Why is The Ashes (cricket) only between Australia and England?

Answer 1

There are only a few major cricket powers in the world: Australia, England, the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. All of these countries play long matches against each other which take about 2 months (!) called "test matches". They also play shorter matches against each other. Whenever Australia and England play a test match against each other (roughly every 18 months), it is called The Ashes.

The series is named after a satirical obituary published in The Sporting Times in 1882 following the match at The Oval, in which Australia beat England in England 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 dubbed the next English tour to Australia (1882-83) as the quest to regain The Ashes.

A small terracotta urn was presented to the England captain, Ivo Bligh, by a group of Melbourne women at some point during the 1882-83 tour. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of an item of cricket equipment, possibly a bail, ball or stump. The urn is now used as a trophy for the Ashes series, and whichever side holds the Ashes, the urn normally remains in the MCC Museum at Lord's because it was bequeathed to the MCC by Ivo Bligh upon his death. Since the 1998-99 Ashes series, a Waterford crystal trophy has been presented to the winners.

Answer 2

The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is the oldest and most celebrated rivalry of International cricket dating Back to 1882.

The series is named after a satirical obtiuary published in the Sporting Times in 1882 following the match at the Oval, in which Australia beat England for the first time. The obtiuary stated that English Cricket had Died and the body will be creamated and the ashes taken to Australia.

From that time onwards the test series between England and Australia is being called ASHES Series and that is the reason why Ashes Series is being played only between Australia and England.

Answer 3

The Ashes IS ONLY BETWEEN Australia and England because England kept on winning and made the game cricket into English cricket! But in 1886-1887 Australia won one match between England so England decided to burn the bails and put it in the urn,so it was called the Ashes.

Answer 4

The Ashes 1877-2005

A short history of the Ashes

Martin Williamson



Complete scorecard archive
Ashes history: 1861-1888
Ashes history: 1890-1914
Ashes history: 1921-1938
Ashes history: 1946-1970
Ashes history: 1970-1989
Ashes history: 1990-present


© Getty Images


"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."

Australia's first victory on English soil over the full strength of England, on August 29, 1882, inspired a young London journalist, Reginald Shirley Brooks, to write this mock "obituary''. It appeared in the Sporting Times.

Before England's defeat at The Oval, by seven runs, arrangements had already been made for the Hon. Ivo Bligh, afterwards Lord Darnley, to lead a team to Australia. Three weeks later they set out, now with the popular objective of recovering the Ashes. In the event, Australia won the first Test by nine wickets, but with England winning the next two it became generally accepted that they brought back the Ashes.

It was long believed that the real Ashes - a small urn thought to contain the ashes of a bail used in the third match - were presented to Bligh by a group of Melbourne women. In 1998, Lord Darnley's 82-year-old daughter-in-law said they were the remains of her mother-in-law's veil, not a bail. Other evidence suggests a ball. The certain origin of the Ashes, therefore, is the subject of some dispute.

After Lord Darnley's death in 1927, the urn was given to MCC by Lord Darnley's Australianborn widow, Florence. It can be seen in the cricket museum at Lord's, together with a red and gold velvet bag, made specially for it, and the scorecard of the 1882 match.


The text on the urn is as follows:-
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.

Martin Williamson is managing editor of Cricinfo

Answer 5

The Ashes is just the name of the series between Australia and England. Other series have other names, but they tend not to be as memorable (eg Frank Worrell Trophy (Australia-West Indies)
Trans-Tasman Trophy (Australia-New Zealand)
Border-Gavaskar Trophy (Australia-India)
Wisden Trophy (England-West Indies) )

The Ashes is only special in that both England and Australia think of it that way - there's not any 'real' difference.

Answer 6

Well there was a test match between The Aussies and the english and the English lost and ppl burned a lot of stuff saying english cricket had died!! These ashes were used as trophy the trophy being an urn!!!!

2 yrs after that they layed a match to compete for the urn........ and it is only played between them cuz they both compete for the urn!!!!!!!!!! it is the rivalry between them dating as back as the 70s and 80s

Answer 7

they are the first 2 countries to play cricket and and england always used to win . After 8 years since they started playing cricket together australia finally won. englishmen officially declared dat english ccricket died and frm den on dey burns sum bails into ashes and put them in a ashes urn

Answer 8

because the ashes were thought up when the australians beat england in a test match for the first time, some bails were burnt and used as a trophy and only these two sides can compete for the urn.

Answer 9

it's a historical event held between the two. i think australia beat england in a one of test match in the early nineteenth century. the re-match was named the ashes

Answer 10

coz when Australia beat England they burned alot of stuff so they call it the ashes.