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How did the urn become associated with the legendary ashes in cricket?

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OpenAI's Answer

The iconic association of the urn with the legendary Ashes in cricket dates back to the 1882-83 series between England and Australia. The origin of the Ashes stems from a mock obituary published in The Sporting Times, a British newspaper, after England's defeat by Australia at The Oval in 1882. The obituary humorously lamented the "death" of English cricket, stating that "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

Following this, during the 1882-83 tour in Australia, a group of Melbourne women presented Ivo Bligh, the captain of the England cricket team, with a small terracotta urn as a personal gift after a friendly match hosted at Rupertswood mansion in Sunbury. This urn was said to contain the ashes of a cricket bail and symbolized the "ashes" of English cricket, adding a touch of mystique and significance to the series (source: Wikipedia).

Over time, the urn became a symbol of cricketing rivalry between England and Australia, with the term "The Ashes" now representing the test cricket series contested between these two nations.

Here are some images of the famous Ashes urn:

  1. The Ashes urn
  2. Cricket Ashes Urn

The original urn remains a cherished cricket artifact and is housed permanently in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum at Lord's Cricket Ground, regarded as the spiritual home of cricket.

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