia 2 def England 1
1986/87 - Australia 1 - def by England 2
1990/91 - Australia 3 def England 0
1994/95 - Australia 3 def England 1
1998/99 - Australia 3 def England 1
2002/03 - Australia 4 def England 1
2006/07 - Australia 5 def England 0
2010/11 - Australia 1 def by England 3
2013/14 - Australia 5 def England 0
2017/18 - Australia 4 def England 0
2021/22 - Australia 4 def England 0

Overall: Australia 35 v England 9