The Ashes
1 dated anecdotes about The Ashes, each attributed to its source.
The Birth of The Ashes in 1882
Fred Spofforth declared "This thing can be done" before taking 14 wickets for 90 runs as Australia defended an overall lead of 84 runs at The Oval, according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia records that England were all out for 77 on 30 August 1882, losing the match by seven runs after Australia had been dismissed for 122 in their second innings. Following the defeat, Reginald Shirley Brooks wrote a mock obituary under the pseudonym 'Bloobs' in The Sporting Times on 2 September 1882, which stated: "In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29 August 1882", adding that "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia." Wikipedia notes that English captain Ivo Bligh vowed to regain "those ashes" during the 1882-83 tour in Australia. This moment matters because it birthed the name for cricket's most famous rivalry, as Wikipedia reports that a small urn reputed to contain the ashes of a wooden cricket bail was presented to Bligh at Melbourne in 1883.