Victory in Australia

The definitive story of England's greatest cricket team and their historic Ashes triumph.

Winning the Ashes in England is one thing. Winning them in Australia, quite another. Since the Second World War, England have only won five Ashes series in Australia, making their 1954–55 triumph a stand-out performance. And on the pitch was one of England’s greatest teams – perhaps the greatest. The names among Len Hutton’s 18 players – to include Denis Compton, Brian Statham and Frank Tyson – still resonate today.

The overwhelming weight of history was against them: only once had England won an away Ashes series after losing the first Test. But they delivered, winning the series 3-1, a monumental team effort spearheaded by the explosivity of fast-bowler Tyson ‘Typhoon’. However, the skill was on both sides of the pitch as the players, both talented cricketers and fascinating men, brought to sport an entirely different perspective to our modern-day uber-professionals.

With contemporary sources and players’ memories from both sides, read the story of a historic and stirring victory, and of the personalities behind the action on the field. Discover how cricket has changed, how tours have evolved and how the relationship between England and Australia has undergone a revolution.