In 1882, in a cricket match which would change history at the Oval, Australia beat England for the first time on English soil.
The Sporting Times newspaper wrote an obituary satirically stating “English Cricket has died. The body will be cremated and the Ashes will be taken to Australia.”
England’s next tour to Australia in 1883 continued the joke, with Australian women presenting the English side with a small terracotta urn as England had successfully completed it’s “Quest to regain the Ashes.”
And so the tradition began. At least every 2 years since 1882, England and Australia have met in a 5 series Test, 2 innings per match, alternating host country. And every two years people in both England and Australia band and bond together to take in the event.
The tiny terracotta urn, holding the Ashes of English Cricket
I’m a little bit jealous. I’m jealous that one sporting event so ingrained in history and rivalry and National pride that can bring about so much fun for spectators simply doesn’t exist for Americans.
Sure we have wonderful rivalries like the Red Sox and the Yankees, the Cowboys and the Redskins, but on a National level, those events are divisive. The last time I recall what seemed to be all of America gathered around their televisions cheering for a countryman in a sporting tournament was Michael Phelps. And we, as a nation, certainly had Phelps Phever, and it was fun while it lasted.
But we’ve got nothing dating back to the 19th century. We’ve got the World Cup, the Olympics, Lance Armstrong crushing the Tour de France for years, but interest is among niche groups.
In the 2002 World Cup, extremely Catholic nations Spain and Ireland clashed on a Sunday. I remember hearing reports that Archbishops had granted their diocese a little lenience in Sunday Mass obligations. I thought this was brilliant. Shops close down, pubs get licenses to stay open all night, even religious leaders let people off the hook all so as a nation, people can collectively show pride and support in ways we simply don’t experience in the US.
Even when the nation has been hypnotized by epic feats like the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” hockey match between the US and Russia, or Phelps’ performance, or the US Women’s 1999 World Cup victory, the ties have been a one-off. The victories have been sweet, they’ve even been historical, but they’re not part of an ongoing tradition that wins the interest of an entire nation.
Well, we can either challenge Canada to some sort of sporting tournament and start laying the foundation for our own form of the Ashes, or we can live vicariously through our friends across the pond and down under.
Canadian Beez team members and readers, the guantlet has been thrown.
English Victory in 2005 was reason for the entire country to celebrate
The event itself is magnificent, but imagine the victory party afterward. America could use a little bit of that. It seems the only time we come together is when crisis like September 11 hits. Sure, our last inauguration was great for many Americans, but to participate as a practicing Republican, one had to be a great losing sport, and simply celebrate Obama’s presidency as a tribute to a historical moment. Imagine that feeling if shared by everyone, with all the same dramatic flair, recognized heroes, victories, losses, and camaraderie but without the stress and damage of war and politics.
The Ashes: An amazing tradition that would do any nation a world of good.
The third test in the five test series begins July 30 and with 1 draw, 1 England victory, and 3 tests remaining, the urn is still anyone’s.
Andrew Flintoff, Legend. He’s just announced his retirement from test cricket
but managed to take five wickets in the Ashes second test.
