The Ashes
The Ashes urn is reputed to contain a burnt item of cricket equipment, possibly a bail.
Administrator(s)	International Cricket Council
Cricket format	Test
First tournament	1882
Tournament format(s)	series
Total participants	2
Current champion	Australia
Most successful	Australia (31 titles)
Most runs	Donald Bradman (5,028)
Most wickets	Shane Warne (195)

The Ashes is a Test cricket series, played between England and Australia - it is international cricket's most celebrated rivalry and dates back to 1882. It is currently played nominally biennially, alternately in England and Australia. However, since cricket is a summer game, the venues being in opposite hemispheres means the break between series is alternately 18 months and 30 months. A series of "The Ashes" now comprises five Test matches, two innings per match, under the regular rules for international test-match cricket. If a series is drawn then the country holding the Ashes retains them. The Ashes usually refers to: The Ashes, the biennial Test cricket competition between Australia and England It can also mean: Rugby League Ashes, the rugby league series between Great Britain and Australia Womens Ashes, the Test cricket series for female players between England and Australia Category: ... This work is copyrighted. ... Maya funerary urn For the computing term, see Uniform Resource Name. ... In the sport of cricket, a bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. ... ICC logo The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the governing body for international Test match and One-day International cricket. ... For the womens version of the game, see Womens Test cricket. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sir Donald George Bradman AC (27 August 1908—25 February 2001), often called The Don, was an Australian cricketer, administrator and writer on the game, generally acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969 in Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria), is an Australian cricketer and the current captain of Hampshire. ... For the womens version of the game, see Womens Test cricket. ... The logo of the England Cricket Team which shows the three Lions of England below a five-pointed crown The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. ... A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. ...

The series is named after a satirical obituary published in an English newspaper, The Sporting Times, in 1882 after the match at The Oval in which Australia beat England on an English ground for the first time. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The English media then dubbed the next English tour to Australia (1882–83) as the quest to regain The Ashes. 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... Obituary for World War I death An obituary is a notice of the death of a person, usually published in a newspaper, written or commissioned by the newspaper, and usually including a short biography. ... The famous gasometers, which are now listed buildings. ...

During that tour in Australia, a small terracotta urn was presented as a gift to the England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of an item of cricket equipment, possibly a bail, ball or stump. Some Aborigines hold that The Ashes are in fact those of King Cole, the cricketer who toured England with the 1868 Aboriginal team. The Dowager Countess of Darnley, meanwhile, claimed recently that her mother-in-law (and Bligh's wife), Florence Morphy, said that they were the remains of a lady's veil. Terra cotta is a hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction. ... This is a list of all English national cricket captains, comprising all of the men, boys and women who have captained an English national cricket team at official international level. ... Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley (13 March 1859-10 April 1927), known earlier in his life as The Honourable Ivo Bligh, was a cricketer who captained the English cricket team in the first ever Ashes series in Australia in 1882/3. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... In the sport of cricket, a bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. ...

The urn is erroneously believed, by some, to be the trophy of the Ashes series but it has never been formally adopted as such and Ivo Bligh always considered it to be a personal gift.[3] Replicas of the urn are often held aloft by victorious teams as a symbol of their victory in an Ashes series, but the actual urn has never been presented or displayed as a trophy in this way. Whichever side holds the Ashes, the urn normally remains in the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum at Lord's since being bequeathed to the MCC by Ivo Bligh's widow upon his death.^[1] Some loving-cup trophies seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. ... Look up replica in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lords 2005 The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787, is a private members club and was the original governing body of cricket in England and across the world. ... The Pavilion The Grand Stand Match in progress The Media Centre at Lords Cricket Ground This memorial stone to Lord Harris is in the Harris Garden at Lords Lords Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in St Johns Wood in London, at grid reference TQ268827. ...

Since the 1998–99 Ashes series, a Waterford Crystal representation of the Ashes urn has been presented to the winners of an Ashes series as the official trophy of that series. The world-famous Waterford Crystal Ball is lowered in Times Square, New York City, on New Years Eve Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware produced in Waterford, Ireland, by the company Waterford Wedgwood plc. ...

Australia currently hold The Ashes, after beating England 5-0 to regain them in 2006–07. The next Ashes series will be held in England in 2009. Teams Australia England Captains Ricky Ponting Andrew Flintoff Most Runs Ricky Ponting (576) Michael Hussey (458) Matthew Hayden (413) Kevin Pietersen (490) Paul Collingwood (433) Ian Bell (331) Most Wickets Stuart Clark (26) Shane Warne (23) Glenn McGrath (21) Matthew Hoggard (13) Andrew Flintoff (11) Monty Panesar (10) The 2006...

The Legend of The Ashes

The obituary notice that appeared in The Sporting Times.

The first Test match between England and Australia was played in 1877, but the Ashes legend dates back only to the ninth Test Match, played in 1882. Image File history File links DeathofEnglishCricket. ... Image File history File links DeathofEnglishCricket. ...

On their 1882 tour of England, the Australians played only one Test, at The Oval in London. It was a low-scoring affair on a difficult wicket.^[2] Australia made only 63 runs in its first innings, and England, led by "Boss" Hornby, took a 38-run lead with a total of 101. In their second innings, however, the Australians, boosted by a spectacular 55 from Hugh Massie, managed 122, which left England only 85 runs to win. Australian bowler Fred Spofforth refused to give in, however: "This thing can be done," he declared. Spofforth went on to devastate the English batting, taking his final four wickets for only two runs to leave England a mere seven short of victory in one of the closest and most nail- (or umbrella-) biting finishes in cricket history. The famous gasometers, which are now listed buildings. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Cricket pitch (not to scale) A wicket consists of three stumps that are placed into the ground, and topped with two bails. ... An innings, or inning, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably baseball and cricket – during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. ... Tombstone of A.N. Hornby Albert Neilson Hornby (Blackburn, Lancashire, 10 February 1847 – 17 December 1925 in Nantwich, Cheshire) was the England cricket captain who lost the Test match at home in 1882 against the Australian cricket team that gave rise to the Ashes. ... Hugh Hamon Massie (born April 11, 1854 near Point Fairy, Victoria - died October 12, 1938 in Point Piper, New South Wales) was an Australian cricketer. ... The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. ... Frederick Fred Spofforth (born in Balmain, Sydney on 9 September 1853, died in Surrey, England on 4 June 1926) - also called The Demon, was arguably the Australian cricket teams first and best pace bowler of the 19th century. ... The game of cricket has a known history spanning from the 16th century to the present day, with international matches played since 1844, although the official history of international Test cricket began in 1877. ...

When Ted Peate, England's last batsman, came to the crease, his side needed just ten runs to win, but Peate scored only two before he was bowled by Harry Boyle. An astonished Oval crowd fell dead-silent, struggling to believe that England could possibly have lost to her colony. When it sunk in, however, the crowd swarmed onto the field, cheering loudly and chairing Boyle and Spofforth off the field. Edmund (Ted) Peate (Holbeck, Leeds, Yorkshire, 2 March 1855 – 11 March 1900 in Newlay, Horsforth, Yorkshire) was an English professional cricketer who played for Yorkshire and England. ... Harry Boyle Henry Frederick (Harry) Boyle (December 10, 1847 in Sydney - November 21, 1907 in Bendigo, Victoria) was a Australian cricketer. ...

When Peate returned to the pavilion, he was reprimanded by his peers for not allowing his partner, Charles Studd, to get the runs. Although Studd was one of the best batsman in England, having already hit two centuries that season against the colonists, Peate replied, "I had no confidence in Mr Studd, sir, so thought I had better do my best."^{[citation needed]} Charles Thomas Studd was born 2 December 1860, Spratton, Northamptonshire, England, and died 16 July 1931, Ibambi, Belgian Congo. ...

