The Ashes
What is The Ashes?
The Ashes is the name for the cricket series between England and Australia. It dates back to 1882 when the Australians won their first Test on English soil.
After that great victory, the ashes of a bail used in that first match were placed in a small (15cm high) terracotta urn and presented to defeated England captain Ivo Bligh. On the following England cricket tour to Australia, Bligh declared the team was going to reclaim the ashes – starting the contest.
He managed it, with England the following series 2-1.
The Men’s Ashes generally comprises of five Test matches, as the gap between the two series is usually 18 to 30 months, alternating between being held in Australia and England. The Women’s Ashes follows a similar schedule, however the format is different. England and Australia Women’s teams compete for points on offer for the games they play across series, comprising of Test Matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 formats.
The team which wins the series, takes the Ashes home. However, if a series is drawn, then the current holder retains the urn.
Where is it being played?
England’s Men’s and Women’s teams will travel to Australia this winter for the next Ashes series, which means the matches will start around midnight UK time.
When does it start?
The men’s series is 5 Test Matches which will be begin on 8 December 2021 and run through to 18 January 2022.
The multi-format Women’s Ashes series will begin with the Women’s Ashes Test match from 27-30 January. The white-ball matches, which combine with the Test match to form the multi-format series, kick off with three T20Is (4 – 10 February) and concludes with three ODIs between 16 and 19 February.
Interesting facts?
Australia currently hold both the Men’s and Women’s The Ashes. The men retained the urn in 2019 following a 2-2 draw in England in 2019. Australia had won the previous series 4-0 in Australia in 2017-18. The last Women’s Ashes, held in England in 2019, was won by Australia by 12 points to 4.
Find some interesting facts about The Ashes:
England will ALWAYS have the Ashes
Despite frequent complaints from the Australians the Ashes urn has always stayed in England – at Lord’s cricket ground, but it has visited Australia twice.
A different Pitch per innings?!
In the 1882 series the captains agreed to play on separate pitches for each innings of the game. This hasn’t happened again.
