Recap Australia's 12-1 summer

Take a look back at Australia's 12 victories (and one loss) against England.

It's certainly going to be a summer Australians will remember fondly for a long time.

The Commonwealth Bank Ashes

Win #1

Venue: The Gabba

Result: Australia won by 381 runs

Man Of The Match: Mitchell Johnson

Summary: No wonder Australia hasn’t lost at the Gabba for 25 years. It was as if Brisbane itself was a ferocious guard dog baring its teeth at the visitors, who swaggered into town with the Ashes in their keeping. The local rag whipped up the natives against pantomime villain Stuart Broad; when Australia were on the ropes in the first innings Brad Haddin fired up his side with some Rocky-style counterpunching; and the heavens sent down a barrage of hailstones that seemed like gentle raindrops compared to the onslaught of a magnificently hairy-lipped Mitchell Johnson. Michael Clarke drew a line in the sand as he exchanged pleasantries with Jimmy Anderson and Australia roared its approval. After nine straight Tests without a win, everyone suddenly remembered what it felt like to win.

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Win #2

Venue: Adelaide Oval

Result: Australia won by 218 runs

Man Of The Match: Mitchell Johnson

Summary: It simply couldn’t happen again? The drop-in pitch was flat, Mitch was too inconsistent, and the Barmy Army were lying in wait to pounce on any fragility with their melodious barbs. Instead, it was the glorious sound of pitch-perfect chin music reverberating around the revamped Adelaide Oval as Johnson produced a first-innings spell so terrifying, it would have set Freddy Kruger quivering under the blankets. Broad complained about shiny bolts on the sightscreen when he should have been worried about the thunderbolts that sent England’s batsmen trudging to the crease and back in a dismal conga line as Johnson tore through them, finishing with the magnificent figures of 7-40. Of course, he had a big target to defend, thanks to centuries from Clarke and Haddin, the Australian wicketkeeper showing the energy of a young puppy while playing with all the grit of a hardened veteran.

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Win #3

Venue: The WACA 

Result: Australia won by 150

Man Of The Match: Steve Smith

Summary: The WACA lived up to its BBL nickname of The Furnace as the mercury climbed above 40 degrees – hot enough to roast the wilting English players. Steve Smith kept his cool as he plundered 111 runs and the notorious unlucky number for England was indeed a sign of things to come. A typically swashbuckling ton from Dave Warner was followed by a defiant century from a palpably relieved Shane Watson. George Bailey treated Jimmy Anderson with utter disdain as he belted 28 runs off a single over. When Alastair Cook’s stumps were shattered by Ryan Harris’ perfect opening delivery of the final innings the England captain looked as though he wanted to disappear down one of the massive cracks that had opened up in the deck. A dogged Ben Stokes offered admirable resistance but once the allrounder was gone the end was as inevitable as it was fitting: Johnson firing a short-pitched ball at the ribcage of Anderson, who could do nothing but defend. And at the moment Bailey dived forward at short leg to claim the catch and send the Australians into euphoric celebrations, the mission to return the urn was complete after four years, three months and 25 days.

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Win #4

Venue: MCG

Result: Australia won by eight wickets

Man Of The Match: Mitchell Johnson

Summary: If there was talk of broken arms in the opening Test, the Boxing Day contest clearly showed Michael Clarke’s men had shattered England’s spirit. Graeme Swann deserted the sinking ship soon after it docked in Melbourne and the sadly out-of-sorts Matt Prior was given an extended Christmas holiday. Those who were left to face the relentless and ruthless Australians in front of a world-record crowd looked both tentative and lost as they flailed about dropping chances, offered up their wickets up at bargain-basement prices, and helplessly watched on as the bespectacled Chris Rogers notched a century, with Watson as his foil, to sail past the target with eight wickets and four-and-a-half sessions in hand. Johnson’s eight-wicket haul seemed almost obligatory while Nathan Lyon, whose quiet but valuable contributions throughout the series had almost gone unnoticed, celebrated with a well-deserved five-for that gave him an entrance pass to the 100 Test wicket fraternity.

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Win #5

Venue: SCG

Result: Australia won by 281

Man Of The Match: Ryan Harris

Summary: On Day three of the Sydney Test, the SCG is traditionally shrouded in pink to raise money for the McGrath Foundation. But it was a red-faced England in most need of charity after Cook’s men, almost completely bereft of fight, capitulated to Australian side high on confidence and eager to get the party started. Smith and Rogers looked increasingly comfortable in the squad as they made it two tons apiece for the series, while Haddin passed the 50 mark for an astonishing sixth time in the series. As good as they were, the Australians couldn’t have expected England to implode so swiftly. On the afternoon of the third day England slumped to 7-95 with alarming speed, and apart from some resistance from Stokes and Broad, the Ashes misery was soon over for the hapless tourists. Johnson, Harris and Lyon took all 10 wickets between them to secure the victory and complete the whitewash that not even the most optimistic of supporters could have predicted, and banish the dark days of an English summer to distant memory.

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Carlton Mid ODI Series

Win #6

Venue: MCG

Result: Australia won by six wickets

Man Of The Match: Aaron Finch

Summary: A change of format didn’t translate to a chance of fortune for Alastair Cook’s men, who came up against the man who had smashed them at will only five months earlier in the T20 series in England. The target of 270 had seemed a reasonable challenge, but after Aaron Finch blasted 121 runs and combined with Warner for an opening partnership of 163, a record for Australia against England in ODIs, it was an easy ride home for Clarke, Bailey and Glenn Maxwell. England contributed to their own downfall, dropping Finch when he was on just eight runs.

