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The England cricket team represents England and Wales in international setup. The team, which was previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) since 1903 has been overseen by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) from 1997.

England, the birthplace of cricket, is a Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test, ODI and T20I status. Additionally, Scottish and Irish players also represented England until the 1990s, as those countries were not yet ICC members. 

The first-ever Test match was played between England and Australia from March 15-19, 1877. England and Australia along with South Africa, formed the Imperial Cricket Conference (the predecessor of today’s ICC) on June 15, 1909. England and Australia also contested the first ODI on January 5, 1971, and the first T20I occurred on June 13, 2005.

As of September 11, 2024, England have played 1,077 Test matches, winning 397, losing 325, and 355 ended in draws. They have competed in 797 ODIs, winning 400 thus far. They have reached the ICC Cricket World Cup final four times (1975, 1979, 1983, and 2019), winning their maiden title in 2019. They have also emerged as runners-up in two ICC Champions Trophies (2004 and 2013). Meanwhile, in T20Is, they played 194 matches, triumphing 101. They have secured the ICC T20 World Cup title in 2010 and 2022 and finished as runners-up in 2016. Additionally, England have claimed the urn 32 times in the Ashes series against Australia. As of September 2024, England are ranked third in Tests, seventh in ODIs, and fourth in T20Is in the ICC rankings.

The origins of English cricket

The first team represented England on July 9, 1739, when an “All-England” team, comprising 11 players faced Kent’s “Unconquerable County” and lost narrowly. In 1846, William Clarke established the All-England Eleven. This team later competed against the United All-England Eleven in annual matches from 1847 to 1856.  

Early English cricket tours

England cricket national team first overseas tour took place in September 1859, when England visited North America. The team then led by George Parr consisted of six players from the All-England Eleven and six from the United All-England Eleven. In 1861–62, the English team traveled to Australia. This tour was successful, and Parr led a second tour in 1863–64. On September 21, 1876, James Lillywhite led an England team that set sail on the P&O steamship Poonah, and they faced a combined Australian XI with both sides fielding 11 players each.

The match, which started on March 15, 1877, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, is recognized as the first Test match. The England team lost to Australian XI by 45 runs, with Australian batter Charles Bannerman scoring the first Test century. Later, the match was promoted as James Lillywhite’s XI vs. Combined Victoria and New South Wales. In the return match held at the same ground saw Lillywhite-led side winning the game by four wickets. Additionally, the first Test match on English soil occurred in 1880, where England won.

1880s

Following England’s loss in their first home series 1–0 in 1882, The Sporting Times published a satirical obituary for English cricket, coining the term “The Ashes.” In response, England captain Ivo Bligh dubbed the 1882–83 tour “the quest to regain the Ashes.” England, featuring a mix of amateurs and professionals, won the series 2–1. Bligh was awarded an urn containing what was said to be the ashes of a bail, ball, or possibly even a woman’s veil, thus establishing the symbol of The Ashes. A fourth match, which Australia won by four wickets, was not considered part of the Ashes series. Between 1884 and 1898, England won the Ashes series 10 times, dominating the early contests. During this period, England also played their first Test match against South Africa in 1889 in Port Elizabeth.

1890s

In the 1890 Ashes, England won 2–0, with the third match being the first Test ever to be abandoned. In the 1891–92 series, they lost 2–1 but regained the urn the following year and won the 1894–95 series 3–2. The 1899 Ashes series was notable as it marked the first tour where the MCC and counties established a selection committee, which included active players such as W.G. Grace, Lord Hawke, and Herbert Bainbridge, which England lost 1–0.

From 1900s to 1940s

At the start of the 20th century, England experienced mixed results in the Ashes series, losing four of the eight series between 1900 and 1914. In 1912, a unique nine-Test triangular tournament involving England, South Africa, and Australia was marred by poor weather, with the Englishmen winning four of their six matches in the event. England cricket squad’s last tour before the First World War was a 4–0 victory against the Proteas.

Post War, England suffered a 5-0 Ashes defeat to Australia and also lost the 1921 and 1924-25 series. In 1926, England’s fortunes took a turn as they regained the Ashes and continued to be a formidable team in the subsequent period. They went on to defeat Australia 4–1 during the 1928–29 Ashes tour. In 1928, the West Indies made their Test debut in 1928, but England won all three matches. During the 1929-30 season, England sent different teams to New Zealand and the West Indies, winning both tours.

The 1930s saw the dominance of Don Bradman’s Dominance as he scored 974 runs in the Ashes series in 1930, leading Australia to a 3-1 series win. However, in the 1932-33 series, England used Bodyline tactics to counter Bradman and won the series 4-1. Australia then clinched the 1934 Ashes series 2–1 and kept the urn for the following 19 years. 

