The Ashes Tickets

One of the most anticipated cricket series of the year is about to roll into town in the form of The Ashes. England and Australia have been cricket rivals for well over a century so fireworks are guaranteed every time these two giant nations collide. It will not be any different this time around as well so book The Ashes tickets and catch all the ups and downs live.

England and Australia started playing cricket against each other for the first time way back in the year 1877. The hostility in play was there for everyone to see but it reached its peak half a decade later in 1882 on Australia’s tour of England to play a single test match. During those days there were no One Day Internationals or T20’s so test matches was the only form of cricket around.

That series of 1882 changed the face of cricket forever. The stage was set for a classic encounter at “The Oval” and it didn’t disappoint. Australia won the toss and elected to bat on what was a tough surface. It had movement and bounce which saw the visitors bundled out for just sixty three runs. England did slightly better and scored one hundred and one runs in their first innings.

The pitch was still doing a lot when the Aussies went in to bat for their second innings. Hugh Massie managed to score fifty five but the rest of the line-up crumbled as Australia were all out for one hundred and twenty two. England needed only eighty five runs to win and keep their unbeaten home run against the Australians intact. Difficult conditions or not, everyone still expected England to chase the total down but cricket is known as a sport of glorious uncertainties and so it proved. The home team’s batting line was destroyed by the Australian bowling attack and England lost the match by a paltry eight runs.

While the former English colony celebrated the historic triumph, the England crickets faced severs backlash for their dismal performance. “The Sporting Times,” in the aftermath of the match wrote that the defeat signaled the death of English cricket and the ashes will be flown to Australia. That obituary formed the basis of what is now known as The Ashes.

England then travelled to Australia in 1882-1883 and that series was labeled ‘the quest to regain The Ashes.” English captain was presented with a small urn and since then whichever team wins this biennial test series gets to lift a replica of that original urn.

These two countries have squared-off in a total of sixty six Ashes series. Australia has won it thirty one times whereas England have come out on top on thirty occasions. Five series have ended in draws. The latest installment of this iconic series is just around the corner now. If you are a cricket fan then grab The Ashes tickets and catch these two arch rivals go at it once again.