International cricket, which had been suspended since 1939 due to the Second World War, resumed in 1946. From then until the end of 1959, the England cricket team, which represented England, Scotland and Wales in Test cricket, played 115 Test matches, resulting in 45 victories, 39 draws and 31 defeats. During this period, England faced Pakistan for the first time, when they toured England in 1954. During that tour, they became the first team to win a Test match on their first visit to England. England were the dominant team in international cricket during the 1950s; they did not lose a Test series between March 1951 and December 1958, and featured an array of stars such as Colin Cowdrey, Denis Compton, Fred Trueman, Brian Statham and Jim Laker.

England faced Australia most frequently during this period—playing 35 matches against them—followed by South Africa. England won more matches than they lost against India, New Zealand and South Africa, but against Australia they won seven and lost seventeen Ashes matches, while against the West Indies they won six and lost seven. They faced newcomers Pakistan in just four matches, winning one, losing one and drawing the others. England won 16 matches by an innings, with their largest victory being by an innings and 248 runs against New Zealand in 1958. Their largest victory by runs alone during this period was in 1956–57 against South Africa, when they won by 312 runs, while they won by ten wickets on four occasions. Conversely, England suffered their largest ever defeat, losing to Australia by an innings and 332 runs during the 1946–47 Ashes series.

Key + Key Symbol Meaning No. (Eng.) Match number for England (i.e. 300 was England's 300th Test match) No. (Ove.) Match number overall (i.e. 300 was the 300th Test match) Opposition The team England was playing against Venue The cricket ground where the match was played (H) Home ground (A) Away ground Start date Starting date of the Test match Result Result of the match for England Series (result) What series the match was part of, with the result listed in brackets;England's tally first (i.e. (2–1) means that England won two matches, and their opponents won one match)

