Wednesday 10 July 2013

A short history lesson on the Ashes

Unless you are Father Christmas, you will probably struggle to recall the earliest of cricketing battles between England and Australia. In fact, Santa might also have to delve deep into the grey matter because the inception of the Ashes dates back to 1882.

Following England's first defeat by Australia on home soil at The Oval in August of that year, the Sporting Times carried a mock obituary of English cricket, which concluded that: "The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

Ivo Bligh, England captain at the time, pledged to win back "the Ashes" on the return tour to Australia a few weeks later. Although the hosts won the first Test, a match played over five days, England won the next two and succeeded in winning the series.

To mark the achievement, Bligh was given a small terracotta urn as a symbol of the Ashes that he had travelled to Australia to regain.

History lesson done and dusted.

Chirton Grange

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