Sports
The Ashes; love story to lifetime memory
by Rex Clementine
There’s a buzz about the World Cup Qualifiers, yes, no doubt but the interest for The Ashes here in Colombo is quite big as well. The rivalry between Australia and England is legendary and has produced some of the best contests over the years. But how did we end up with this name – The Ashes. Here we explore.
The first Test match between England and Australia took place in 1877 at the MCG and after that five other series were played. In 1882, it all changed and the legend of The Ashes was born.
The previous summer, Australia had won in England for the first time and we all know about the mock obituary that appeared in a newspaper moaning about the demise of English cricket. But there was a punch line at the end of the obituary that said that ‘body will be cremated, and the ashes taken to Australia.’ That was the start of it all.
Monkey Hornby, the England captain had been replaced by Ivo Bligh. The new England captain ahead of the winter tour of Australia in 1882 had promised to regain the English ashes. The press asked his Aussie counterpart Billy Murdoch for a comment, and he said that he will defend the ashes.
Bligh’s England beat Australia 2-1 and the tourists were jubilant. That tour apart from the Tests also included several exhibition games. There was one such game at Rupertswood in Melbourne on the Christmas Eve. This was the estate owned by Sir William Clarke, who was the President of Melbourne Cricket Club at that time.
Lady Florence Morphy was present at this gathering. She had taken her perfume bottle, burnt the bails used for the game and put the ashes into it and had presented it to Bligh to mark the regaining of the ashes. This perfume bottle is the little urn that we see and popularly known as The Ashes.
Later that year, Bligh went onto marry Lady Morphy. The couple returned to England the following year and accompanying them was the urn or the perfume bottle with the ashes in it.
The urn was kept at Blight’s home in Kent and one of his last wishes was to present it to MCC after his death.
Lady Morphy did as her husband had requested and now the Ashes is at the MCC museum. The urn has become the symbol of The Ashes. There are replicas of the urn for sale at the MCC shop costing you 60 GBP (approximately Rs. 24,000) The urn, obviously 140 years old, is fragile and has undergone meticulous repairs. It has over these 140 years only made three visits to Australia.
Australia are the holders of the The Ashes having won at home last year with a comprehensive 4-0 win. It was a defeat that saw several heads roll in England. Sri Lanka’s present coach Chris Silverwood too lost his job as the Head Coach of England.
Ben Stokes’ attacking style suggested prior to the start of the series that England could regain the Ashes. But they were over aggressive – like that declaration at Edgbaston on day one – and are playing catch up. Nathan Lyon’s calf injury has in all probability ruled him out of the series. That could be a massive loss for Australia. Is that the defining moment of this Ashes?
England Women 81 for 3 in 13.5 overs (Sophia Dunkley 22, Mala Bouchier 19*, Heather Knight 18; Bree Illing 1-20, Nensi Patel 1-07, Melle Kerr 1-18) beat New Zealand Women 80 in 19.1 overs (Isabella Gaze 17, Maddy Green 14, Jess Kerr 20; Linsey Smith 2-15, Issy Wong 1-20, Sophia Ecclestone 1-11, Charlie Dean 3-13, Dani Gibson 3-14) by seven wickets
Royal Challengers Bengaluru [RCB] might look at Gujarat Titans [GT] across the ring in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026, and wonder if they helped create this monster. When GT went to Bengaluru on April 24, they were still a conservative side straddling the middle of the table, and happy with a 57-ball hundred from their opener. But they have been a changed unit since RCB cruised to that chase of 206 against them that day.
Since that match, the halfway point for GT, their run rate has increased by nearly a run per over. That is 20 runs per innings. By the time they faced RCB next, they were giving more importance to balls remaining than to wickets in hand while chasing. When batting first, GT were looking to score above par; there has been a pair of 229s in the two matches they have batted first in since that Bengaluru debacle.
The thing with GT is that they have a team with such strong basics that they don’t need to make only subtle changes to their approach. Their control rate has gone from 80% to 75%. A little more risk, a lot more rewards. Their bowling has only become more streamlined over this period with Jason Holder adding constant threat to an already good attack. The result is a 6-1 win-loss record in the second half of their tournament.