The momentous defeat was widely recorded in the English press, which praised the Australians for their plentiful "pluck" and berated the Englishmen for their lack thereof. A celebrated poem appeared in Punch on Saturday, 9 September 1882. The first verse (quoted most frequently) reads thus: Punch was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire published from 1841 to 1992 and from 1996 to 2002. ...

Well done, Cornstalks! Whipt us

Fair and square,

Was it luck that tript us?

Was it scare?

Kangaroo Land's 'Demon'^[3], or our own

Want of 'devil', coolness, nerve, backbone?

On 31 August, in the great Charles Alcock-edited magazine Cricket: A Weekly Record of The Game, there appeared a now obscure mock obituary: Charles William Alcock (December 2, 1842 - February 26, 1907) was a very influential English sports administrator and player. ...

SACRED TO THE MEMORY

OF

ENGLAND'S SUPREMACY IN THE

CRICKET-FIELD

WHICH EXPIRED

ON THE 29TH DAY OF AUGUST, AT THE OVAL

----

"ITS END WAS PEATE"

----

Two days later, on September 2, 1882, a second mock obituary, written by Reginald Brooks under the pseudonym "Bloobs", appeared in The Sporting Times. It read as follows: is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

In Affectionate Remembrance

of

ENGLISH CRICKET,

which died at the Oval

on

29th AUGUST, 1882,

Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing

friends and acquaintances

----

R.I.P.

----

N.B. — The body will be cremated and the

ashes taken to Australia.

Ivo Bligh fastened on to this notice and promised that, on the tour to Australia in 1882–83 (which he was to captain), he would regain "the ashes". He spoke of them again several times over the course of the tour, and the Australian media quickly caught on. The three-match series resulted in a 2-1 win to England, notwithstanding a fourth match, won by the Australians, whose status remains a matter of ardent dispute. Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley (13 March 1859-10 April 1927), known earlier in his life as The Honourable Ivo Bligh, was a cricketer who captained the English cricket team in the first ever Ashes series in Australia in 1882/3. ...

In the twenty years following Bligh's campaign, the term "The Ashes" largely disappeared from public use. There is certainly no suggestion that this was the accepted name for the series -- at least in England. The term apparently became popular again in Australia before it did in England, when George Giffen, in his memoirs, (With Bat and Ball, 1899) used the term as if it were well known.^[4] The true revitalisation of interest in the concept dates from 1903, when Pelham Warner took a team to Australia with the promise that he would regain "the ashes". As had been the case on Bligh's tour twenty years before, the Australian media latched fervently onto the term, and, this time, it stuck. Having fulfilled his promise, Warner then published a book entiled "How We Recovered The Ashes". Although the origins are not referred to in the text, the title served (along with the general hype already created in Australia) to revive public interest in the legend. The first mention of "The Ashes" in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack occurs in 1905. Wisden's first account of the legend is included in the 1922 edition. George Giffen (born March 27, 1859 in Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia - died November 29, 1927 in Parkside, Adelaide, South Australia) was an Australian cricketer. ... Sir Pelham Francis Warner, affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or the Grand Old Man of English cricket was born on 2 October 1873 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and died on 30 January 1963 at West Lavington, Sussex. ... Wisden is the main publisher of information on cricket in the United Kingdom. ...

The Ashes Urn

As it took many years for the name the Ashes to be given to the ongoing series between England and Australia, there was no concept of there being a representation of the ashes being presented to the winners. As late as 1925, the following verse appeared in The Cricketers Annual:

So here’s to Chapman, Hendren and Hobbs,

Gilligan, Woolley and Hearne:

May they bring back to the Motherland,

The ashes which have no urn!

Nevertheless, several attempts had been made over the years to embody The Ashes in a physical memorial. Examples include one presented to Warner in 1904, another to Australian Captain MA Noble in 1909 and another to Australian Captain WM Woodfall in 1934.

The oldest however, and the one to enjoy enduring fame, was the one presented to Hon Ivo Bligh, later Lord Darnley, during the 1882–83 tour. The precise nature of the origin of this urn however, is matter of dispute. Based on a statement by Darnley made in 1894, it was believed that a group of Victorian ladies, including Darnley's later wife Florence Morphy, made the presentation after the victory in the third test in 1883. More recent researchers, in particular Ronald Willis^[5] and Joy Munns^[6] have studied the tour in detail and concluded that the presentation was made after a private cricket match played over Christmas 1882 when the English team were guests of Sir William Clarke, at his property 'Rupertswood', in Sunbury, Victoria . This was before the matches had started. The prime evidence for this theory was provided by a descendant of Lord Clarke. VIC redirects here. ... Sunbury is a large suburb of Melbourne, located in Victoria, Australia. ...

The contents of the Darnley urn are also problematic; they were variously reported to be the remains of a stump, bail or the outer casing of a ball, but in 1998, Lord Darnley’s 82-year-old daughter-in-law said they were the remains of her mother-in-law’s veil, casting a further layer of doubt on the matter. However during the tour of Australia in 2006/7, the MCC official accompanying the urn said the veil legend had been discounted, and it was now "95% certain" that the urn contains the ashes of a cricket bail. Speaking on Channel Nine TV on 25 November 2006, he also said x-rays of the urn had shown the pedestal and handles were cracked, and repair work had to be carried out. The urn itself is made of terracotta and is about six inches (15 cm) tall and may originally have been a perfume jar. Terra cotta is a hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ...

A six verse poem appeared in the 1 February edition of Melbourne Punch, the fourth verse of which makes reference to the urn; at some point this verse was glued to the urn and remains so to the present day. The verse in question reads:^[7]

When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn;

Studds, Steel, Read and Tylecote return, return;

The welkin will ring loud,

The great crowd will feel proud,

Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn, the urn;

And the rest coming home with the urn.

In February 1883, just before the disputed fourth test, a velvet bag, which was made by Mrs Ann Fletcher, the daughter of Joseph Hines Clarke and Marion Wright, both of Dublin, was given to Bligh to contain the urn. Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley (13 March 1859-10 April 1927), known earlier in his life as The Honourable Ivo Bligh, was a cricketer who captained the English cricket team in the first ever Ashes series in Australia in 1882/3. ... The three famous Studd brothers, Charles, Kynaston & George, were Victorian gentleman cricketers; they were educated at Eton and Cambridge. ... Allan Gibson AG Steel (registered at birth as Alan Gibson Steel) (born 24 September 1858 in Liverpool, died 15 June 1914 in London) was a Lancashire and England cricketer, who was reckoned by some in his day to be the equal of the legendary W G Grace. ... Walter William Read (23 November 1855-6 January 1907) was an English cricketer, who was a right hand bat, right hand slow underarm bowler, but right hand fast roundarm bowler. ... Edward Ferdinando Sutton Tylecote (born 23 June 1849 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, England; died 15 March 1938 in New Hunstanton, Norfolk, England) was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Kent. ... Richard (Dick) Gorton Barlow (born 28 May 1851 in Barrow Bridge, Bolton, Lancashire, England; died 31 July 1919 in Stanley Park, Blackpool, Lancashire, England) was a cricketer who played for Lancashire and England. ... Willie Bates, known as Billy (19 November 1855 - 8 January 1900) was an English all-round cricketer. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ...

