It is that time when fans get glued to the TV to watch the much acclaimed Ashes cricket tournament. It’s the rivalry factor that has become historic that really makes the Ashes such a high profile sporting event.

England against Australia in any competition evokes a lot of passion and rivalry. Both teams are almost always evenly matched and whoever wins is entitled to bragging rights.

If you look at the leading test cricket teams: Australia, India, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, there are great rivalries but some of these have developed over a short period of time. The most anticipated and often tension raising games are traditionally Australia versus England and India versus Pakistan.

The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The series goes back to 1882.In 1882 Australia beat England at a match at The Oval. It was the first time Australia had beaten England at an English ground. A newspaper called The Sporting Times wrote a sarcastic but witty story terming the loss an obituary of English cricket. The article went on to satirically suggest that cricket had died, the body cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. Soon after, the English team’ tour of 1882-83 to Australia was dubbed a mission to regain the Ashes.

What has never been told enough times is how Kent is inexplicably tied to the Ashes. Hon Ivo Bligh, who later became Lord Darnley, captained England tour of Australia. England won the scheduled games on this tour. But those days there was no official trophy or winners’ ceremony as they do these days.

On Christmas eve in 1882, Bligh was given the small terracotta urn as a gift. This urn has since been seen as a symbol of the ashes that he had travelled to Australia to regain. He returned to England with the urn, which he regarded as a personal gift for him and his Australian wife Florence. He kept it on a mantelpiece at his home in Cobham Hall, near Rochester in Kent until his death in 1927. Up on his death, his wife gave the urn to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) who in turn passed it on to the world’s oldest sports Museum at Lord’s where it is preserved to this day. The current trophy was first presented in 198-99 Ashes Test Cricket series.

Bligh also played for Cambridge University and Kent County Cricket Club in a first-class cricket career that lasted from 1877 to 1883. He was president of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1900 and of Kent County Cricket Club in 1892 and 1902. He made his name and the legend lives on. Other top cricket have mesmerized and fans and peers over the years. Names such as Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Bill O’Reilly, Andrew Flintoff, and Darren Gough all evoke memories of cricket geniuses within and outside the Ashes series.

Cricket is a big attraction in England. The game is getting more and more attention even in Wales and Scotland. More than 18,000 pupils across Scotland’s schools play cricket, with a further 12,000 members playing at club level. I hope you enjoy the Ashes 2009 and if you go to the Lord’s, go see the original ashes.

Be warned of the Barmy Army. People complain about the constant chanting of Barmy Army during matches. It’s fine to sing and shout and get behind the team but the abuses can get up close and personal it is time to lead the kids home.

Patrick is an expert research and travel consultant. He is currently writing about;
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