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.
4. 1932-33
Third Test, Adelaide, 13-19 January (England won by 338 runs)
England 341 (146.1) 412 (191.3) & Australia 222 (95.4) 193 (69.2)
Arguably the most controversial Test in history.
In 1932-33, the cunning English Captain Douglas Jardine developed a devious plan to take back the Ashes by force.
England's controversial leg-side theory, more commonly known as 'Bodyline,' was fast/short bowling aimed at the batter's body to intimidate them into a false shot.
This was theory was entirely developed for Don Bradman, who has seen above, embarrassed the English in 1930. Without Bradman for the First Test in Sydney, the Australians were soundly beaten yet leveled the series in Melbourne.
The hostilities of the tour reached their zenith in Adelaide in front of 50,962 spectators when Australian captain Bill Woodfull was dealt a dangerous blow above the heart by fire-brand quick Harold Larwood. Woodfull battled slowly to 22 runs before he was bowled by Larwood. In the rooms after his innings with 12th man Leo O'Brien, Woodfull was visited by the MCC manager Pelham Warner who expressed his concern for Woodfull; the captain retorted with...
"I don't want to see you, Mr. Warner. There are two teams out there, and one is trying to play cricket, and the other is not."
One of the most dangerous scenes was ever witnessed on day three when Australian wicket-keeper Bert Oldfield fractured his skull and fell to the ground after a searing delivery for Larwood. Police were rushed onto the field for crowd control and protection of the English side. The Australian Cricket Board sent a damning cable to the Marylebone Cricket Club, calling 'Bodyline' unsportsmanlike.
Jardine threatened to boycott the last two Tests due to the allegations. The stand-off between the two boards was eventually settled by Australia's own Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons. Imagine that in 2021.
*Below is the Adelaide episode of the Bodyline (1984) miniseries*