Matches + England Test cricket results between 1940 and 1959 No.(Eng.) No.(Ove.) Opposition Venue Start date Result Series (result) 244 276 Lord's, London (H) 22 June 1946 Indian cricket team in England in 1946 (1–0) 245 277 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 20 July 1946 246 278 The Oval, London (H) 17 August 1946 247 279 The Gabba, Brisbane (A) 29 November 1946 1946–47 Ashes series (0–3) 248 280 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 13 December 1946 249 281 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 1 January 1947 250 282 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 31 January 1947 251 283 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 28 February 1947 252 284 Lancaster Park, Christchurch (A) 21 March 1947 English cricket team in New Zealand in 1946–47 (0–0) 253 285 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 7 June 1947 South African cricket team in England in 1947 (3–0) 254 286 Lord's, London (H) 21 June 1947 255 287 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 5 July 1947 256 288 Headingley, Leeds (H) 26 July 1947 257 289 The Oval, London (H) 16 August 1947 258 293 Kensington Oval, Bridgetown (A) 21 January 1948 English cricket team in the West Indies in 1947–48 (0–2) 259 296 Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain (A) 11 February 1948 260 297 Bourda, Georgetown (A) 3 March 1948 261 298 Sabina Park, Kingston (A) 27 March 1948 262 299 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 10 June 1948 1948 Ashes series (0–4) 263 300 Lord's, London (H) 24 June 1948 264 301 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 8 July 1948 265 302 Headingley, Leeds (H) 22 July 1948 266 303 The Oval, London (H) 14 August 1948 267 306 Kingsmead, Durban (A) 16 December 1948 English cricket team in South Africa in 1948–49 (2–0) 268 307 Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (A) 27 December 1948 269 309 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 1 January 1949 270 312 Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (A) 12 February 1949 271 313 St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth (A) 5 March 1949 272 314 Headingley, Leeds (H) 11 June 1949 New Zealand cricket team in England in 1949 (0–0) 273 315 Lord's, London (H) 25 June 1949 274 316 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 23 July 1949 275 317 The Oval, London (H) 13 August 1949 276 323 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 8 June 1950 West Indian cricket team in England in 1950 (1–3) 277 324 Lord's, London (H) 24 June 1950 278 325 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 20 July 1950 279 326 The Oval, London (H) 12 August 1950 280 327 The Gabba, Brisbane (A) 1 December 1950 1950–51 Ashes series (1–4) 281 328 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 22 December 1950 282 329 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 5 January 1951 283 330 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 2 February 1951 284 331 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 23 February 1951 285 332 Lancaster Park, Christchurch (A) 17 March 1951 English cricket team in New Zealand in 1950–51 (1–0) 286 333 Basin Reserve, Wellington (A) 24 March 1951 287 334 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 7 June 1951 South African cricket team in England in 1951 (3–1) 288 335 Lord's, London (H) 21 June 1951 289 336 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 5 July 1951 290 337 Headingley, Leeds (H) 26 July 1951 291 338 The Oval, London (H) 16 August 1951 292 339 Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi (A) 2 November 1951 English cricket team in India in 1951–52 (1–1) 293 342 Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai (A) 14 December 1951 294 344 Eden Gardens, Calcutta (A) 30 December 1951 295 346 Green Park Stadium, Kanpur (A) 12 January 1952 296 348 M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (A) 6 February 1952 297 351 Headingley, Leeds (H) 5 June 1952 Indian cricket team in England in 1952 (3–0) 298 352 Lord's, London (H) 19 June 1952 299 353 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 17 July 1952 300 354 The Oval, London (H) 14 August 1952 301 372 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 11 June 1953 1953 Ashes series (1–0) 302 373 Lord's, London (H) 25 June 1953 303 374 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 9 July 1953 304 375 Headingley, Leeds (H) 23 July 1953 305 376 The Oval, London (H) 15 August 1953 306 380 Sabina Park, Kingston (A) 15 January 1954 English cricket team in the West Indies in 1953–54 (2–2) 307 383 Kensington Oval, Bridgetown (A) 6 February 1954 308 384 Bourda, Georgetown (A) 24 February 1954 309 385 Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain (A) 17 March 1954 310 386 Sabina Park, Kingston (A) 30 March 1954 311 387 Lord's, London (H) 10 June 1954 Pakistani cricket team in England in 1954 (1–1) 312 388 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 1 July 1954 313 389 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 22 July 1954 314 390 The Oval, London (H) 12 August 1954 315 391 The Gabba, Brisbane (A) 26 November 1954 1954–55 Ashes series (3–1) 316 392 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 17 December 1954 317 393 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 31 December 1954 318 396 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 28 January 1955 319 399 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 25 February 1955 320 401 University Oval, Dunedin (A) 11 March 1955 English cricket team in New Zealand in 1954–55 (2–0) 321 402 Eden Park, Auckland (A) 25 March 1955 322 407 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 9 June 1955 South African cricket team in England in 1955 (3–2) 323 409 Lord's, London (H) 23 June 1955 324 410 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 7 July 1955 325 411 Headingley, Leeds (H) 21 July 1955 326 412 The Oval, London (H) 13 August 1955 327 425 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 7 June 1956 1956 Ashes series (2–1) 328 426 Lord's, London (H) 21 June 1956 329 427 Headingley, Leeds (H) 12 July 1956 330 428 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 26 July 1956 331 429 The Oval, London (H) 23 August 1956 332 434 Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (A) 24 December 1956 English cricket team in South Africa in 1956–57 (2–2) 333 435 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 1 January 1957 334 436 Kingsmead, Durban (A) 25 January 1957 335 437 Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (A) 15 February 1957 336 438 St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth (A) 1 March 1957 337 439 Edgbaston, Birmingham (H) 30 May 1957 West Indian cricket team in England in 1957 (3–0) 338 440 Lord's, London (H) 20 June 1957 339 441 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 4 July 1957 340 442 Headingley, Leeds (H) 25 July 1957 341 443 The Oval, London (H) 22 August 1957 342 454 Edgbaston, Birmingham (H) 5 June 1958 New Zealand cricket team in England in 1958 (4–0) 343 455 Lord's, London (H) 19 June 1958 344 456 Headingley, Leeds (H) 3 July 1958 345 457 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 24 July 1958 346 458 The Oval, London (H) 21 August 1958 347 460 The Gabba, Brisbane (A) 5 December 1958 1958–59 Ashes series (0–4) 348 462 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 31 December 1958 349 464 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 9 January 1959 350 466 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 30 January 1959 351 468 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 13 February 1959 352 470 Lancaster Park, Christchurch (A) 27 February 1959 English cricket team in New Zealand in 1958–59 (1–0) 353 472 Eden Park, Auckland (A) 14 March 1959 354 474 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 4 June 1959 Indian cricket team in England in 1959 (5–0) 355 475 Lord's, London (H) 18 June 1959 356 476 Headingley, Leeds (H) 2 July 1959 357 477 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 23 July 1959 358 478 The Oval, London (H) 20 August 1959

Summary Team Total matches Home matches Away matches Mat Won Lost Draw W/L Mat Won Lost Draw W/L Mat Won Lost Draw W/L Australia 35 7 17 11 0.411 15 3 5 7 0.600 20 4 12 4 0.333 India 17 10 1 6 10.000 12 9 0 3 – 5 1 1 3 1.000 New Zealand 16 8 0 8 – 9 4 0 5 – 7 4 0 3 – Pakistan 4 1 1 2 1.000 4 1 1 2 1.000 – – – – – South Africa 25 13 5 7 2.600 15 9 3 3 3.000 10 4 2 4 2.000 West Indies 18 6 7 5 0.857 9 4 3 2 1.333 9 2 4 3 0.500 Total 115 45 31 39 1.451 64 30 12 22 2.500 51 15 19 17 0.789

Notes

References