During Darnley’s lifetime, there was little public knowledge of the urn, and no record of a published photograph exists before 1924. However, when Darnley died in 1927, his widow presented the urn to the Marylebone Cricket Club and that was the key event in establishing the urn as the physical embodiment of the legendary ashes. MCC first displayed the urn in the Long Room at Lord's Cricket Ground and since 1953 in the MCC Cricket Museum at the ground. It is ironic that MCC’s wish for it to be seen by as wide a range of cricket enthusiasts as possible has led to its being mistaken for an official trophy. Lords 2005 The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787, is a private members club and was the original governing body of cricket in England and across the world. ... The Pavilion The Grand Stand Match in progress The Media Centre at Lords Cricket Ground This memorial stone to Lord Harris is in the Harris Garden at Lords Lords Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in St Johns Wood in London, at grid reference TQ268827. ...

It is in fact a private memento, and for this reason the Ashes urn itself is never physically awarded to either England or Australia, but is kept permanently in the MCC Cricket Museum where it can be seen together with the specially-made red and gold velvet bag and the scorecard of the 1882 match.

Due to its fragile condition, the urn has been allowed to travel to Australia only twice. The first occasion was in 1988 for a museum tour as part of Australia's Bicentennial celebrations. The second visit was timed to coincide with the 2006/7 Ashes series. The urn arrived on 17 October 2006, going on display at the Museum of Sydney. It then toured to other states, with the final appearance at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery on 21 January 2007. An anniversary is a day that commemorates an event that occurred on the same day of the year some time in the past. ... Main door of Museum of Sydney The Museum of Sydney is built on the ruins of the house of Australias first governor-general, Governor Phillip. ...

In the 1990s, given Australia's long dominance of the Ashes series, and the popular acceptance of the Darnley urn as ‘The Ashes’, the idea was mooted that the victorious team in an Ashes series should be awarded the urn as a trophy and allowed to retain it until the next series. As its condition is fragile, and it is a prized exhibit at the MCC Cricket Museum, the MCC were reluctant to agree. Furthermore, in 2002, Bligh's great-great-grandson (Lord Clifton, the heir-apparent to the Earldom of Darnley) argued that the Ashes urn should not be returned to Australia as it was essentially the property of his family and only given to the MCC for safe-keeping. The Earldom of Darnley has been created in both the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland. ...

As a compromise, the MCC commissioned a trophy in the form of a larger-scale replica of the urn in Waterford Crystal to award to the winning team of each series from 1998–99. This did little to diminish the status of the Darnley urn as most important icon in cricket, the symbol of this most ancient and keenly fought of contests. The world-famous Waterford Crystal Ball is lowered in Times Square, New York City, on New Years Eve Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware produced in Waterford, Ireland, by the company Waterford Wedgwood plc. ...

Series and matches

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See also: List of Ashes series for a full listing of all the Ashes series since 1882.

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Ashes urn, which is held by the most recent team to win an Ashes series This is a list of Ashes cricket series played between Australia and England. ...

The quest to "recover those ashes"

See also: History of Test cricket (to 1883): The Ashes legend

Later in 1882, following the famous Australian victory at The Oval, the Honourable Ivo Bligh led an England team to Australia, as he said, to "recover those ashes". Publicity surrounding the series was intense, and it was at some time during this series that the Ashes urn was crafted. Australia won the first Test by nine wickets, but in the next two England were victorious. At the end of the third Test, England were generally considered to have "won back the Ashes" 2–1. A fourth match was in fact played, against a "United Australian XI", which was stronger than the Australian side that had competed in the previous matches; this game, however, is not generally considered part of the 1882/83 series. It is counted as a Test, but as a standalone. For more coverage of cricket, see the cricket portal. ... Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley (13 March 1859-10 April 1927), known earlier in his life as The Honourable Ivo Bligh, was a cricketer who captained the English cricket team in the first ever Ashes series in Australia in 1882/3. ... The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. ...

English dominance till 1897

After Bligh's victory, there was an extended period of English dominance. The tours generally had fewer Tests in the 1880s and 1890s than people have grown accustomed to in more recent years. England only lost four Ashes Tests in the 1880s, out of 23 played, and they won all the seven series contested.

There was more chopping and changing in the teams, given that there was no official board of selectors for each country (at times, two competing sides toured a nation), and popularity with the fans varied. The 1890s games were more closely fought, Australia taking their first series win since 1882 with a 2–1 victory in 1891–92. But England still predominated, winning the next three series despite continuing player disputes.

1894/95 Series

Main article: English cricket team in Australia in 1894-95

This series began in sensational fashion when England won the First Test at Sydney by just 10 runs having followed on. Australia had scored a massive 586 (Syd Gregory 201, George Giffen 161) and then dismissed England for 325. But England responded with 437 and then dramatically dismissed Australia for 166 with Bobby Peel taking 6/67. At the close of the penultimate day's play, Australia had been 113-2, only needing 64 more runs. But heavy rain fell overnight, and next morning the two slow left-arm bowlers, Peel and Johnny Briggs, were all but unplayable. The England national cricket team toured Australia and Ceylon in 1894-95. ... Sydney Edward Gregory (born April 14, 1870 at Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales - died August 1, 1929 at Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales) was an Australian cricketer. ... George Giffen (born March 27, 1859 in Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia - died November 29, 1927 in Parkside, Adelaide, South Australia) was an Australian cricketer. ... Robert Peel (often known as Bobby Peel) was a Yorkshire and England cricket player: a left-arm spinner who ranks as one of the finest bowlers of the 1890s. ... Johnny Briggs (born October 3, 1862, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England; died January 11, 1902, Heald Green, Cheadle, Cheshire, England) was a cricketer who was a left arm spin bowler for Lancashire County Cricket Club between 1879 and 1900 who still stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in the...

England went on to win the series 3-2 after it had been all square before the Final Test, which England won by 6 wickets. The English heroes were Peel, with 27 wickets in the series at 26.70, and Tom Richardson, with 32 at 26.53. Tom Richardson (born August 11, 1870, Byfleet, Surrey; died July 2, 1912, Chambéry, France) was one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time and certainly the most prolific in terms of wicket-taking feats, largely owing to his amazing stamina and appetite for work, which allowed him to...

1902 Series

Main article: Australian cricket team in England in 1902

The 1902 series in England became one of the most famous in the history of Test Match cricket. Five matches were played and the first two were drawn after being hit by bad weather. In the first match (the first Test ever played at Edgbaston), after scoring 376, England bowled out Australia for 36 (Wilfred Rhodes 7–17) and reduced them to 46-2 when they followed on. Australia won the Third and Fourth Tests at Bramall Lane and Old Trafford respectively. At Old Trafford, Australia won by just 3 runs after Victor Trumper had scored 104 on a "bad wicket", reaching his hundred before lunch on the first day. England won the last Test at The Oval by one wicket. Chasing 263 to win, they slumped to 48-5 before Jessop's 104 gave them a chance. He reached his hundred in just 75 minutes. The last wicket pair of George Hirst and Rhodes were left with 15 runs to get, and duly got them. When Rhodes joined him, Hirst is famously supposed to have said: "We'll get them in singles, Wilfred." The story appears to be apocryphal and in any case they are believed to have scored at least one two among the singles. Teams  Australia  England Captains Joe Darling Archie MacLaren The Australian cricket team toured England as part of the 1902 English cricket season. ... Edgbaston Cricket Ground (sometimes called Edgbaston Stadium) is a cricket venue in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England. ... Wilfred Rhodes (born October 29, 1877, North Moor, Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire; died July 8, 1973, Branksome Park, Poole) was one of the greatest cricketers of the twentieth century. ... Bramall Lane Stadium is the home of Sheffield United Football Club in Sheffield, England and is the oldest major stadium in the world still to be hosting professional football matches. ... Lancashire CCC - main entrance Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, England has been the home of Lancashire cricket team since 1856 and of the Lancashire County Cricket Club since it was founded in 1864. ... Victor Thomas Trumper (born November 2, 1877 in Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, died June 28, 1915, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales) was a famous Australian batsman in the sport of cricket. ... The famous gasometers, which are now listed buildings. ... Gilbert Laird Jessop (1874 - 1955) was an English cricket player. ... George Herbert Hirst (born in Kirkheaton, Huddersfield, Yorkshire on 7 September 1871 - 10 May 1954), often known as George Herbert, was a professional cricketer for Yorkshire and England. ... Apocrypha (from the Greek word , meaning those having been hidden away[1]) are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned. ...

