The Ashes, played between Australia and England, is one of the oldest, biggest and fiercest cricketing rivalries. There have been 340 matches played so far in the series in which Australia has won 140, England 108, while 92 have resulted in a draw.
The origin of this historic rivalry began when a young London-based journalist wrote a satirical obituary after visiting Australia defeated host England by seven runs during the one-off Test in the 1882 tour. It was the first time England had lost at home.
The mock obituary in the Sporting Times read: “In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29th August, 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances, RIP. NB - The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.”
When England’s turn came to tour Australia in 1882-82, its captain Ivo Bligh promised to regain the Ashes while his counterpart too vowed to defend it. The visitor lost the first Test by nine wickets but went on to win the next two games, hence fulfilling the promise made.
After the series, captain Bligh was presented a small terracotta urn as a symbol of the ashes, described as that of Australian cricket. There’s a debate whether the contents in the urn were that of a burnt lady’s veil, a cricket ball or a wooden bail.
Post Bligh’s death in 1927, his wife Florence Murphy, passed the urn to Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which is now kept in the Lord’s museum and replicas are given to the victorious team.
Since the 1998-99 Ashes series, the winning team is being presented an urn-shaped Waterford Crystal trophy commissioned by the MCC.
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