Australia, under Mark Taylor, won the series 3–2 with strong batting performances from Matthew Elliott supporting the decisive bowling of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie.
England had enjoyed good form leading up to the series, with a 3–0 One Day International victory, and success in New Zealand; however, after winning convincingly in the first Test the host team struggled.
Mark Taylor had also suffered what Wisden referred to as "personal purgatory",[1] involving a pay dispute with the Australian Cricket Board.
[6] John Crawley's surprise selection for the ODI series was seen as a wise decision by Christopher Martin-Jenkins,[7] while Australia lost warm-up practice at Durham due to rain.
Chappell highlighted the role of Shane Warne in the media,[13] while England bowler Dean Headley was ruled out of the opening Test with an injury.
Warne fell to Caddick three short of a half century, giving the England bowler a five-wicket haul, with Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm picking up three and two respectively.
[1] Warne eventually dismissed Hussain, and Thorpe was removed by McGrath, however a late order career-best 53 not out from Mark Ealham saw England to 478 for nine declared.
[1][16] Stewart also passed 5,000 Test runs during his knock, and Wisden record that "Victory brought an outpouring of elation, in front of the pavilion and across the country; people suddenly felt the little urn could, indeed, be recaptured."
[17] England lost the toss and were put in to bat, on a difficult pitch,[17] and were dismissed for 77 thanks to eight wickets from McGrath, his best haul in tests to date.
[20] Headley bowled an intimidating spell – coming "straight into the action, striking Taylor on the helmet as he ducked into a bouncer in his opening over."
His 14th century made him the first Australian batsman to score a hundred in both innings since 1989, and the first instance of this feat in a Test between Australia and England since Arthur Morris and Denis Compton in 1947.
In response, Elliott (199) and Ashes debutant Ricky Ponting's maiden Test century (127) brought Australia to 501/9 declared, with an expensive five-wicket haul for Gough, who went for 149 runs.
[24] Healy and Ponting then led a quick-scoring attack, supported by a half-century from Blewett, to take Australia to 336[23] while wickets shared around the England bowlers, including three between the Hollioake brothers.
The ECB had issued statements denying that Atherton had offered, or planned, to resign, and Wisden recorded: "[This] crushing defeat cost England the series and the Ashes but not, this time, their captain.
Mike Atherton withstood all the demands that he follow the example of his predecessor, Graham Gooch, who had fallen on his sword in similar circumstances four years earlier.
"[23] Peter Johnson later records that "Atherton resolutely declined journalists' invitations to resign at once, though his wording suggested to many that he would answer differently when the series was over.