1962–63 Ashes series

1962–63 Ashes series
The Ashes were retained by Australia for the second time since 1958-59.
Date	5 December 1962 – 18 February 1963
Location	Australia
Result	Australia and England drew the 5-Test series 1–1
Teams Australia England Captains R. Benaud E.R. Dexter Most runs B.C. Booth - 404 (50.50) R.B. Simpson 401 runs (44.55) R.N. Harvey (vc) 395 runs (39.50) Barrington, K.F. - 582 runs (72.75) E.R. Dexter (c) - 481 runs (48.10) M.C. Cowdrey (vc) 397 runs (43.77) Most wickets A.K. Davidson - 24 wickets (20.00) G.D. McKenzie - 20 wickets (30.95) Titmus, F.J. - 21 wickets (29.33) Trueman, F.S. 20 wickets (26.05)
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Teams
Australia	England
Captains
R. Benaud	E.R. Dexter
Most runs
B.C. Booth - 404 (50.50) R.B. Simpson 401 runs (44.55) R.N. Harvey (vc) 395 runs (39.50)	Barrington, K.F. - 582 runs (72.75) E.R. Dexter (c) - 481 runs (48.10) M.C. Cowdrey (vc) 397 runs (43.77)
Most wickets
A.K. Davidson - 24 wickets (20.00) G.D. McKenzie - 20 wickets (30.95)	Titmus, F.J. - 21 wickets (29.33) Trueman, F.S. 20 wickets (26.05)

The 1962–63 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of five days with six hours play each day and eight ball overs, a change as before 1960-61 Australian Test matches had been played over six days. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1962–63 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club. The MCC was determined to "brighten up" cricket, but the series was drawn 1-1 and Australia retained the Ashes. The MCC chose Ted Dexter to captain an England team managed by Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk. The Duke's presence generated considerable press interest, as did the model Mrs Dexter and the Reverend David Sheppard—the future Bishop of Liverpool—who preached in cathedrals across Australia.

Dexter made 481 runs (48.10), more than any other England captain in Australia before or since, and Ken Barrington 582 runs (72.75), the most by an Englishman in Australia since Wally Hammond’s 905 runs (113.12) in 1928-29. The England bowlers Fred Trueman and Brian Statham were one of the most famous new-ball partnerships in cricket history, and with 216 and 229 wickets respectively were poised to overtake the record of 236 Test wickets set by the assistant-manager Alec Bedser. The Australian captain Richie Benaud was another contender with 219 wickets, but it was Statham who broke the record (only to be overtaken by Trueman in New Zealand) and Benaud had to be content with breaking Ray Lindwall's Australian record of 228 Test wickets.