Reviving the Ashes legend

After what the MCC saw as the problems of the earlier professional and amateur series, they decided to take control of organising tours themselves, and this led to the first MCC tour of Australia in 1903–1904. England won it against the odds, and Plum Warner, the England captain, wrote up his version of the tour in his book How We Recovered The Ashes. The title of this book revived the Ashes legend and it was after this that England v Australia series were customarily referred to as "The Ashes". Lords 2005 The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787, is a private members club and was the original governing body of cricket in England and across the world. ... Sir Pelham Francis Warner, affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or the Grand Old Man of English cricket was born on 2 October 1873 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and died on 30 January 1963 at West Lavington, Sussex. ...

England and Australia shared the spoils for the next few years. The entrance of South Africa onto the world cricketing scene meant less time for Ashes series, but even so there were four played after Plum Warner's series, each of the sides taking two victories. In 1905 England's captain, Stanley Jackson, not only won the series 2-0, but also won the toss in all five matches and headed both the batting and the bowling averages. England won the last series in 1911–1912 by four matches to one, with Jack Hobbs establishing himself as a regular with three centuries and Frank Foster (32 wickets at 21.62) and Sydney Barnes (34 wickets at 22.88) forming a formidable opening partnership. The Right Honourable Sir Francis Stanley Jackson (21 November 1870-9 March 1947), better known as the Honourable Stanley Jackson, was an English cricketer, soldier and politician. ... Sir John Berry Jack Hobbs (born 16 December 1882 in Cambridge, England, died 21 December 1963 in Hove, Sussex) played cricket for Surrey and England. ... This article is about the cricketer. ... Sydney Francis Barnes was one of the finest bowlers in cricket history. ...

1912 Triangular Series

Main article: 1912 Triangular Tournament

England then retained the Ashes when they won the Triangular tournament, which also featured South Africa, in 1912. England looked as if they had established themselves as the dominating force by the time World War I intervened and brought a halt to all international cricket. However the 1912 Australian touring party had been severely weakened by a dispute between the board and players that caused Clem Hill, Victor Trumper, Warwick Armstrong, Tibby Cotter, Sammy Carter and Vernon Ransford to be omitted.^[8] The 1912 Triangular Tournament was the first competition where all of Test cricketing nations of Australia, England and South Africa, played together. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Clement (Clem) Hill (born March 18, 1877 in Hindmarsh, Adelaide, South Australia - died September 5, 1945 in Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria) was an Australian cricketer. ... Victor Thomas Trumper (born November 2, 1877 in Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, died June 28, 1915, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales) was a famous Australian batsman in the sport of cricket. ... Warwick Windridge Armstrong (born May 22, 1879 in Kyneton, Victoria, died July 13, 1947 in Sydney, New South Wales) was an Australian cricketer. ... Albert Tibby Cotter was an Australian cricketer who played in 21 Tests between 1904 and 1912. ... Hanson (Sammy) Carter (March 15, 1878 in Yorkshire, England - June 8, 1948 in Sydney, New South Wales) was a cricketer who played for Australia and New South Wales. ... Vernon Ransford was an Australian cricketer who played in 20 Tests between 1907 and 1912. ...

1920s

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After the war, Australia took firm control of both the Ashes and world cricket. For the first time, the tactic of using two express bowlers in tandem paid off as Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald regularly destroyed the England batting. Australia recorded thumping victories both in England and on home soil. They won the first eight matches in succession, and England only won one Test out of fifteen from the end of the war until 1925, and suffered a whitewash in 1920–1921 by the team led by Warwick Armstrong.^[9] Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Jack Morrison Gregory (August 14, 1895, North Sydney, New South Wales - August 7, 1973, Bega, New South Wales) was an Australian cricketer. ... Edgar Arthur McDonald (born January 6, 1891, Launceston, Tasmania, died July 22, 1937, Blackrod, Bolton, Lancashire) was an Australian cricketer who played in 11 Tests in 1921. ... A whitewash is an informal term in sport describing a game or series in which the losing person or team fails to score. ... The England and Marylebone Cricket Club tour of Australia between November 1920 and March 1921 included five Ashes Tests which were all won by Australia. ... Warwick Windridge Armstrong (born May 22, 1879 in Kyneton, Victoria, died July 13, 1947 in Sydney, New South Wales) was an Australian cricketer. ...

In a rain-hit series in 1926, however, England managed to eke out a 1–0 victory with a win in the final Test at The Oval. Because the series was at stake, the match was to be "timeless", ie played to a finish. Australia had a narrow first innings lead of 22. Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe took the score to 49-0 at the end of the second day, a lead of 27. Heavy rain fell overnight, and next day the pitch soon developed into a traditional sticky wicket. England seemed doomed to be bowled out cheaply and to lose the match. In spite of the very difficult batting conditions, however, Hobbs and Sutcliffe took their partnership to 172 before Hobbs was out for exactly 100. Sutcliffe went on to make 161 and in the end England won the game comfortably.^[10] Herbert Sutcliffe (born November 24, 1894, Summerbridge, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England; died January 22, 1978, Cross Hills, Yorkshire, England) was arguably the greatest opening batsman in cricket history and undoubtedly one of the greatest players of any type the game has known. ...

Despite the appearance of Donald Bradman, Australia could not win the next series in 1928–29 either, losing 4–1.^[11] England had a very strong batting side, with Wally Hammond contributing 905 runs at an average of 113.12, and Hobbs, Sutcliffe and Patsy Hendren all scoring heavily; the bowling was more than adequate, without being outstanding. Sir Donald George Bradman AC (27 August 1908—25 February 2001), often called The Don, was an Australian cricketer, administrator and writer on the game, generally acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. ... Walter Reginald Hammond (June 19, 1903 - July 1, 1965), often known as Wally Hammond, was an English cricketer, who played for Gloucestershire and England, primarily as a batsman, in a career that straddled (and was disrupted by) the Second World War. ... Elias Henry Patsy Hendren (5 February 1889 - 4 October 1962) was one of the finest English batsmen of the period between the wars, averaging 47. ...

1930 Series

Bradman won the next series in 1930 almost by himself (974 runs at 139.14), as one of the best batting line-ups of all time began to form in the early 1930s, including Bradman himself, Stan McCabe and Bill Ponsford. It was the prospect of bowling at this line-up that caused England's captain Douglas Jardine to think up the Bodyline tactic. In the Headingley Test of 1930, Bradman made 334, reaching 309* at the end of the first day, including reaching his hundred before lunch. However he himself thought that his 254 in the preceding match, at Lord's, was an even better innings. England hung on until the final Test, at The Oval, which they went into at 1-1. However yet another double hundred by Bradman, and 7-92 by Percy Hornibrook in England's second innings, enabled Australia to win by an innings. Clarrie Grimmett's 29 wickets at 31.89 for Australia in this high-scoring series were also important. Stanley Joseph McCabe (16 July 1910, Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia - 25 August 1968) was an Australian cricketer. ... William Harold Ponsford (born 19 October 1900, North Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) was an Australian cricketer. ... Douglas Robert Jardine (23 October 1900, Bombay - 18 June 1958, Montreux) was a British cricketer and captain of the controversial 1932-33 Bodyline tour of Australia. ... Bill Woodfull evades a Bodyline ball. ... Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley. ... The Pavilion The Grand Stand Match in progress The Media Centre at Lords Cricket Ground This memorial stone to Lord Harris is in the Harris Garden at Lords Lords Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in St Johns Wood in London, at grid reference TQ268827. ... Percival Mitchell Hornibrook (born July 27, 1899, Obi Obi, Queensland, died August 25, 1976, Spring Hill, Queensland) was an Australian cricketer who played in 6 Tests from 1929 to 1930. ... Clarence Victor Clarrie Grimmett (1891-Australian cricket player, thought by many to be one of the finest early spin bowlers, and usually credited as the developer of the flipper. ...

