Boasting one of the oldest sporting traditions globally, the Ashes are one of the sport's most significant battles.
The birth of the Ashes has been passed down through families for generations, and it all started in 1882 when Australia defeated a full-strength England XI for the first time on English soil. As is a common trend in the 21st century, the English media condemned their chargers for such a catastrophic failure, publishing a satirical obituary in the Sporting Times.
'In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29 August 1882'.
-N.B. The body will be cremated, and the Ashes taken to Australia'.
With the sudden death of English Cricket, one man was hell-bent on reclaiming the urn, and his name was The Hon. Ivo Bligh. Akin to King Arthur searching for the Holy Grail, Bligh embarked on the noblest sporting quest and captained England to the 1882/83 Ashes victory on down under.
As the story goes, Bligh was celebrating Christmas at the Rupertswood Manor, the elaborate home of Sir William Clarke, when he was presented the burnt bails of the Third Test in a tiny terracotta urn by his future wife, Florence Morphy.
Australian sports journalist Clarence Murphy revived the concept of 'The Ashes' in the 1890s. It became an integral part of the Australian/England rivalry when English captain Pelham Warner published a novel after his resounding 1903-04 Tour win titled 'How We Recovered the Ashes.'
Specific Tests have been played that will go down in the annals of the long history. Some have shocked us, some have enthralled us, some have devastated us. Let's look into the Top 10 Greatest Ashes Tests in History and dive into the players who created their own history.
1. 2005
Second Test, Birmingham, 2-7 August (England won by 2 runs)
England 407 (79.2) 182 (52.1) & Australia 308 (76) 279 (64.3)
The 2005 Ashes Series is the greatest Test Series in cricket history.
The all-conquering Australian outfit had powered themselves to a convincing 239-run victory in the First Test. On the morning of the Second Test, Ricky Ponting elected to bowl first, and in a matter of seconds, Glenn McGrath, who took 9/82 off 35.1 overs in the First encounter, stood on a cricket ball, ruling himself out.
Disaster for Australia.
Without the foreboding prospect of facing an in-form McGrath, England chanced their arm and smashed 407 at a run-rate of 5.13 in only 356 minutes, Australian quick Brett Lee finishing with 1/111 off 17. The Australians, in reply, made 308, still 99 runs behind England.
Shane Warne bobbed up for an over before stumps on day two and bowled Andrew Strauss with one of the sharpest spinning leggies ever seen. Starting day three with a lead of 124, England found themselves in a spot of bother reeling at 6/95 off 33 overs, Warne with figures of 3/34 off 14, and Brett Lee with 3/32 off 10. Australia struck again in the first over after Lunch before Andrew Flintoff, akin to Ben Stokes in 2019, lifted off with the tail swashbuckling his next 55 off his next 54 deliveries, putting on 51 for the last wicket with Simon Jones.
If you ever thought this Test could rise to another level, Australia was cruising at 0/47 until English captain Michael Vaughan brought Andrew Flintoff on for a bowl.
Flintoff clean bowled Justin Langer with his second ball, hit number three Ricky Ponting on the pads twice, bowled a no-ball with his 6th deliver, and edged Ponting behind for 0.
Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn looked comfortable before falling, leaving Australia 4/107. The Australians suffered a middle-order collapse and went to stumps 8/175, still 106 off a memorable victory.
Warne and Lee, who brought Australia back into the game with the ball, took 45 off the first eight overs before Warne was remarkably given out hit-wicket.
What followed was the most nerve-wracking last wicket partnership ever seen.
Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz got together and stood up against the English pace attack of Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, and Simon Jones. Searching for that one wicket-taking blow, the bowlers were pushing for that extra pace to knock over this last pair, and they were growing tired. The Australian duo took everything they could get, no-balls, leg byes, and a french cut for four from Lee. Nerves reached paramount levels when Simon Jones dropped Kasprowicz at third-man with 15 still required.
With the scores at 9/279, Steve Harmison was thrown the ball and delivered a searing short delivery which clipped the uncomfortable Kasprowicz on the glove and into the hands of Keeper Geraint Jones.
England had achieved a nail-biting two-run victory, the tightest Ashes victory in history, pandamonium hit Birmingham, unseen since the Beatles hit the Hippodrome.
As we roll into another Ashes chapter, which players will write themselves into the annals of cricketing history?
Heroes will make their mark, and their stories will live on for another 144 years.
