Rating: A
What is The Ashes?
A: Before we discuss a bit about the book, it’s very important for the reader to have a basic idea of what The Ashes really was. It’s simply a test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of international cricket’s most popular rivalries, dating all the way back to 1882. A series of The Ashes usually consists of five matches, with each match lasting five days. One of the unique features of this series is that if a series is drawn, then the team which had won the previous series encounter claims the trophy.
How it all started?
A: The long-lasting series began in August 1882, when a young Australian side beat the Englishmen at their home ground for the first time ever in cricket history. This defeat shocked the entire cricket playing nations, since at that time England was known to be undefeatable.
A local newspaper, published an article regarding the ‘death of English cricket,’ and stated “Its body would be cremated and the ashes sent to Australia.” Next series when England went over to Australia, the Aussies presented the English captain, Ivo Bligh, a pot with ashes of a burnt bail (piece of wood you put on the wicket). That’s where it all started, with each country playing for the ashes. The ashes were memories for Australia, for their historic win on home soil. From then on, every two years they have the ashes.
Ashes History:
In the entire rivalry, sixty-three games have been played till 2005, in which Australia has claimed the ashes thirty-seven times, leaving England with twenty-six. Some spectacular records were made by both Australia and England. England won the Ashes 8 times in a row, from the year 1882-1890. Similarly, Australia has also won the ashes 8 times in a row, from the year 1989-2003.
Interesting Area of the Book:
One interesting area I found in the book was the 1932-33 series. It was a series much talked about, and many debates took place. This was because the bodyline tactics were used by the English bowlers, and was extremely unfair to the Aussie batsmen. A bodyline delivery was when the bowler balled a short pitched delivery, which would rise right towards the body of the opposing batsman. This created deflections of the bat, and fielders could easily catch the ball. This tactic was later having said to be physically threatening. What interested me was that because of this tactic, many laws of cricket were changed, to stop the kind of tactics. An example could be seen in law 42, which talks about that if an umpire believes the bowler is using the tactic repetitively and it’s like to cause an injury, he can give the bowler and warning, and if it goes on, ‘disqualify’ him.
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