Ashes to Ashes - Burning for Revenge Quiz

Answer: The Australian side was made up of 22 players against England's 11

During March of 1862 HH Stephenson was in charge of the first English team to tour through Victoria and New South Wales. They arrived at Wattle Flat where a rag tag bunch of 22 cricketers was brought together to represent Castlemaine. Their combined tally of 150 runs outweighed that of the 11 experienced Englishmen by two runs. However, it was the result not the margin that was significant. So significant was it that almost a century later there was a plaque opening ceremony conducted on the site so that the world would not forget.

In what is often described as the "sweetest of wars" the need for Australians to beat England at cricket (or anything else for that matter) is almost a national obsession. A colony cobbled together with free spirited adventurers, ambitious settlers who were fleeing poverty and exported convicts has thrived in its remoteness and constantly belts out a war-cry for independence. This is a debate that continues to cause angst between monarchist and republicans. The First Fleet arrived in 1788 and it is said that they used a blue gum sapling on which to erect their Union Jack. That sapling remains as a symbolic middle stump the Antipodeans have been trying to knock out of the ground ever since.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: No

Although the first Test match was played in 1877, the Ashes did not come about until 1882, coinciding with the ninth Test match. In the initial Test in 1877 the English did not consider the home team to be serious competition and, as a consequence a number of their better players remained at home. When the Aussies prevailed by 45 runs a second Test was hastily thrown together in which the English managed to salvage their pride.

This pattern of underestimating the Australians would repeat itself until 1882 in the ninth Test match. It was during this match at the Oval in London that the Aussie team stunned the home crowd by beating the English team who, at the time, were heading toward a convincing victory. It was at this point that the English grudgingly admitted that Australia "may" have possessed a better pace attack and that even though their batting techniques were flawed they compensated with innovation and determination. On September 9 of that year a poem was published in the British humor magazine "Punch", which celebrated the Aussies for this steel and determination.

"Well done, Cornstalks! Whipt us
Fair and square,
Was it luck that tript us?
Was it scare?
Kangaroo Land's 'Demon', or our own
Want of 'devil', coolness, nerve, backbone?"

This question was created by Phoenix Rising members tazman6619 and pollucci19.

Answer: A mock obituary that appeared in "The Sporting Times"

THIS was the match that triggered the Ashes legend. To add further injury to the English psyche, after nine Tests Australia led the English 5 wins to 2 with the other 2 declared draws.

The 'Grace' referred to above is England's most notable and preeminent batsman of the era, Dr W.G. Grace. Australia's Fred Spofforth bowled like the Demon he was nick-named and became the catalyst for their victory, claiming seven wickets in each innings.

With characteristic wit, Englishman Reginald Brooks sent the following obituary notice to The Sporting Times:
"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 acquaintance

R.I.P.

N.B.- The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

There had been an earlier obituary sent to a newspaper a few days before, but apparently no one took the possibility of losing seriously. This appeared after the match, and is the one most remembered.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising members VegemiteKid and pollucci19.

Answer: False

The creation of the Ashes urn involved a group of Melbourne socialites which included Lady Jane Clarke and Florence Morphy. The story, however, is not a straight forward one as there are claims that there were two urns created and presented to the Honourable Ivo Bligh (no relation to The Bounty Bligh), then captain of the England side. The veracity of this story is now difficult to ascertain though the thread most popular with historians tends to follow this line:

- The tourists had played a social game at Rupertswood Estate near Sunbury in Victoria early in the journey. At this point they were presented, in jest, with a set of ashes in a silver urn, most likely a perfume container.
- After England had defeated Australia two Tests to one in the series that followed a terracotta urn, barely larger than an eggcup and supposedly containing the ashes of a burnt cricket bail was presented to Bligh as something that was a little more tangible than a reciprocated "in memoriam" notice printed in the local newspaper.

The good ladies Clarke and Morphy were present at both of these occasions. The Honourable Bligh accepted the gift with the correct amount of decency and then asked Miss Morphy to be his wife. She accepted his proposal with grace.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: The Lord's Cricket Ground

The Ashes trophy, presented to English captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne socialites, remains at the traditional home of cricket, Lord's, in the care of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) curators.

After the "supposed death of English cricket" in 1882, Ivo Bligh led an English team to Australia for a three-test series with the avowed intention of "bringing home the ashes", a term coined in the mock obituary published immediately after Australia's stunning win at the Oval.

A small urn, about 15cm (6 inches) high was presented to Bligh, who kept it until his death in 1927, after which it was sent by his widow to the MCC. The MCC gratefully accepted the prize and then refused to release it regardless of who won the Test series. It has only been removed from there on two occasions; once in 1988 for Australia's bicentennial celebrations, and again during the 2006-07 Ashes tour.

Australian captain Steve Waugh (1999-2004) agitated for the Ashes trophy to be presented to the winning captain. The size, the age and the fragility of the urn were used as reasons by the MCC for not doing this. However, after the urn was displayed in the 2006-07 Ashes tour, it was announced that the winning team would thereafter receive a Waterford crystal replica of the trophy.

This question was a tandem effort, created by Phoenix Rising members VegemiteKid and pollucci19.

