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.
7. 1948
Fourth Test, Headingley, 22-27 July (Australia won by 7 wickets)
England 496 (192.1) 8/365 (107) dec & Australia 458 (136.2) 3/404 (114.1)
The 1948 Ashes Series is well-remembered as the 'Invincibles Tour', across five months in the United Kingdom, the Australian touring side played 34 matches, winning 25 and drawing nine.
Overshadowed by the entire tour, Australia chased down the most significant required target in history in the fourth Test and did it convincingly, losing only three wickets in the process. With 404 required in less than a day, Arthur Morris and Don Bradman put on 301 in 217 minutes of exquisite batsmanship, Morris making 182 (132 coming in fours). With 15 minutes remaining, the Australians passed the total, Bradman 173 off 292 balls with 29 fours.