RCB, though, have been solid throughout, carrying forward the change in approach that took them to the title last year. They won five in the first half and four in the second. They have consistently looked to finish matches early or set above-par scores when batting first. A second consecutive top-two finish is just rewards for being the most consistently good side over this period.
They will want to make it straight from Dharamsala to Ahmedabad, where they won their first title last year. Not only to make the final but to also hope to avoid meeting GT in a final at their home, something that should be the right of defending champions. Not least because GT are on a four-match winning streak at home, which includes two wins despite losing the toss.
RCB have used the fewest number of players this IPL, a sign of a settled unit. It would certainly have been fewer if not for the injury to Phil Salt, who is now back in India and racing against time to be ready in time for the playoffs. If he doesn’t make it, though, it brings in the temptation to drop Suyash Sharma for Jacob Duffy considering Suyash has not had a great IPL, and night games in Dharamsala can negate spinners. In fact, Dharamsala hosted the only completed match this season where no spin was used.
Venkatesh Iyer has made a case for himself in the limited opportunities he has got, but Salt should be a no-brainer as opener if he is fit.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): Virat Kohli, Phil Salt/Venkatesh Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Jitesh Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy/Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam
GT have played the second-fewest number of players. They seem to have their first XI figured with Nishant Sindhu being persisted with as the extra batter. Their only doubt remains around the Impact Player: extra fast bowler in Prasidh Krishna or extra spinner in R Sai Kishore or Manay Suthar.
Gujarat Titans (probable): Shubman Gill (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna/R Sai Kishore/Manav Suthar
[Cricinfo]
Aken Thilakawardhana produced an impressive all-round display as St. Sylvester’s registered a huge 101-run victory over Sri Rahula, Katugastota in their Under 17 Division I first round cricket encounter at Katugastota on Monday.
Chasing a target of 219 runs for victory, the home team never looked in contention as wickets fell at regular intervals before they were bowled out for 117 runs in the 34th over.
St. Sylvester’s bowlers struck early to put Sri Rahula under pressure, with Sasiru Dineth and Sakuna de Silva reducing the hosts to 18 for three wickets. Aken then joined the attack to further dismantle the batting line-up, claiming three wickets to cap an outstanding all-round performance.
Aken, who had earlier contributed a valuable 48 runs with the bat, finished with impressive figures of 3 for 24.
Sri Rahula’s innings was led by Savinu Mendis, who top scored with 28 runs, but lacked support from the other batsmen as St. Sylvester’s maintained control throughout the chase. Sasiru Dineth returned figures of 3 for 33, while Sakuna de Silva too two for 23.
Earlier, put to bat first, St. Sylvester’s posted a competitive 218 all out in 49.2 overs after receiving a brisk start from opener Adithya Ranamukage. He raced to a half-century in just 35 deliveries, smashing nine boundaries and two sixes in an aggressive knock.
Nithil Herath contributed 25 runs, Keshan Perera made 27, while Aken added 48 to strengthen the innings. Vihanga Perera also chipped in with 23 runs.
For Sri Rahula, Chamindu Sathsara was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 55, while Shehan Weddagala, Praboth de Silva and Savinu Mendis claimed two wickets apiece.
Scores:
St. Sylvester’s
218 all out in 49.2 overs (Adithya Ranamukage 50, Nithil Herath 25, Keshan Perera 27, Aken Thilakawardhana 48, Vihanga Perera 23; Shehan Weddagala 2/31, Chamindu Sathsara 3/55, Praboth de Silva 2/24, Savinu Mendis 2/31)
Sri Rahula Katugastota
117 all out in 33.2 overs (Savinu Mendis 28; Sasiru Dineth 3/33, Sakuna de Silva 2/23, Aken Thilakawardhana 3/24). (RF)
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Amendment to the Promotion of Export Agriculture Act, No. 46 of 1992 to be gazatted
Ms. M.K.D.N. Madampe, appointed as Director General of the Department of Management Services
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