Answer: WW Armstrong

Australia had dominated England during their 1920 tour of the Antipodes winning the series 5-0. On the return leg in England in 1921 the Australians had won the first three Tests, securing the Ashes, and then proceeded to torment their opponents. As the rain-affected Fifth Test was petering to a draw a newspaper had blown across the ground. Armstrong collected it and started to read it. When a disgruntled Englishman challenged him he purportedly replied "I was only checking to see who we were playing".

Sledging has been a divisive force amongst cricketers and cricket lovers alike. There are those that claim "it's just not cricket" while others will claim it is a true test of a player's mental toughness, a skill that should be as closely examined as those of batting, bowling and fielding. Some players are able to cleverly walk the fine line of taunting but those that lack the subtlety of the art tend to resort to crudity and it is within this element that the game suffers. Then again, there are those moments when what appears to be a good sledge backfires;

(Rod Marsh) "Hey Beefy, how's your wife and my kids?"
(Ian Botham) "Wife is fine, the kids are retarded"

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: Bodyline

The tactic employed was called bodyline or fast leg theory bowling. Being a Yank and knowing almost nothing about Cricket, I think the best way to describe the tactic is to compare it to baseball. In baseball many times a pitcher will pitch inside, which means very close to the batter. This is an attempt to get the batter to move off of the plate and therefore expand the strike zone for the pitcher. In some instances pitchers actually throw right at the batter. When this happens bench clearing brawls can ensue and usually do.

Bodyline is very similar but a little more complicated. In baseball the battle described above is a duel between the pitcher and the batter. In bodyline it is not only the use of a fast bowler targeting the batsman but also the alignment of the fielders in a "leg side trap". The tactic puts the batsman at a great disadvantage. Bodyline was devised mainly in response to the batting skills of Australia's Don Bradman. The tactic was considered to be very bad sportsmanship by the Aussies and tempers flared during the matches. The above quote comes from the Third Test at Adelaide when Australia's wicketkeeper was hurt by a blow above the heart and a near riot ensued. The Laws of Cricket were changed in response to the bodyline tactic.

This question was a tandem effort, created by Phoenix Rising members tazman6619 and pollucci19.

Answer: Rick McCosker

The one off non-Ashes match to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first cricket Test played between Australia and England was held in such high regard that every player who had played in Ashes Test for his country, still alive, was invited to attend. Only two, due to medical reasons, were unable to make the trip.

On the first morning, with the score (ironically) on 13, Rick McCosker was struck in the face by a bumper from England's speedster Bob Willis. The blow broke McCosker's face, fracturing his jaw in two places. Rather than have his mouth wired Rick had surgeons work through the night and into the next day making a wire splint and a cast for his face. In his mind he had no doubts that he would go back out and bat for his country. "It was my childhood dream to play against England". The game was in the balance when McCosker, looking grotesque with his severely swollen face and head swathed in bandages, stepped back out onto the MCG to confront the English attack. His ninth wicket partnership with Rod Marsh yielded 54 runs. Australia would win by 45, ironically, the same margin as that of the first Test played some 100 years before.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: Allan Border

Though the years between 1989 and 2005 are now seen as a golden age, Australian cricket went through a torrid period in the 1980s. The West Indies dominated world cricket at this time and Australia came off second best against them. Toward the end of the decade Australia had not held the Ashes for seven years, and had been completely outplayed in their previous series against England. Kim Hughes had resigned his captaincy in tears and the mantle was handed to a reluctant Allan Border.

The prospects for Australia were further damaged when a number of Test players were banned when they went on a rebel tour of South Africa (sanctions against apartheid meant that no international cricket was allowed to be played there at that time).

In 1989, Border determined to take a less friendly demeanour into the forthcoming Ashes series, to be played in England. Australia won the series 4-0. The aggressive attitude he fostered, with the prohibition preventing family accompanying the team as they traditionally did, was not initially popular. However, with the regaining of the Ashes and the resurgence of Australian cricket, this was hailed as a master-stroke.

This question was a tandem effort, created by Phoenix Rising members VegemiteKid and pollucci19.

Answer: True

By the time Australia arrived in England in 2005 the home team had not held the coveted Ashes for sixteen years. Worse, they hadn't just been beaten in their contests with the old foe since 1989, they had been thrashed.

But they had hope. A solid batting line-up, with Kevin Pietersen provide the "X Factor", supported by a world class all-rounder in Andrew Flintoff. Former Australian fast bowler David Saker was employed as a bowling coach and he immediately had them perfecting the art of reverse swing which gave their attack extra potency. But the jewel in their crown was their captain Michael Vaughan who melded the team into a cohesive and aggressive unit. He brought fresh tactics to the table and innovative fielding positions that were based on an almost forensic examination of the opposition's batsmen and their weaknesses. England found steel and a desire to win, wrenching the urn from Australia with a 2-1 series win, a margin that belied their dominance.

England exploded into a cacophony of celebrations, street parades and public holidays. In the midst of all this, MBEs were awarded to the team. The key words there are "the team" rather than the individuals. This only provided more fodder for sledging with Australian spin bowler Shane Warne quipping to Paul Collingwood at their next encounter "You only made seven runs in the last Ashes and got an MBE. You must be so embarrassed."

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.