Ashes is what Test cricket is all about

Beginning tomorrow will be what Test cricket is all about – the Ashes – between Australia and England. The First of Five Test matches will start in Cardiff.

From its inception, the Ashes clashes between England, who gave the game of cricket to the world and Australia have been cleanly contested with no quarter asked or given and the cricket played has always been interesting and having the followers keenly following its destinies.

When the Ashes series was last played in Australia in 2007, the kangaroos heaped humiliation on England beating them 5-nil, which humiliation probably had never before been heaped on the country that gave the game to the world.

Australia were led by the present captain Ricky Ponting and England by Freddie Flintoff. England last won 2-1 when the 2005 series was played in England who were led by Michael Vaughan, who recently announced his retirement.

Now all that will be history when this series begins and both teams are oozing with confidene.The teams are evenly matched, with England having a slight advantage because the series will be played in their backyard.

The England selectors have been studying form before nominating their squad. England will be led by Andrew Strauss, while the Aussies will have Ricky Ponting, who probably will be leading them for the final time in the Ashes series.

The Australians suffered a setback of sorts when they arrived in England and were bundled out of the ICC World Cup Twenty20 in the preliminary round. But that was a different ball game and would have no bearing in the longer, or the established game

Australia when they demolished England 5 – nil had the services of six of the finest cricketers the world had seen in Justin Langer, Mathew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Glen McGrath.

Australia or the world will never ever see the likes of two champions such as Shane Warne and Glen McGrath. Warne was easily he best leg spin-googly bowler ever, while McGrath was the best seen with the new ball

With the Ashes series still to be called “play”, it will be too early to comment on how the series will go. But one thing is certain and that is that the teams will not throw in the towel until the last ball is bowled.

But the Aussies will rue the sending off of that brilliant allrounder Andrew Symonds. Symonds would definitely have added muscle to the team in all departments. The Aussies in sending Symonds back, were underlining the fact that no player is greater than the game.If a cricketer however brilliant he is, is indisciplined, then he is of no use to the game, and also a bad example.

Former Australian wicket keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist has warned Australian cricketers that the biggest threat to them retaining the Ashes could be the presence of their wives and girlfriends on tour.

Gilchrist reveals that the 2005 2- 1 defeat was not only due to the brilliant performances of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen,but also due to the disputes among the squad”s families.

For those who are unaware of how the Ashes came into being, here is how Julian Guyer of AFP describes it: Cricket”s oldest rivals had been playing each other for five years before the idea of the Ashes was born

It happened in 1882 when, in a one-off Test at the Oval, Australia inspired by figures of 14 for 90 from Fred Spofforth .The demon fought back to win a thrilling match by seven runs. The Sporting Times reacted to Australia”s first win on English soil with a mock obituary written by Reginald Shirley Brooks. It read “in affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval;29th August 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances.R.I.P.N.B.The body will be cremeted and the Ashes taken to Australia”.

Ivor Bligh, later Lord Darnley, captained England to a 2-1 victory in the subsequent series in Australia and, according to many cricket histories, he was presented with an urn containing the Ashes of a bail used in the Third Test by a group of Melbourne women.

However, it was subsequently suggested that the Ashes were those of ball and in 1998 Lord Darnley”s daughter-in-law said they were the remains of her mother-in-law”s veil.The urn itself was bequeathed to Lord”s owners Marleybone Cricket Club – MCC – on Darnley”s death in 1927 and became an exhibit in the ground”s museum.

Regardless of the result of the Ashes, the urn – which stands just four inches high – has remained at Lord”s. The justification has been that the Ashes were a private gift to MCC and not a sporting trophy. But in order to remedy this perceived unfairness MCC commissioned an Ashes shaped crystal trophy which was first presented to Australia captain Mark Taylor after 1998/1999 series.