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Win #7

Venue: The Gabba

Result: Australia won by one wicket

Man Of The Match: James Faulkner

Summary: Now it was just getting ridiculous. This was probably the most deflating loss for the tourists, who gave new meaning to the subverted cliché of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. England had posted one of its biggest totals of the entire summer off the back of Eoin Morgan’s century and reduced Australia to 9-244 in the 44^th over. But after carrying the drinks for all five Tests, Faulkner grabbed his moment on the big stage with aplomb. The allrounder smashed five huge sixes in an unbeaten 69 from 66 balls and, with Clint McKay holding his nerve and his wicket, secured the unlikeliest of victories that was glorious to watch. For Australian fans at least.

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Win #8

Venue: SCG

Result: Australia won by seven wickets

Man Of The Match: Dave Warner

Summary: It was a case of two down and one to go as the Aussies took out the ODI phase of the summer in straight sets, only needing their top-five batsmen and 40 overs to cruise past England’s total of 243. While Morgan acquitted himself well with the bat once more, it was Warner and Marsh with twin scores of 71 who set up a relatively easy chase, untroubled by England’s under-performing seamers. Warner also starred in the field by throwing down the stumps from side on and in the deep to dismiss Ian Bell in spectacular fashion. It appeared another white-wash was looming for the men in red, and Cook looked as though he’d rather be slaving in a Siberian mine than directing his fielders.

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England's Only Win

Venue: The WACA

Result: England won by 57 runs

Man Of The Match: Ben Stokes

Summary: Sixty-nine days after their miserable tour started, Cook’s men finally tasted success, although no doubt it was of the bittersweet variety with both the urn and the ODI trophy staying on Australian soil. The one shining light of England’s tour was the emergence of the impressive Stokes, who earned his player of the match award by scoring 70 and claiming 4-38. ‘Keeper-batsman Jos Buttler also gave English fans a glimmer of hope for the future by clubbing 71 runs from 43 deliveries and taking five catches. A belligerent Finch belted 108 off 111 balls but a weakened Australian batting line-up was all out in the 48^th over.

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Win #9

Venue: Adelaide Oval

Result: Australia won by five runs

Man Of The Match: James Faulkner

Summary: Could there have been any other result on Australia Day? Perhaps it was pre-ordained. It did seem like divine intervention that tipped the scales Australia’s way, even if it was just a jammy dose of luck that summed up the contrasting fortunes of the two sides. England needed eight runs from nine balls and had just one wicket in hand when Matthew Wade, standing up to the stumps for McKay, failed to hold onto the ball. But even an error can be turned into an incredible piece of luck in a summer like this. The ball fell from Wade’s gloves and dislodged the leg bail as precisely the moment batsman Ravi Bopara’s back foot lifted a fraction above the ground. Someone, somewhere, must have been using an Alastair Cook voodoo doll for a pin cushion.

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KFC Twenty20 International

Win #10

Venue: Blundstone Arena

Result: Australia won by 13 runs

Man Of The Match: Cameron White

Summary: At least Cook was spared any more suffering, Stuart Broad taking up the thankless task of leading England for the final leg of its wretched tour. While some of Australia’s big names were already on their way to South Africa, it merely gave others the chance to showcase their wares. Young leggie James Muirhead impressed on debut while Cameron White made the most of his return to the Australian fold by clobbering 75 runs from 43 deliveries. The smaller confines of Blundstone Arena could barely contain White and his opening partner Finch, the pair’s opening partnership of 106 in less than 10 overs setting up Australia for a whopping total of 213. England was never really a chance of getting there, although a late rampage by Bopara made the result seem closer than it was.

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Win #11

Venue: MCG

Result: Australia won by eight wickets

Man Of The Match: Josh Hazelwood

Summary: Ho-hum. Another day, another series victory for Australia in a glorious summer that will live on in the memory of all who witnessed it. It was on for young and old, the old represented by the return of 39-year-old Brad Hodge to the International arena after six years in the wilderness. Hodge wasn’t required to score runs but he made the most entertaining contributions in the field, taking a screamer of a diving catch and throwing down the stumps, much to the delight of his hometown crowd. Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc gave a glimpse into what looks like a very bright future for Australia’s next-gen pace attack. Only Buttler could scrape past 20 runs as England limped to a total of 130. The home side only needed its top four batsmen and 15 overs to get there, White and Bailey doing the bulk of the damage, most of it to Jade Dernbach.

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Win #12

Venue: Stadium Australia

Result: Australia won by 84 runs

Man Of The Match: George Bailey

Summary: It was in the same city where Michael Clarke had lifted the urn earlier nearly a month earlier, but at a different ground with Stadium Australia hosting the final match of a summer that must have seemed endless for Test players Stuart Broad and Joe Root, for all the wrong reasons. While it was a comparatively slow innings from the home side, White was solid once more, while Bailey was merciless when the hapless Dernbach was handed the ball at the death. The Aussie skipper sparked memories of his hammering of Jimmy Anderson in the third Test at the WACA by clubbing 26 runs in the final over to lift the total to a modest 195. Only four English batters made it into double figures as they reached the unlucky total of 111 that was the most fitting symbol of a tour that saw Australia dominate in every format. 12 victories to one. 

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