The Ashes

One of my first, and probably the fondest, memory of Ashes dates back to the summer of 1993 when Warne bamboozled Gatting with what many claim as "The Ball of the Century". Although I was a little too young to follow cricket at that time, I still vividly remember the bewildered look that Gatting carried all the way back to pavillion. As long as I have followed the Ashes, England has never even come close to putting up a good fight, although I must admit that each year they talk themselves and the public into believing that this might be the end of their humilation.

With the fiercely competed one-dayers, England might have justified some of the hype surrounding the team coming into the Ashes. But I think Test Cricket is altogether a different "ball" game (they use red balls instead of white !), a game which the Aussies have perfected over the past decade and are getting better with each passing year.

Coming into the one-dayers, the Aussies had to shake off some of their lethargy, as they hadn't played any form of competitive cricket for more than 2 months. They however seem to be back on the track with two successive thumping victories over England, and things only seem to becoming better with time. It remains to be seen whether its going to be 4-0 or 3-1 (one match would be a draw for sure).

Ashes Trivia:

I was reading about the legend of Ashes and came up with this interesting beginning to the once closely competed series.

1882, Oval. Very low scoring match. Aussies first innings 63...England reply with 101. Aussies struggle to 122 in second innings, leaving England a target of 85...England lose by 7 runs. The defeat was mocked widely by the English media, with one newspaper carrying the following obituary,
"In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29th AUGUST, 1882, Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances R.I.P.
N.B. - The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

...and so the legend was born