Everything you need to know about the Ashes- A quick preview of the Ashes 2015

Everything you need to know about the Ashes- A quick preview of the Ashes 2015: There isn’t one thing about the Ashes that isn’t intriguing. Everything about the enthralling tournament is a show of its own- its name, the urn, the amorous and fervid fans, the great history and the unparalleled rich tradition that connotes to this peachy league. Tennis legend Roger Federer once said that he was intrigued by the Ashes tournament and had followed it quite regularly for sometime.

Such is the tantalizing nature of this supremely ceremonial and princely sporting tournament, that promises to thrill devout cricket followers into pieces with cricket of the highest quality, clashes of the highest potency, battle of two colossal teams and bewitch one and all with the magic and aroma that only the Ashes can emanate.

Though a 5 day match, the ashes has the potential to thrill one into bits and propagate its unrivaled grandeur, captivating one and all with one month of guaranteed top entertainment. Test matches don’t normally offer nail biting or edge of the seat moments, the Ashes in a league of its own does offer intense adrenaline surges, tensed moments, heated sledging episodes and so on.

Only in the Ashes you’ll see comments like “Tufnell! Can I borrow your brain? I’m building an idiot.” (A fan taunting and jeering tufnell) Phil Tufnell was stunned. Another hilarious comment was” A fart competing with thunder.” (England in Australia in 1990-91, as assessed by their captain Graham Gooch). Read on to explore more about the Ashes.

The etymology of the Ashes:

The queer name for a tournament of such grandiose stature was a ramification of a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, ‘The sporting Times’. The wordings in the obituary were: In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at the Oval on 29th August 1882, deeply lamented by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Immediately after Australia’s 1882 victory at The Oval, their first Test win on English soil. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The fantastical ashes immediately became associated with the 1882–83 series played in Australia, before which the English captain Ivo Bligh had pledged to “regain those ashes”. The English media therefore dubbed the tour the quest to regain the Ashes.

The Urn:

The urn has never been the official trophy of the Ashes series, having been a personal gift to Bligh. However, replicas of the urn are often held aloft by victorious teams as a symbol of their victory in an Ashes series. Since the 1998–99 edition, a Waterford Crystal representation of the Ashes urn (called the Ashes Trophy) has been presented to the winners of the series as the official trophy. Whichever side holds the Ashes, the urn remains in the MCC Museum at Lord’s; it has however been taken to Australia to be put on touring display on two occasions: as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations in 1988, and to accompany the Ashes series in 2006–07.

The urn contains the ashes of a cricket bail. Speaking on Channel Nine TV on 25 November 2006, he said x-rays of the urn had shown the pedestal and handles were cracked, and repair work had to be carried out. The urn is made of terracotta and is about 6 inches (150 mm) tall and may originally have been a perfume jar. 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.

Statistical overview of Ashes (Miscellaneous):

Ashes series won by Australia-32, Won by England-31, Drawn series-5.

– Sir Don Bradman is the only batsman to score two Ashes triple centuries.

– Walter Hammond of England has the record for most Ashes runs in a single series. He scored 905 runs in the 1928-29 Ashes series.

– Warwick Armstrong was the heaviest player to take part in the Ashes. He weighed 22 stone.

– Shane Warne of Australia is the leading wicket taker in the Ashes with 195 wickets.

– The highest score by a wicket keeper is Billy Murdoch of England(211)

– Jim Laker’s 10 for 53 is the best bowling figures in Ashes

– Sir Don Bradman has 19 Ashes hundreds, the most by any player.

– Sir Don Bradman has the most runs in Ashes.

Ashes 2015 quick preview:

The stage is set for two rollicking sides to dazzle the cricketing world with their might and offer consummate entertainment showcasing their top quality skills with unabated passion. The series promises to be a cracker with two very evenly matched sides expected to indulge in high intensity warfare.

Mitchell Starc is undoubtedly the world’s best bowler right now. His fiery pace and his lethal reverse swing can trouble even the best batsmen. The swinging and seamy conditions of England will definitely assist him. As said by Graeme Swann, England must be watchful and have to nullify Starc by all means.

Alastair Cook has had a fantastic tour against New Zealand where he accumulated over 300 runs. His calmness on the field as a leader and his admirable prowess as a fabulous opener will add impetus to his side. World’s no.1 test batsman Steve Smith will be expected to justify his reputation. The swashbuckling, unorthodox batting freak with his effective technique, if allowed to occupy the crease for a long time can hurt the opposition big time. Stuart Broad in his home conditions is a venomous swing bowler, with healthy pace behind his deliveries, can ruffle up the batsmen with his precision. James Anderson is arguably world’s best swing bowler in the longer format. His faultless and unerring lines and his rancorous swing can sting any batsman.

Michael Clarke will be expected to justify his credentials. He reads the pace of the wicket quickly and can be a pain in the back for the English bowlers. Joe Root has been the epitome of consistency right throughout this year, giving his all for England in all formats of the game. On paper, both the sides look even stevens with very little to choose between them and the stage is set for a galvanizing and a soul stirring Ashes series.