The Ashes Experience

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 28: (THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED USING A VARIABLE PLANED LENS) A mexican wave circulates through the crowd during the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 28, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. The Ashes are the most coveted prize in world test cricket, played only between England and Australia. The series is named after a satirical obituary first published in The Sporting Times in 1882 following the match at The Oval in England, in which Australia beat England at home for the first time. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The English media dubbed the next English tour to Australia in 1882-83 as the quest to regain The Ashes. The Ashes are signified by small terracotta urn which was presented to the England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women during the 1882-83 tour. The contents of the urn are reported to be the ashes of a bail, a part of the stumps. The tiny and fragile urn however is not used as a trophy for the Ashes series, but rather a crystal replica is presented to the winning team. Despite which side holds the Ashes title, the urn remains in the MCC Museum at Lord's in England. (Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)