1932/33 Series

Main article: Bodyline

Bill Woodfull evades a ball from Harold Larwood with Bodyline field settings.

In 1932, after Bradman's routing of the English team in the previous series, Douglas Jardine developed a tactic of instructing his fast bowlers to bowl at the bodies of the Australian batsmen, with the goal of forcing them to defend their bodies with their bats, and provide easy catches to a stacked leg side field. Jardine insisted that the tactic was legitimate and called it leg theory but it was widely disparaged and its opponents dubbed it bodyline (from on the line of the body). Although England won the Ashes, bodyline caused such a furore in Australia that diplomats had to intervene to prevent serious harm to Anglo-Australian relations, and the MCC eventually changed the laws of cricket to prevent anyone from using the tactic again. Bill Woodfull evades a Bodyline ball. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bill Woodfull William Bill Woodfull (22 August 1897, Maldon, Victoria, Australia - 11 August 1965, Tweed Heads South, New South Wales) was an Australian cricket player. ... Harold Larwood (November 14, 1904 - July 22, 1995) was an English cricket player, an extremely quick and accurate fast bowler best known for his key role as the implementer of fast leg theory in the infamous Bodyline Ashes Test series of 1932-33. ... Bill Woodfull evades a Bodyline ball. ... Douglas Robert Jardine (23 October 1900, Bombay - 18 June 1958, Montreux) was a British cricketer and captain of the controversial 1932-33 Bodyline tour of Australia. ... Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. ... The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket. ... Lords 2005 The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787, is a private members club and was the original governing body of cricket in England and across the world. ... The laws of cricket are a set of rules framed by the Marylebone Cricket Club which serve to standardise the format of cricket matches across the world to ensure uniformity and fairness. ...

Jardine's comments summed up England's views: "I've not travelled 6,000 miles to make friends. I'm here to win the Ashes."

1934 to 1947

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On the batting-friendly wickets that prevailed in the late 1930s, most Tests up to the Second World War still gave results. It should be borne in mind that Tests in Australia prior to the war were all played to a finish. Many batting records were set in this period. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Cricket pitch (not to scale) A wicket consists of three stumps that are placed into the ground, and topped with two bails. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Len Hutton scored 364 at The Oval to give England a draw in the 1938 series. This was the world record Test innings at the time.^[12] Several high partnerships were recorded through the 1930s, many of them involving Bradman. For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... The famous gasometers, which are now listed buildings. ... An innings, or inning, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably baseball and cricket – during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. ...

The 1934 Ashes series began with the notable absence of the English players Harold Larwood, Bill Voce and Captain Douglas Jardine. The MCC had made it clear, in light of the revelations of the bodyline series of 1932/33, that these players would not face Australia. It should be noted, however, that the MCC, although it had earlier condoned and encouraged^{[citation needed]} bodyline tactics in the 1932/33 Ashes series, laid blame on Harold Larwood when relations turned sour. Larwood was forced by the MCC either to apologise for using bodyline or be removed from the Test side. He went for the latter.

The first Test brought a victory for Australia, with key performances from McCabe and Ponsford (who chipped in with half-centuries). O'Reilly bowled spectacularly, taking seven for 54 in England's second innings.^[13]

The second Test, played at Lord's, was the venue for a victory for England. Although interrupted by rainfall, England won by an innings and 38 runs -- although the scoreline fails to convey the extreme tension which prevailed. Hedley Verity, with fifteen wickets, played a pivotal role in securing England's most recent Ashes victory at Lord's.^[13] Hedley Verity (18 May 1905 - 31 July 1943) was an England cricketer. ...

The third and fourth Tests were both drawn, and the final and decisive match was played at The Oval. Australia, batting first, posted a massive 701 in the first innings. Bradman (244) and Ponsford (266) were in record-breaking form with a partnership of 451 for the second wicket. England was eventually set a whopping 707 runs for victory and failed, leaving Australia the victor of the 1934 series with two victories, one loss and two draws.^[14]

1948 Series

Main article: Australian cricket team in England in 1948

Australia's first tour of England after World War II, in 1948, was led by the 39-year-old Bradman in his last appearance representing Australia. His team has gone down in cricketing legend as The Invincibles, as they played 36 matches including five Tests, and remained unbeaten on the tour. They won 27 matches, drawing only 9, including of course the 4–0 Ashes series victory. The Australian cricket team on board the RMS Strathaird en-route to England in 1948. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Australian cricket team on board the RMS Strathaird en-route to England in 1948. ...

This series is also known for one of the most poignant moments in cricket history, as Bradman batted for Australia in the fifth Test at The Oval — his last — needing to score only 4 runs to maintain a career batting average of 100. Eric Hollies bowled him second ball for a duck with a googly, sending him into retirement with a career average of 99.94. Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... William Eric Hollies (born June 5, 1912 in Old Hill, Staffordshire, died April 16, 1981, Chinley, Derbyshire) was an English cricketer who is mainly remembered for taking the wicket of Donald Bradman for a duck in Bradmans final Test match innings. ...

1950 to 1980

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Australia gradually weakened after 1948, with Bradman retiring and opening batsman Sid Barnes fading away after a series of disciplinary incidents with the board. This allowed England back into the fray in the early 1950s when they won three successive Ashes series, from 1953 to 1956 to be arguably the best Test side in the world at the time. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sidney George Barnes (born 5 June 1916 in tamworth; died 16 December 1973 in Sydney) was an Australian cricketer. ...

In 1954/55, Australia's batsmen had no answer to the pace of Frank Tyson and Brian Statham. After winning the first Test, Australia lost its way and England took a hat-trick of victories to win the series 3 1.^[15] Frank Holmes Tyson (born 6 June 1930 in Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire) was an England cricketer of the mid-1950s. ... (John) Brian Statham (born June 17, 1930, Manchester; died June 10, 2000, Stockport, Cheshire) was one of the finest bowlers in the history of cricket. ...

A see-sawing series in 1956 saw a record that will probably never be beaten: off-spinner Jim Laker's monumental effort at Old Trafford when he bowled 68 of 191 overs to take nineteen out of twenty possible Australian wickets.^[16] Never has the phrase "he won the match single-handedly" been more appropriate. James Charles (Jim) Laker (February 9, 1922, Frizinghall, near Bradford, Yorkshire–April 23, 1986, Putney, London) was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s. ... Lancashire CCC - main entrance Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, England has been the home of Lancashire cricket team since 1856 and of the Lancashire County Cricket Club since it was founded in 1864. ...

England's dominance was not to last, however. Australia thumped them 4–0 when they next toured in 1958–59, having found a good bowler of their own in Richie Benaud who took 31 wickets in the 5-Test series. Richard Richie Benaud OBE (born October 6, 1930 in Penrith, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer. ...

