All About the Ashes Series , Sunday, July 26, 2009 at 11:04 PM, in

There is history behind the name of one of cricket's most famous test series, arising from the first time that England lost to Australia on home soil. This defeat took place on 29 August 1882 and the next day the Sporting Times newspaper published a mock obituary to English cricket which made reference to the ashes being taken to Australia.
The ashes concept was popular with cricket and sports fans and a few weeks later the English team set off to tour Australia, with the captain vowing to return with "the ashes". The message prompted a group of Australian women to present the England captain with an urn the following winter. Depending on which sporting legend you believe, the urn is said to contain the ashes of an item of cricket equipment, a ball, a bail or a stump.




Since that 1882-1883 tour, tests between England and Australia have always been regarded as the Ashes series. The name had stuck and is still used to this day with most people being aware of the link between the term "the ashes" and the cricket world.
The urn has survived the years too and can now be found in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) museum at Lord's cricket grounds and is viewed by tens of thousands of visitors every year. In recent years a replica of the urn has been presented to the winning captain so the legacy can continue.
The Ashes test series is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. A series of "the Ashes" comprises five Test matches.
Ownership of the Ashes is given to whichever side gains an outright victory and if a draw occurs then the country already holding the Ashes retains the title.
During the early years of the Ashes it was England who held the winning streak, conquering all but one of the twelve series played between 1883 and 1896.
The turn of the 20th century brought about change and throughout this period, which was interrupted by World War One, England lost several games to Australia.
The Ashes victory returned to England in 2005 after sixteen years in Australia's possession though the jubilation was short lived as Australia scored a 5-0 triumph in the 2006-07 series so everything is at stake for the 2009 Ashes Test series.






The sense of sporting rivalry is as strong as ever for the next series. Cricket fans worldwide are getting ready to witness some more cricketing history unfold before their eyes during the 2009 npower Ashes Test series.

Daniel Collins writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.