In "Life, the Universe and Everything," the third book of Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series, the Ashes urn is humorously referenced in the context of a cricket match. The book involves a fictional intergalactic cricket match that is central to the plot. The urn, which is a real-world symbol of the cricket rivalry between England and Australia, is whimsically used in the story as part of a larger cosmic game involving the fate of the universe. This playful nod to the Ashes urn ties into the book's broader themes of absurdity and satire.