England failed to win any series during the 1960s, a period dominated by draws as teams found it more prudent to save face with a draw than risk losing. Of a total of 25 Ashes Tests playing during this decade, Australia won seven and England three. It was in the 1960s that the predominance of England and Australia in world cricket was seriously challenged for the first time. West Indies defeated England twice in the mid-sixties and then South Africa, in its last series before it was banned, completely outplayed Australia.

In 1970/71, Ray Illingworth led England to a 2-0 win in Australia, mainly because of John Snow's fast bowling, while Geoffrey Boycott and John Edrich scored the runs. It was not until the last session of what was the 7th Test that England's success was assured and the win was a triumph for Illingworth.^[17] The Australian captain Bill Lawry was sacked in the middle of the series after the selectors lost patience with Australia's lack of success and dour strategy. Lawry was not informed of the decision privately and heard his fate over the radio. Raymond (Ray) Illingworth (born 8 June 1932) is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. ... John Augustine Snow (born 13 October 1941), usually known as plain John Snow was a prominent cricketer who played for Sussex and England during the 1960s and 1970s. ... Geoffrey Boycott OBE (born October 21, 1940) is a former Yorkshire and England cricketer. ... John Hugh Edrich (born 21 June 1937) in Blofield, Norfolk, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey and England. ... Bill (William Morris) Lawry (born 11 February 1937, Melbourne) was an Australian cricketer. ...

The 1972 series finished all square at 2-2, with England retaining the Ashes as a result.^[18]

By the 1974 75 series, with England going into decline and without their best batsman Geoff Boycott, Australian pace bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee wreaked havoc. A 4-1 result was a fair reflection as England were left shell shocked.^[19] England lost the 1975 series at home 0-1, but at least restored some pride under Tony Greig as their new captain.^[20] For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Dennis Keith Lillee (born July 18, 1949 in Subiaco, Western Australia) was an Australian cricketer. ... Anthony Tony William Greig (born October 6, 1946) is a former test cricketer and currently a commentator. ...

Australia won the 1977 Centenary Test^[21] (which was not an Ashes contest) but then a storm broke as Kerry Packer announced his intention to form World Series Cricket.^[22] Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer AC (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian publishing, media and gaming tycoon. ... The WSC logo. ...

England was already in decline and no longer a match for West Indies. World Series Cricket damaged Australia too and for many years they struggled in Test cricket. The Ashes had long been seen as a sort of cricket world championship but that view was no longer feasible. The WSC logo. ...

The 1977 series in England resulted in a 3-0 win for England under Mike Brearley.^[23] The Australian team were split and without Dennis Lillee. Brearley captained England superbly and the return to test cricket of Geoff Boycott was a resounding success as he averaged 147 in his 3 matches. Ian Botham also made his test debut in the series.

In 1978/79 Mike Brearley led England to an overwhelming 5-1 series win over an Australian side led by Graham Yallop.^[24] During this series Allan Border made his Test debut for Australia. The England team contained the likes of Boycott, Gower, Gooch, Botham and Willis and although the cricket was often not of the highest class, the Australian team were unlucky to lose so heavily. John Michael Brearley (born in Harrow, Middlesex, on 28 April 1942) was a cricketer who captained the England cricket team in 31 of his 39 Test matches, winning 17 and losing only 4. ... Graham Neil Yallop (October 7, 1952 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) played cricket for Australia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

1981 Series

Main article: Australian cricket team in England in 1981

Ian Botham started the series as England captain but was forced to resign or was sacked (depending on the source) after Australia took a 1-0 lead in the first two Tests of the 1981 series. Mike Brearley, who had previously retired from Test cricket, agreed to be reappointed before the Third Test at Headingley. Australia looked certain to take a 2-0 lead in the third Test when they forced England to follow-on 227 runs behind. England, despite being 135 for 7, produced a second innings total of 356 with Botham scoring 149*. Chasing just 130, Australia was dismissed for 111, with Bob Willis taking 8/43. It was the first time since 1894/95 that a team following on had won any Test match. Under Brearley's leadership, England went on to win the next two matches before a drawn final match at The Oval.^[25] The tour by the Australian cricket team in England in 1981 included the 59th Ashes series of Test matches between Australia and England. ... Sir Ian Terence Botham, OBE, (born 24 November 1955) is a retired England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. ... John Michael Brearley (born in Harrow, Middlesex, on 28 April 1942) was a cricketer who captained the England cricket team in 31 of his 39 Test matches, winning 17 and losing only 4. ... Robert (Bob) George Dylan Willis (born in Sunderland 30 May 1949) is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England. ...

While this was an exciting and entertaining series, neither England nor Australia could match the dominant West Indies at the time. Learie Constantine, was one of the first great West Indian players. ...

1980s

Australia had Greg Chappell back in 1982–83 as captain, while the England team was weakened by the enforced omission of the South African rebels, particularly Graham Gooch and John Emburey.^{[citation needed]} Australia went two-nil up after three Tests, but England won the fourth Test by 3 runs (after a 70-run last wicket stand) to set up the final decider. However, the game was drawn.^[26] Gregory Stephen Chappell (born 7 August 1948 in Unley, South Australia) is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket (WSC) organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, which he held until 1983. ... During the isolation of South Africa from international cricket during the apartheid regime from 1970 to 1991, a number of government sponsored international cricket tours were organised (see International cricket in South Africa (1971 to 1981)). In the 1980s, these tours were known as the South African rebel tours and... Graham Alan Gooch (born July 23, 1953) is a former cricket captain for Essex and England. ... John Ernest Emburey (born 20 August 1952 in Peckham) is a former English cricketer who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England. ...

In 1985 England were bolstered by the return of Graham Gooch and John Emburey as well as the emergence at international level of Tim Robinson and Mike Gatting.^{[citation needed]} Australia, under Allan Border were weakened by a rebel South African tour, the loss of Terry Alderman who dominated the 1981 and 1983 series a particular factor.^{[citation needed]} England won 3–1, with David Gower scoring a career-high 215 in the fifth Test, and an innings win in the final test, where Gower scored 157 and Gooch 196.^[27] Graham Alan Gooch (born July 23, 1953) is a former cricket captain for Essex and England. ... John Ernest Emburey (born 20 August 1952 in Peckham) is a former English cricketer who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England. ... Robert Timothy Robinson (born November 21, 1958, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire) is a former English cricketer who played in 29 Tests and 26 ODIs from 1984 to 1989. ... Michael William Gatting (born June 6, 1957) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Terence Michael Alderman (born 12 June 1956 in Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia) is a former Australian cricketer. ... David Ivon Gower (born April 1, 1957) is a retired cricket player and current cricket broadcaster. ...

The 1986/87 England side started badly and attracted some criticism.^[28] However, Chris Broad got three hundreds in successive tests and bowling successes from Graham Dilley and Gladstone Small meant England won 2–1.^[29] The final test was again marred by a controversial umpiring decision as Dean Jones was given not out early on in his innings to what appeared a legitimate catch. He went on to score 184* as Australia recorded their only win.^{[citation needed]} It was though a resounding win for England and few could have predicted how long it would be until they won the Ashes again as after those wins a period of extended Australian dominance began. England would have to wait until 2005 to win the Ashes again. Brian Christopher Chris Broad (born September 29, 1957, Knowle, Somerset) is a former England test cricketer and current test official. ... Graham Roy Dilley (born 18 May 1959 in Dartford, Kent) was an English cricketer whose main role was as a fast bowler. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Dean Mervyn Jones (born March 24, 1961 in Coburg, Victoria) was an Australian Cricketer. ...