Test cricket resumed after World War II in 1946, and England secured a victory in their first match back against India. England lost the 1946-47 Ashes 3-0 in Australia under Wally Hammond and were beaten by West Indies 2-0 in the 1947- 48 series.

In 1948, England were defeated by Bradman’s team, which was also his final Ashes. In the 1948-49 South Africa series, England won 2-0 with a record stand of 359 between Hutton and Washbrook. At the end of this decade, England drew the Test series against New Zealand.

1950s-1980s

England won the 1953 Ashes 1-0 and clinched the 1954-55 series against Australia 3-1 with notable performances by Frank Tyson. Meanwhile, in the 1958-59 Ashes, England lost 4-0 despite being highly rated. England shone in the 1959 Series against India, achieving a 5-0 whitewash.

The period of 1968-71 saw England’s unbeaten run, where they won 27 consecutive Tests without defeat (9 wins, 18 draws). This also included regaining the Ashes in 1970–71 under Ray Illingworth’s leadership. Illingworth’s team dominated and went on to win the Ashes in 1971 and retain them in 1972. They also defeated Pakistan in a home series and had strong performances against India. Under Brearley in 1977-80, England beat New Zealand 3-0, Pakistan 2-0, and Australia 5-1.

Unfortunately, after Brearley’s departure in 1980, England’s performance was inconsistent. England, despite poor form, won the 1986–87 Ashes 2–1. They also reached the 1987 World Cup final but lost to fierce rivals Australia. England’s performances in the 1990s were also inconsistent, given that their poor performance was partly due to county commitments and lack of central contracts. By 1999, under captain Nasser Hussain, England, ranked as the lowest-rated Test nation, after a 2–1 loss to New Zealand.

2000s-2010s

In the early 2000s, England experienced a significant period of transition and success. In 2004, England achieved a 3–1 victory against the West Indies and showed improvement in their performance in Asia with series wins against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Nasser Hussain was leading the team but after another Ashes defeat and a World Cup exit, he resigned in 2003, which paved the way for Michael Vaughan.

Under Vaughan, England won five consecutive Test series and regained the Ashes in 2005 after 16 years. The 2009 Ashes saw England regain the Ashes with notable performances from Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, and Jonathan Trott.

In 2010, England won the World Twenty20, first ICC trophy, defeating Australia by seven wickets. In the 2010-11 Ashes, England defeated Australia 3–1 to retain the Ashes. Meanwhile, they had a disappointing campaign in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals. In the same year, they became the top-ranked Test team after whitewashing India 4–0 but lost the top spot after defeats to Pakistan and South Africa.

During 2015–16 Trevor Bayliss became coach, guiding England to improved form in ODIs. In 2019, England won their first ODI World Cup, defeating the Kiwis in a dramatic final decided by boundaries scored.

2020s

In 2020, England Test team won a series 3–1 in South Africa, their first three-Test win there since 1913–14. The English team had a poor 2021–22 Ashes, losing 4–0 and seeing the resignation of coach Chris Silverwood and director of cricket Ashley Giles. Meanwhile, in 2022, veteran all-rounder Ben Stokes was appointed Test captain and Brendon McCullum as coach, and they established the aggressive “Bazball” approach. Under their regime, England won 11 of their first 13 Tests.

Under Jos Buttler’s leadership, England T20 squad found success in the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup and became the first team to hold both the 50-over and 20-over trophies concurrently. In 2023, England drew the Ashes series but had a lackluster campaign in the Cricket World Cup in India as they were knocked out in the group stage.

As of September 2024, England are ranked third in Tests, seventh in ODIs, and fourth in T20Is.

Honours and achievements

ICC Cricket World Cup:

• Champions (1): 2019
• Runners-up (3): 1979, 1987, 1992

ICC T20 World Cup:

• Champions (2): 2010, 2022
• Runners-up (1): 2016

ICC Champions Trophy:

• Runners-up (2): 2004, 2013

England Women’s Cricket Team

The England women’s national cricket team represents England and Wales in international women’s cricket. The team has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) since 1998, following the Women’s Cricket Association. They are a Full Member of the ICC and hold Test, ODI, and T20I status. 

England women cricket team played their first Test match in 1934 against Australia, which they won by nine wickets. Both sides now compete regularly for The Women’s Ashes. The women’s team have so far clinched the ICC Women’s cricket World Cup four times–1973 (on home soil), 1993, 2009, and in 2017.

Additionally, they played their first Women’s T20 International in 2005 against New Zealand. Meanwhile, they were the inaugural ICC Women’s World Twenty20 champions in 2009.

Honours

Women’s World Cup:

• Champions (4): 1973, 1993, 2009, 2017
• Runners-up (4): 1978, 1982, 1988, 2022

Women’s T20 World Cup:

• Champions (1): 2009
• Runners-up (3): 2012, 2014, 2018