When was the last time an Ashes test ended inside two days?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "When was the last time an Ashes test ended inside two days?")
When was the last time an Ashes test ended inside two days? Photograph: (AFP)
The match progressed at a remarkable pace, with the fast bowlers controlling almost every session, and by the second afternoon, the result was evident. Ashes Tests rarely finish this quickly anymore, which is why this one will be remembered for a long time.
Australia crushed England inside two days in Perth, sealing an eight-wicket win on Saturday (Nov 22) that felt sharp and decisive. The match progressed at a remarkable pace, with the fast bowlers controlling almost every session, and by the second afternoon, the result was evident. Ashes Tests rarely finish this quickly anymore, which is why this one will be remembered for a long time.
When was the last time an Ashes Test finished inside two days?
The answer goes back more than a century. The previous two-day Ashes Test was in 1921 at Trent Bridge, where Australia beat England by 10 wickets. Batting first, England were dismissed for 112. Australia replied with 232, and after England fell again for 147, the target was just 30. Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald were the stars of that match, taking eight wickets each. It took 104 years for another Ashes Test to wrap up this fast.
Coming back to Perth, the scenes carried the same intensity. Across just three innings and five sessions, 30 wickets fell for 468 runs in 113 overs. Nineteen of them came on a dramatic opening day where the ball kept moving and neither batting lineup found any stability. England couldn’t build pressure, Australia kept hitting the right areas, and every small partnership felt temporary.
Mitchell Starc delivered one of his best Ashes performances with a ten-wicket haul that stopped England from settling at any stage. When Australia needed calm in the chase, Travis Head stepped in with a controlled and confident century in the fourth innings. He removed any tension from the finish and made sure the match didn’t drag into a third day. There was also a lighter moment involving Australia’s choice of opener.
Trending Stories
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Smith’s decision to open with Travis Head
After the win, captain Steve Smith was asked why Head walked out first in the second innings. Smith joked that they even thought about sending Nathan Lyon to open before finally choosing Head. The move worked smoothly, and Head’s innings justified the call with ease.