The Australian Ashes team of 1989 was comparable to past great Australian teams, and resoundingly defeated England 4–0^[30] The team, captained by Allan Border, included the young cricketers Mark Taylor, Merv Hughes, David Boon, Ian Healy, and Steve Waugh, who were all to prove long-serving and successful Ashes competitors. England, led once again by David Gower, suffered from injuries and poor form. During the fourth Test news broke that prominent England players had agreed to take part in a "rebel tour" of South Africa the following winter; three of them (Tim Robinson, Neil Foster and John Emburey) were playing in the match, and were subsequently dropped from the England side.^[31] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Mark Anthony Taylor (born 27 October 1964 in Leeton, New South Wales; nicknamed Tubby or Tubs) was an Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border. ... Mervyn Gregory Hughes (born 23 November 1961, Euroa, Victoria ) was a mercurial fast bowler who represented Australia between 1985 and 1994 in 53 Test matches taking 212 wickets and scoring over 1000 runs. ... David Clarence Boon, usually referred to as Boony (born December 29, 1960, in Launceston, Tasmania) is a former Australian cricketer of the 1980s and 1990s. ... Ian Andrew Healy (born April 30, 1964 in Brisbane) was an Australian cricketer. ... Stephen Rodger Waugh AO (born June 2, 1965 in Canterbury, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer and was the captain of the Australian Test cricket team from 1999 to 2004. ... David Ivon Gower (born April 1, 1957) is a retired cricket player and current cricket broadcaster. ...

1990s

There can be little doubt that England reached rock-bottom in the 1990s and was at one stage at the foot of the international rankings.^{[dubious – discuss]} After re-establishing its credibility in 1989, Australia underlined its superiority with a succession of victories in 1990/91, 1993, 1994/95, 1997, 1998/99, 2001 and 2002/03 series — all by convincing margins.

Great Australian players in these years were fast bowler Glenn McGrath; wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist; batsmen Justin Langer, Damien Martyn and Ricky Ponting who succeeded Waugh as captain after 2002/03; and leg-spin bowler Shane Warne. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Adam Craig Gilchrist (born 14 November 1971), nicknamed Gilly or Church,[1] is an Australian cricketer. ... Justin Lee Langer (born 21 November 1970 in Perth) is a former Australian cricketer, more specificially a left-handed batsman. ... Damien Richard Martyn (born October 21, 1971 in Darwin, Northern Territory) is a former Australian cricketer. ... Ricky Thomas Ponting (born December 19, 1974, in Launceston, Tasmania) is an Australian cricketer and current captain of the Australia national cricket team (for both One-Day International and Test cricket). ... Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969 in Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria), is an Australian cricketer and the current captain of Hampshire. ...

Australia's record since 1989 has impacted upon the overall statistics between the two sides. Before the 1989 series began, Australia had won 36.9% of all Tests played against England, England 33.5% with 29.7% of matches ending in draws. Previous to the 2005 series, Australia had won 40.8% of all Tests, England 31% with 28.1% drawn.^[32]

In the period between 1989 and the beginning of the 2005 series, the two sides had played 43 times; Australia winning 28 times, England 7 times, with 8 draws. Even more astonishingly, only a single England victory had come in a match in which the Ashes were still at stake, namely the first Test of the 1997 series. All others were consolation victories when the Ashes had been secured by Australia.^[33]

2005 Series

Main article: 2005 Ashes series

England were undefeated in Test matches in the 2004 calendar year, which took the team to second in the ICC Test Championship and raised hopes that the 2005 Ashes series would be closely fought. In fact, the series was even more competitive than anyone had predicted, and was still undecided as the final session of the final test began. The first Test at Lord's was convincingly won by Australia, but in the remaining four matches the teams were evenly matched, and England fought back. England won the second Test by 2 runs, the smallest victory by a runs margin in Ashes history, and the second-closest such victory in all Tests. The rain-affected third Test ended with the last two Australian batsmen holding out for a draw, and England won the fourth Test by three wickets after forcing Australia to follow-on for the first time in 191 Tests. A draw in the final Test gave England victory in an Ashes series for the first time in 18 years, and their first Ashes victory at home since 1985. Experienced journalists including Richie Benaud rated the series as the most exciting in living memory. It has been compared with the great series of the distant past, such as 1894/95 and 1902. Teams England Australia Captains Michael Vaughan Ricky Ponting Most Runs Kevin Pietersen (473) Marcus Trescothick (431) Andrew Flintoff (402) Justin Langer (394) Ricky Ponting (359) Michael Clarke (335) Most Wickets Andrew Flintoff (24) Simon Jones (18) Steve Harmison (17) Shane Warne (40) Brett Lee (20) Glenn McGrath (19) The Ashes... The ICC Test Championship is a notional competition run by the International Cricket Council in the sport of cricket for the 10 nations that play Test cricket. ... The Pavilion The Grand Stand Match in progress The Media Centre at Lords Cricket Ground This memorial stone to Lord Harris is in the Harris Garden at Lords Lords Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in St Johns Wood in London, at grid reference TQ268827. ... Follow-on is a term (noun and verb) used in the sport of cricket. ...

2006–07 series

Main article: 2006-07 Ashes series

Australia regained The Ashes in the 2006–07 series by winning 5-0; the second time a series had been won with that score. Determined to avenge their defeat of 2005, they took advantage of England's failure to maintain pressure at key moments.^{[citation needed]} Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer retired from Test cricket after the series.^{[citation needed]} Teams Australia England Captains Ricky Ponting Andrew Flintoff Most Runs Ricky Ponting (576) Michael Hussey (458) Matthew Hayden (413) Kevin Pietersen (490) Paul Collingwood (433) Ian Bell (331) Most Wickets Stuart Clark (26) Shane Warne (23) Glenn McGrath (21) Matthew Hoggard (13) Andrew Flintoff (11) Monty Panesar (10) The 2006... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969 in Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria), is an Australian cricketer and the current captain of Hampshire. ... Justin Lee Langer (born 21 November 1970 in Perth) is a former Australian cricketer, more specificially a left-handed batsman. ...

Summary of results and statistics

See also: List of Ashes series for a full listing of all the Ashes series since 1882.

Chart of the matches won between the two sides.

A team must win a series to gain the right to hold the Ashes. A drawn series results in the previous holders retaining the Ashes. To date, a total of 64 Ashes series have been played, with Australia winning 31 and England 28. The remaining five series were drawn, with Australia retaining the Ashes four times (1938, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1968) and England retaining it once (1972). The Ashes urn, which is held by the most recent team to win an Ashes series This is a list of Ashes cricket series played between Australia and England. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Ashes series have generally been played over five Test matches, although there have been four match series (1938; 1975) and six match series (1970–71; 1974–75; 1978–79; 1981; 1985; 1989; 1993 and 1997). 300 matches have been played, with Australia winning 121 times, England 95 times, and 84 draws. Australians have made 264 centuries in Ashes Tests, twenty-three of them over 200, while Englishmen have scored 212 centuries, of which ten have been scores over 200. On 41 occasions, individual Australians have taken ten wickets in a match. Englishmen have performed that feat 38 times. In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in the innings. ... M*A*S*H, see Sticky Wicket (M*A*S*H episode). ...

The Ashes today

The Ashes is one of the most fiercely contested competitions in cricket.

