The Ashes is a biennial Test cricket contest played between England and Australia. The Ashes is one of cricket's fiercest and most celebrated rivalries, and certainly the oldest such in international cricket, dating back to 1882. The 2005 Ashes series was played in England, and was won by England. Australia had held the Ashes for 16 years prior to that. The next Ashes series will be in Australia in 2006-07; the next series in England will be in 2009.