The Ashes
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AUTHOR Robert Gillespie
June 11, 2015

2015 Events: The Ashes

The Ashes is an historic cricket contest that takes place between England and Australia with the opening match of this years series starting in Cardiff on July 8th 2015.

The Ashes is one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar and it attracts thousands of people from around the world. This year promises to be as big as ever and we are certainly looking forward to it, but for those that don’t know..

What are the Ashes?

The Ashes is the name given to any Test cricket series involving England and Australia. The two nations meet roughly every two years, with the winners claiming one of the most famous (and smallest) trophies in sport, the Ashes urn.

The matches are held alternately in England and Australia. They consist of a series of five Test matches, each lasting up to five days.

Jul 08th Wed – Jul 12th Sun 1st Test Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Jul 16th Thu – Jul 20th Mon 2nd Test Lord’s, London
Jul 29th Wed – Aug 02nd Sun 3rd Test Edgbaston, Birmingham
Aug 06th Thu – Aug 10th Mon 4th Test Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Aug 20th Thu – Aug 24th Mon 5th Test Kennington Oval, London

Why are they called The Ashes?

The first Test match between England and Australia was played in 1877.

But the Ashes legend started later, after the ninth Test, played in London five years later when the Aussies won the only five-day match of that summer.

The term ‘Ashes’ first emerged in 1882 when England were beaten at home for the first time by Australia at The Oval

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 concept caught the imagaination of the sporting public.

A few weeks later, an English team, captained by the Hon Ivo Bligh set off to tour Australia, with Bligh vowing to return with “the ashes”; his Australian counterpart, WL Murdoch, similarly vowed to defend them.

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.

England have had a lot of success in recent history but with the way things are shaping up this year so far I think there will be some surprises by the time July rolls around..

See you all in the stands, BARMY ARMY!

Having worked in the car rental industry for over 15 years, he really knows his stuff. Rob heads up our marketing department and as a keen traveller, always has a new location to talk about. Particularly if there is a golf course nearby.

Robert Gillespie

Traveller

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