Watch: Anderson lifts lid on THAT Ashes moment with Johnson
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The new Perth Stadium ground
Western Australia encompasses almost a third of Australia’s land mass, but was the last state to agree to become part of the nation in 1901 and even tried to secede in 1933.
Though each state is parochial in its own way, Western Australia probably is more than the rest, evidenced by the state’s Big Bash cricket team, Perth Scorchers, attracting attendances far higher than any of the other franchises in the country.
Perth has the highest concentration of UK-born residents (c. 10%), and with this being the first time English fans have been able to take advantage of the direct flights from London, there promises to be more visiting supporters than ever before – not least because the 60,000 capacity is far higher than the WACA, which hosted 24,500.
One in six of the 220,000 series tickets sold on the first day of release were to English fans, and for the 60,000 sell-outs on days one and two at Perth, you can probably double the percentage of away support in attendance.
That is not to say there will not be a passionate Australian cricket contingent built up by the Western Australian newspaper’s campaign targeting “Average” Joe Root and “Kiwi-born captain Ben Stokes, the king of England’s self-proclaimed reinvention of cricket”.
All of which means the atmosphere on the morning of November 21 could be something akin to a final between local Aussie Rules rivals, the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers.
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The pitch
If not quite the WACA, which received its last rites as a men’s Test venue in 2017, the pitch remains the quickest in Australia – and a leap above the Lilac Hill surface England batted on in their warm-up game.
They use the same black clay soil from the Harvey River, south of Perth, for the drop-in wickets as the WACA, though the bowl venue lacks the famous ‘Fremantle Doctor’ breeze.
In a trend from many Australian venues over the last 10 years, the surface is likely to have significant grass on the wicket, making it harder to bat on. Last time out against India, both sides were dismissed for less than 200 in their first innings – not coincidentally, like in this Test, the match took place in November rather than a few weeks later, with the pitch hardened by the punishing Perth sun.
It used to be said, in Australia you bat first nine times out of 10 and the 10th time you think about it and then bat first. Ben Stokes was vocal about not heeding advice from “has-beens”, nor being intimidated by ghosts of England’s past. An early statement of intent may be putting Australia into bat after the opening toss of the series for the first time since Nasser Hussain’s infamous call at the Gabba in 2002.
A win here would be some statement, given England’s only victory in the city was in 1978 against a de facto second-string Australia side, when the country’s best players were taking part in World Series Cricket.
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State icon – Dennis Lillee
Though Glenn McGrath has broken his records, and the current fast bowling trio may all pass his figures too, no Australia quick will ever be as loved as ‘DK’.
Sporting a menacingly bristled moustache, waving mane and half-buttoned shirt with medallion and chest hair, oozing machismo, he was the archetypal Aussie sports star of the 1970s. This would have had less impact had he not also been the leading bowler of the decade, coming back from a debilitating back injury to match savvy with his snarl and demolishing all before him.
With partner Jeff Thomson he decimated all opposition in the mid-1970s, he played a leading role in the World Series Cricket revolution and ended his career with the Test record for most wickets.
Sir Donald Bradman is the only other Aussie cricketer not from Victoria to have a statue outside the MCG.
Ashes moment – Gilchrist wows the world
Australia’s Adam Gilchrist smashes a delivery off English bowler Monty Panesar on his way to scoring the second-fastest test century in history, in a mere 57 balls, to reach 102 not out, during Australia’s second innings on day three of the Third Test between Australia and England at the WACA Ground in Perth, 16 December 2006.
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Despite his country dominating the 2006/07 series, adopted Western Australian Adam Gilchrist (he moved from New South Wales early in his career) was suffering a crisis of confidence when he went out to bat in the third Test at the WACA in December 2006.
Walking out after two ducks in three knocks, including one to Monty Panesar in the first innings, he produced one of the great exhibitions of clean hitting to record the second-quickest hundred in Test cricket off 57 balls – two off Viv Richards’ record.
England’s spinner took the brunt of the damage as fielders left the field with sore necks from the craning required to watch missiles flying over their heads.
Australia Test record at Optus Stadium
Tests: 5
Australia: 4 wins
Visitors: 1 win (India, 2024)
Ashes H2H record in Perth
Tests: 15
Australia: 11 wins
England: 1 win
Draws: 3
The Ashes begins on Friday, November 21 at Optus Stadium in Perth. Play starts at 2:30am UK time and coverage on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ begins at 2:00am.Watch every ball of the 2025/26 Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+