The failure of England to regain the Ashes for 16 years from 1989, coupled with the global dominance of the Australian team, had dulled the lustre of the series in recent years throughout most of the cricketing world, although it has remained the most popular cricketing contest for Australians. However the close results in the 2005 Ashes series, and the overall high quality and competitiveness of the cricket greatly boosted the popularity of the sport in Britain and considerably enhanced the profile of the Ashes around the world. It remains to be seen whether the lopsided results of the 2006-07 Ashes series will have a negative impact on this newly acquired popularity outside of Australia. Teams England Australia Captains Michael Vaughan Ricky Ponting Most Runs Kevin Pietersen (473) Marcus Trescothick (431) Andrew Flintoff (402) Justin Langer (394) Ricky Ponting (359) Michael Clarke (335) Most Wickets Andrew Flintoff (24) Simon Jones (18) Steve Harmison (17) Shane Warne (40) Brett Lee (20) Glenn McGrath (19) The Ashes... Teams Australia England Captains Ricky Ponting Andrew Flintoff Most Runs Ricky Ponting (576) Michael Hussey (458) Matthew Hayden (413) Kevin Pietersen (490) Paul Collingwood (433) Ian Bell (331) Most Wickets Stuart Clark (26) Shane Warne (23) Glenn McGrath (21) Matthew Hoggard (13) Andrew Flintoff (11) Monty Panesar (10) The 2006...

Match venues

The series alternate between England and Australia, and within each country each of the (usually) five matches is held at a different cricket ground. The first Test cricket match was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) situated in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Australia, in 1877. ...

In Australia, the grounds currently used are "The Gabba" in Brisbane (first staged an England-Australia Test in the 1932–33 season), Adelaide Oval (1884–85), The WACA, Perth (1970–71) the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) (1876–77) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) (1881–82). One Test was held at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground in 1928–29. Traditionally, Melbourne hosts the Boxing Day Test. Cricket Australia has proposed that the 2010–11 series consist of six tests, with the additional game to be played at Bellerive Oval in Hobart. The England Cricket Board is yet to agree to this. The Brisbane Cricket Ground is a major sports stadium in the Queensland capital of Brisbane. ... The Adelaide Oval is a sports stadium in Adelaide, South Australia. ... The WACA (pronounced wakka) is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. ... “MCG” redirects here. ... The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) (, ) is a cricket stadium in Sydney. ... The Brisbane Exhibition Ground is a sporting stadium in Brisbane, Australia which is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA). ... The Boxing Day Test Match is an annual Boxing Day tradition in Australia involving a cricket Test match between the Australian cricket team and the opposition national team touring Australia that summer. ... Bellerive Oval is a sports ground in Bellerive, eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. ...

In England the grounds used are The Oval (since 1880), Old Trafford (1884), Lord's (1884), Trent Bridge (1899), Headingley (1899) and Edgbaston (1902). One Test was held at Bramall Lane, Sheffield in 1902. Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales is scheduled to hold its first Ashes Test in 2009. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The famous gasometers, which are now listed buildings. ... Lancashire CCC - main entrance The Old Trafford Cricket Ground[1], usually known as simply Old Trafford, is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England that has been the home of Manchester Cricket Club since 1856 and of the Lancashire County Cricket Club since it was... The Pavilion The Grand Stand Match in progress The Media Centre at Lords Cricket Ground This memorial stone to Lord Harris is in the Harris Garden at Lords Lords Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in St Johns Wood in London, at grid reference TQ268827. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley. ... Edgbaston Cricket Ground (sometimes called Edgbaston Stadium) is a cricket venue in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England. ... Bramall Lane Stadium is the home of Sheffield United Football Club in Sheffield, England and is the oldest major stadium in the world still to be hosting professional football matches. ... An venue within Cardiff, home to the Glamorgan County Cricket Club and proposed future home of the Cardiff Devils. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... This article is about the country. ...

The Ashes outside cricket

The popularity and reputation of the cricket series has led to many other events taking the name for England against Australia contests. The best-known and longest-running of these events is the rugby league contest between Great Britain and Australia (see Rugby League Ashes). The contest first started in 1908, the name being suggested by the touring Australians. Another example is in the British television show Gladiators, where two series were based around the Australia–England contest. Wally Lewis passing the ball in Rugby League State of Origin. ... The Ashes is the name given to the trophy awarded to the winner of rugby league test series between Great Britain and Australia. ... For other uses, see Gladiator (disambiguation). ...

The urn is also featured in the science fiction comedy novel Life, the Universe and Everything, the third "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" book by Douglas Adams. The urn is stolen by alien robots, as it is part of the key needed to unlock the "Wikkit Gate" and release the imprisoned world of "Krikkit". Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The word comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humor with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... This article is about the literary concept. ... Life, the Universe and Everything (1982, ISBN 0-345-39182-9) is the third book in the five-volume Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy science fiction series by Douglas Adams. ... The cover of the first novel in the Hitchhikers series, from a late 1990s printing. ... Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. ...

In the cinema, the Ashes featured in the film The Final Test, released in 1953, based on a television play by Terence Rattigan. It stars Jack Warner as an England cricketer playing the last Test of his career, which is the last of an Ashes series; the film contains cameo appearances from prominent contemporary Ashes cricketers including Jim Laker and Denis Compton.^[34] This article is about motion pictures. ... Terence Rattigan — British Playwright Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (June 10, 1911 – November 30, 1977) was one of Englands most important 20th century dramatists. ... Jack Warner OBE (October 24, 1896–May 24, 1981) was a popular English film and television actor. ... James Charles (Jim) Laker (February 9, 1922, Frizinghall, near Bradford, Yorkshire–April 23, 1986, Putney, London) was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s. ... Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE (23 May 1918 - 23 April 1997) was an English cricketer and footballer. ...

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

The Ashes

Cricket Portal

• Ball of the Century
• History of Test cricket from 1877 to 1883
• History of Test cricket from 1884 to 1889
• History of Test cricket from 1890 to 1900

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ... Image File history File links Portal. ... The Ball of the Century, also sometimes known as the Gatting Ball or simply That Ball, was a cricket delivery bowled by Australian bowler Shane Warne to English batsman Mike Gatting on 4 June 1993, during the first Test match of the 1993 Ashes cricket series, at Old Trafford in... The legendary WG Grace, who played Test cricket until he was aged 50. ... The history of Test cricket between 1884 and 1889 was one of English dominance over the Australians. ... Test matches (matches of Test cricket) in the 19th century were somewhat different affairs than what they are today. ...

Notes

Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Birley, D. (2003). A Social History of English Cricket. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 1-85410-941-3. 
• Frith, D. (1990). Australia versus England: a pictorial history of every Test match since 1877. Victoria (Australia): Penguin Books. ISBN 0-670-90323-X. 
• Gibb, J. (1979). Test cricket records from 1877. London: Collins. ISBN 0-00-411690-9. 
• Gibson, A. (1989). Cricket Captains of England. London: Pavilion Books. ISBN 1-85145-395-4. 
• Green, B. (1979). Wisden Anthology 1864–1900. London: M & J/QA Press. ISBN 0-356-10732-9. 
• Harte, Chris (2003). Penguin history of Australian cricket. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-670-04133-5. 
• Munns, J. (1994). Beyond reasonable doubt - Rupertswood, Sunbury - the birthplace of the Ashes. Australia: Joy Munns. ISBN 0-646-22153-1. 
• Warner, P. (1987). Lord's 1787–1945. London: Pavilion Books. ISBN 1-85145-112-9. 
• Warner, P. (2004). How we recovered the Ashes : MCC Tour 1903–1904. London: Methuen. ISBN 0-413-77399-X. 
• Wynne-Thomas, P. (1989). The complete history of cricket tours at home and abroad. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-55782-0. 
• The Ashes. Marylebone Cricket Club. Retrieved on 2007-01-02.

Other Lords 2005 The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787, is a private members club and was the original governing body of cricket in England and across the world. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Wisden's Cricketers Almanack (various editions)

External links

• MCC Museum's history of the Ashes
• Visit the Ashes urn at Lord's
• Cricinfo's Ashes site
• History of the Ashes published by Melbourne Cricket Club Library
• The Origin of the Ashes - Rex Harcourt
• The Ashes Tray
• Ashes that Aussies can’t win - Article in The Telegraph