The History behind Ashes Test Series
Avid sports fans must be missing live sports terribly now. The excitement, the thrill, and the adventure of watching a sport is unparalleled. Few sports have dedicated fan following like cricket. Even the longest format that is Test cricket is watched religiously by fans all over the world. One of the most popular and iconic test series is the Ashes Test Series. This hotly contested series is watched by millions of audiences globally. Today we find out the amazing history behind this test series. This is the longest and oldest rivalry in sports.
The legendary series is played between England and Australia. The story goes that when England lost to Australia on 29th August 1882, a mock obituary was printed. In Sporting Times, the obit read, ‘The body will be cremated and the ashes will be carried to Australia.’ This line and idea caught fire and the public started using it. A few weeks later, the English cricket team went on a tour of Australia. The team was primed for revenge and bent on getting those ‘Ashes’ back. The captain of the English cricket team, Hon. Ivo Bligh was gifted a terracotta urn as a symbolic gesture. A pair of bails were burnt and the ashes were put in the terracotta urn. There have been several rumors and legends about what the actual urn contains. The urn remained with Bligh till his death when it was gifted to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). However, it was many years before the series was named the ‘Ashes.’
It was only in the 1990s when the teams expressed a desire to win an actual trophy symbolizing the Ashes, that a decision was made. MCC, England & Wales Cricket Board, and Cricket Australia discussed the idea and how to implement it. After discussions, an urn-shaped Waterford Crystal trophy was commissioned. The first trophy was won by the Australian team led by Mark Taylor in the 1998-99 test series. The original urn remains in the MCC museum at the Lord’s stadium and can be viewed during tours.
In October 2006, the terracotta urn visited seven museums in Australian states and attracted over 105,000 visitors. That was the last time the urn left Lord’s. The winners get a replica as the original is too fragile.
The first match between England and Australia was staged in 1877. The Ashes takes place every 2 years and the countries take turns to host it. Despite being a longer format, the matches are fraught with tension and excitement. Overall Australia has won 33 series and England has won 32. In 2019, Australia toured England, drawing the test series and making it the first drawn series since 1972. Australia thus retained the Ashes since they were the defending titleholders. There have been six drawn series and out of those, five times Australia has retained the trophy. Australia last won the Ashes in England in 2001, making it a very sweet and memorable win for the players and visitors. It was also the first test series of the inaugural 2019-2021 World Test Championship.
The series has varied in length but usually consists of five test matches. It was during the Ashes, that the popular ‘Body line Bowling’ was discovered by English players. The tactic of bowling quickly at the body of the bowler with a close ring of fielders on the left side gave successful results to the English team. However, it prompted a change of laws in cricket and was eventually considered unethical. During the same time, Don Bradman started to shine and played some of the best cricket of his life. Bolstered by his performance, Australia ended up remaining the title holders for six series. For nineteen years, Australia dominated the Ashes, both at home and abroad. Sir Donald Bradman holds the record for most runs scored and Shane Warne is the highest wicket-taker in the series. Their unbeaten form earned the Australians, the title of ‘The Invincibles.’ Australia has won more test matches than England and retained the series more times.
The rivalry among the two nations is palpable and it is considered a national honor to play for your team in the Ashes. The stadiums are often sold out and viewers come from far to catch a glimpse of the test series. It’s nearly 140 odd year history is fraught with personal rivalry, impeccable performances, crowd mania, and team spirit. The Ashes was the beginning of the gentleman’s game and it personified the true spirit of cricket. Even in 2020 when our attention span is shorter and we get bored easily, the viewership for Ashes is unparalleled.
MCC and the Postal Museum have collaborated to create a 3D Model of the terracotta urn. This digital replica makes it easy for cricket fans across the world to view this legendary piece of sports memorabilia. The next Ashes series is set to take place in 2021 in Australia.
