#ashes origin

4 incidents tagged

The Birth of the Ashes — Oval Test, 1882

England v Australia

1882-08-29

Across two August days in 1882, Australia beat England by seven runs at The Oval in the only Test of the tour. Fred 'The Demon' Spofforth took 14 for 90 in the match — 7/46 in the first innings and 7/44 in the second — to bowl England out for 77 chasing only 85. Within hours The Sporting Times printed a mock obituary declaring that English cricket was dead and that 'the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.' The most famous trophy in the game was born from a satirical paragraph.

#the-ashes#ashes-origin#spofforth

😂Moderate

The Sporting Times Mock Obituary — How a Joke Became a Trophy, 1882

England v Australia

1882-09-02

Four days after Australia's 7-run win at The Oval, the satirical weekly The Sporting Times printed a 30-line mock obituary by Reginald Shirley Brooks announcing the death of English cricket and noting that 'the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.' The squib was meant for one Saturday's amusement and ended up giving cricket its most enduring trophy name.

#the-ashes#sporting-times#reginald-brooks

😂Moderate

'I Couldn't Trust Mr Studd' — Ted Peate Bowled, Oval 1882

England v Australia

1882-08-29

With England needing 10 to beat Australia at The Oval and the Cambridge amateur CT Studd waiting at the non-striker's end, Yorkshire professional Ted Peate took strike at number 11, swung at Harry Boyle and was bowled. Asked in the dressing room why he hadn't simply blocked and given Studd the strike, Peate is supposed to have replied, 'I couldn't trust Mr Studd.' The line — Yorkshire pro on Cambridge amateur — has outlived everyone involved.

#ted-peate#ct-studd#1882

🥊Serious

WG Grace Runs Out Sammy Jones — The Spark for Spofforth, 1882

England v Australia

1882-08-29

On the second morning of the 1882 Oval Test, with Australia's score at 114 in their second innings, young Sammy Jones wandered out of his crease to do some gardening — and WG Grace, ball in hand at point, threw down the stumps. Spofforth, watching from the pavilion, called Grace 'a bloody cheat' and reportedly stormed into the England dressing room with the line, 'this will lose you the match.' Two hours later he had taken 7 for 44 and Australia had won by 7 runs.

#wg-grace#sammy-jones#spofforth