Ashes in Cricket- What Is the Story Behind It?

Since 1882, the Ashes have been one of the biggest rivalries in world cricket. The term Ashes was first used after England lost to Australia – for the first time on home soil – at The Oval on 29th August 1882. A day later, the Sporting Times carried a mock obituary of English cricket which concluded that: “The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia”.

The term Ashes quickly caught on and the next time the two teams met in Australia, in 1884/85, the English players presented their Australian counterparts with urn containing some ashes. The urn is thought to be from a pottery factory in Melbourne and is inscribed with the words ‘From the Ashes of English Cricket, The Australian Team’.

The urn has been at the centre of a number of controversies over the years. In 1986, it was stolen from the Lord’s Museum but was later recovered. And in 2005, it went missing again but was found in a toilet at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Despite these controversies, the Ashes urn remains one of the most iconic symbols in world cricket and is viewed as a symbol of the rivalry between England and Australia.

So there you have it – the story behind cricket’s most prestigious prize, the Ashes! I hope you enjoyed learning about it. As for who will take home the trophy this year, only time will tell…but one thing’s for sure – it’s going to be one heck of a urnful! ​