Old Trafford in the summer of 1993 saw the introduction to a few new names in Test Cricket, but the match was about one player; Shane Warne. More on him later. Gooch won the toss and decided to put Australia in to bat after rain had fallen. Mark Taylor and Michael Slater (on his debut) took the score to 128 for the first wicket, Taylor going on to post another century (124) and Australia scoring 289 all out. Peter Such also on debut took 6 wickets for 67 and in doing, recorded the best bowling figures by an English bowler on debut against Australia for 103 years. Gooch started confidently but wickets fell consistently throughout the day, enter Shane Warne! No bowler in the history of Test cricket had ever hit the stumps with his Ashes maiden delivery, there aren't that many that have taken a wicket with their maiden ball come to think of it.

On the 4th of June 1993, Warne became the first bowler to take wicket with his first ball in England in an Ashes Test match. The ball pitched outside leg, spun across the face of Gatting's bat and clipped the top of off stump, the ball spinning 2 feet. [see picture]. It was a ball that has been described in many different ways, 'the ball of the millennium', 'ball of the century' and 'the ball from hell'. However you describe the ball, one thing never changes, Gatting had no idea where it came from.

Six balls later, Warne dismissed Robin Smith - Shane Warne finished with figures of 4 for 51. By the end of the third day, Australia had a comfortable lead of 310 having bowled out England for 210 in their first innings. Healy then helped Steve Waugh to put on an unbroken 180 for the 6th wicket before declaring on 5 for 432. Healy scored his maiden Test century (102*), becoming only the second wicket keeper after Marsh to do so against England. Warne and Hughes ended the game with 8 wickets each and although Graham Gooch resisted until the middle session on the final day, his 133 was not enough. Gooch's dismissal 'handled the ball' was the first time it had been used as a form of dismissal in Ashes history. Australia won the match by 179 runs, 1986 in Melbourne being the last time England had won a Test match against Australia.

England's national cricket was in complete despair and it wasn't helped at the end of the second Test at Lord's, Australia winning by their most convincing ever (loosing only 4 wickets themselves) and by an innings and 62 runs. Australia batted first and scored a massive 632 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, David Boon scoring 164 not out and Slater scoring 152 in his second match. Mark Taylor scored another century and Mark Waugh fell one run short of his. It was complete dominance, the English bowlers had no answer to the Australian flair. Warne and Hughes again joined forces in the first innings, and both the bowlers took 4 wickets in the innings to dismiss England for 205 runs, Atherton top scored with 80. Following on, England came to terms with the conditions and bowlers and looked a different batting side. Unfortunately for them, the bowlers remained the same and Warne for the 4th innings in succession took 4 wickets, May also chipped in with 4 wickets and England fell to an innings and 62 run defeat. It was the 15th match in a row that England had failed to beat Australia, a new record.

Trent Bridge Nottingham hosted the third Test of the series with Australia holding a 1-0 lead. England introduced 4 new players for the Test, they were: Lathwell, Thorpe, McCague and Ilott. England batted first and scored 321, Robin Smith scoring a classy 86 and Hussain chipping in with 71. Merv Hughes bowling with great determination took his first 5 wicket haul against England, taking 5 wickets for 92 runs. Australia in reply took a first innings lead, thanks mainly to Boon's 101 and his century stand with Mark Waugh. England 52 runs behind were soon in trouble at 5 for 159 until Gooch (120) and Thorpe on debut (114*) came together and took the score to 6 for 422 declared. Australia finding themselves with 371 runs to chase off at least 77 overs, tried to score the runs. But as soon as Caddick had taken 3 wickets and Australia 6 wickets down for 115, it ended any idea of the visitors chasing the runs required for a win. Brendon Julian (56*) joined Steve Waugh at the wicket and between them avoided defeat without loosing another wicket. Allan Border moved into third place of top scorers in Ashes Tests with 3280 runs, only Hobbs (2nd) and Bradman (1st) were ahead of him.

After struggling to avoid defeat at Trent Bridge, normal service was resumed at Headingley as Australia dominated the batting once again. Scoring their second 600+ total of the series Australia firmly took control of the Ashes series. The 653 runs scored in their innings was the highest score ever to be recorded at Headingley and like Lord's earlier in the series they lost only 4 wickets in the match. Border [shown in picture] scored 200 not out (his 26th Century), becoming the third Australian Captain to score a double hundred in a Test in England following Murdoch and Simpson. Boon's 107 was the Tasmanian's third successive Ashes Test century, the first time it had happened since Bradman had achieved it in 1938. Paul Reiffel on debut then took 5 wickets on debut as England were dismissed for 200, trailing by 453 runs, the follow on was inevitable. At one stage England looked to the heavens to save them, rain delays being the only possible way they could save the match. It wasn't meant to be and towards the end of England's 305 all out, Hughes recorded his 200th victim in Test Cricket, Australia winning by an innings and 148 runs.

Graham Gooch resigned his captaincy after the 4th Test defeat at Headingley, Mike Atherton taking over, became the youngest to hold the position for England at home against Australia. Only Atherton and Emburey offered any resistance against the Australian bowlers, both scoring 50's as Reiffel continued his good spell of bowling with 6 for 71. Mark Waugh, Ian Healy and Steve Waugh took the Australian score to 408 all out and a first innings lead of 132. Warne and May both took 5 wickets in England's second innings and set the home side up for yet another defeat. Chasing 120 to win, the crowds excitement grew as the two Australian openers fell quickly to spin, however Boon and Mark Waugh scored a century partnership which saw the visitors to a comfortable 8 wicket win. Both teams went on to The Oval for the final Test of the 1993 series, the Ashes already won, it was just left for England to try and put some pride back in their cricket.

England made 5 changes for the 6th Test including once forced change, Ramprakash coming in for the injured Thorpe (who broke his thumb in the nets before the match). England batted first and scored over 300 runs on the first day for the loss of 7 wickets. Hick scored 80 and Stewart 76, England scoring 23 runs on the second morning and were bowled out for 380. Although Healy made an unbeaten 83, Angus Fraser turned the game with a return of 5 wickets for 87 and Australia were behind by 77 runs at the close of the first innings. Gooch scored his second 50 in the match and Ramprakash scored his first 50 in Ashes history, England closed their innings on 313, leading by 390 runs. If Australia had any hopes of going for the 391 required, their hopes were dashed when rain brought about a premature close to the 4th day. The visitors lost 3 wickets for 30 runs and at that point England never looked back, and at the close Malcolm had taken 3 wickets and Watkin 4 for 65. England had won their first Test against Australia since December 1986 in Melbourne by 161 runs.