Australia Win the 1924-25 Ashes 4-1 — Tate's 38 Wickets

England came to Australia carrying the unhealed memory of Armstrong's 1920-21 whitewash. Their selection was conservative; their bowling thin. Australia's first-class strength was at its peak.

Arthur Gilligan, recovered enough to lead but not to bowl, took an MCC party to Australia in 1924-25 expecting the Tate-Gilligan new-ball pair to win them matches. The injury Gilligan had carried since the previous English summer reduced him to a containing role, and the Test cricket bowling burden fell almost entirely on Tate. He responded with one of the most punishing solo bowling efforts in tour history.

The first Test at Sydney was lost by 195 runs after Hobbs (115 and 57) battled almost alone. The second Test at Melbourne saw the Hobbs-Sutcliffe 283 partnership — but Australia won by 81. The third Test at Adelaide was the closest, Australia winning by 11 runs after Sutcliffe's 59 and 33 nearly carried the chase. The fourth Test at Melbourne was won by England by an innings and 29, Sutcliffe 143, Tate 6 wickets — England's only Test win on Australian soil between 1912 and 1928. The fifth Test at Sydney was won by Australia by 307 runs, sealing the series 4-1.

Tate finished with 38 wickets at 23.18, beating Sydney Barnes's 1911-12 record of 34. Sutcliffe scored 734 runs at 81 — the most by any English batsman in an Ashes series in Australia until that point. Hobbs added 573 runs at 64. Yet the depth of the Australian attack — Gregory, Mailey, the all-rounder Kelleway and the off-spinner Hartkopf — and Collins's calm captaincy proved decisive over five Tests.

“Tate bowled like a man who could not stop. He had a small frame and a great heart, and Australia's batsmen feared him as they had feared no English bowler since Barnes.”

Sutcliffe was confirmed as the long-term opener; Tate became the senior English bowler; Collins was retained as Australian captain into 1926. England's 1926 home Ashes campaign would draw heavily on the lessons learned in 1924-25, especially the value of a settled top order.