ENGLAND/AUSTRALIA: THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM ARE CAMPAIGNING FOR THE MCC (MARYLEYBONE CRICKET CLUB) TO HAND OVER THE ORIGINAL ASHES URN

Record ID: 179113

  • Title: ENGLAND/AUSTRALIA: THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM ARE CAMPAIGNING FOR THE MCC (MARYLEYBONE CRICKET CLUB) TO HAND OVER THE ORIGINAL ASHES URN
  • Date: 22nd August 2001
  • Summary: LORDS MUSEUM, LONDON (RECENT - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE INTERIOR OF THE MUSEUM 2. WIDE SHOT OF THE ASHES 3. CLOSE UP OF THE ASHES SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND, AUSTRALIA (FILE), 1958 4. DON BRADMAN SLOW MOTION BATTING IN THE NETS SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND, AUSTRALIA (FILE), 1947 5. BRADMAN SLOW MOTION COVER DRIVE
  • Embargoed: 6th September 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON AND HOVE, SUSSEX, UK
  • City:
  • Country: England United Kingdom Australia
  • Reuters ID: LVA22URJ7KGXUYBTN4VVLOD1DUZE
  • Story Text: After beating England in seven consecutive series, the
    Australian cricket team are campaigning for the MCC
    (Marleybone Cricket Club) to hand over the original Ashes urn.



    Captain Steve Waugh has been joined by his team mates
    - and the Australian Prime Minister John Howard - in demanding
    that the miniscule trophy should be released from Lords museum
    and accompany them back to Australia.

    But the MCC (Marleybone Cricket Club) are refusing to
    release the original Ashes as they fear they are too old and
    fragile to make such a long journey.

    As every cricket fan knows, the Ashes started their life in
    Melbourne. The trophy was created after England won the third
    test of the 1882-83 series in Australia. As Roger Knight,
    Secretary and Chief Executive of the MCC, explained:
    "A number of Melbourne ladies burned a bail and put the
    ashes into an urn. They presented it to the honourable Ivo
    Bligh - who was the England Captain - and said "This is the
    ashes returning to England".

    Bligh's widow subsequently gave the urn to the MCC in 1927,
    since which date it has been kept on display in the club's
    museum at Lords, widely regarded as the spiritual home of
    cricket.

    The Australian team coach, John Buchanan, is among those in
    support of taking the Ashes back to Australia. Buchanan said:
    "You would think in most events or most codes or most sports
    you would play for a particular memento or trophy, and that
    would then go to the victor. The spoils go to the victor so to
    speak. In this case we get the urn in name only".

    The MCC say that they are aware that the players want to
    compete for a trophy so they commissioned a larger version of
    the Ashes urn, made in crystal, which has been presented to
    the winning team at the end of the series since 1999.

    Mr Knight said: "And so MCC commissioned a crystal Ashes,
    which is a much larger trophy - not the like the very small
    Ashes trophy which is on display in the museum at Lords".

    However, the Marylebone club are coming under increasing
    pressure to give up the original version. Speaking at a news
    conference earlier today (August 22), the England cricket team
    Captain, Nasser Hussain, commented:
    "My own personal opinion is that they've played such fine
    cricket over the last 20 years that they should be allowed to
    take it home. If that is, in this modern age, something that
    can be done without any fear of losing that very special piece
    of equipment. It is something very special, and if it ever got
    lost or broken or damaged it would be a travesty. And if
    someone can 100 per cent guarantee it's safety, then I think
    whoever wins it should take it because that's what we're
    playing for."
    This is the Australian's seventh consecutive series win
    against England. Australia retained the Ashes earlier this
    month after winning the first three matches of the five-test
    series. England have not won the trophy since 1986-87.

    The MCC state that the Ashes are the personal property of
    the museum and that tradition requires them to remain in
    England as the centre piece of the Lords museum.

    "So the Ashes are actually a private gift to the Captain of
    the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) team, whose widow has
    presented them to the museum at Lords for safe keeping.

    The Australian captain takes a more contemporary view of
    the situation:
    "As players we think that we should be able to take the trophy
    that we're playing for home. What's the big deal about taking
    the trophy home? It's not as if we're going to leave it at the
    airport or leave it on a seat on the plane are we? We're going
    to take good care of it. I think they're being a bit
    over-protective of it".

    Maybe it's time that the MCC listen to the advice of the
    Australian PM, perhaps they should relinquish the urn as a
    further incentive for England to return them to Lords.....


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