Wimbledon is under way right now. And, in September, the Rugby World Cup in England commences. But, between them, starting later this week, another massive sporting event which will leave Britain - and Australia - enthralled gets underway: the Ashes.
But what is the Ashes? And why is winning it a matter of life and death for millions of English and Australians?
The Barmy Army, beer and bizarre mascots... oh, and some cricket: The only guide to the Ashes 2015 you really need
Sponsored by Sky Sports
England set to welcome Australia for the historic cricket series
The first Test starts on July, with competition ending on August 24
Whether watching at home or in the pub, we can join in all the fun
Fancy dress, drinking games and friendly banter order of the day
By John Hutchinson for MailOnline
6 July 2015
Daily Mail
This summer sees the 69th renewal of the most famous cricket series in the world - the Ashes.
Australia are over in the UK for five matches: at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff; Lord's in London; Edgbaston in Birmingham; Trent Bridge in Nottingham; and the Oval in London from July 8 to August 24.
It is two years since England were humiliated 5-0 Down Under, so there is desperation to right that wrong and reclaim the Ashes.
England celebrate winning the Ashes back in 2013 on home soil - but can they do the same in 2015?
The famous little urn - it may be little but the English and the Aussies consider it to be the most valuable prize in cricket - is lifted by the Australia captain after his side won the 2013/14 Ashes series
And things are tight where the results are concerned - Australia are on 32 series wins, England on 31 with five draws since the first match back in 1882.
But what is the 'Ashes'? How can we throw ourselves into supporting the famous old competition? And is it worth booking time off work to go crazy with the England barmy army?
Here's a lowdown packed full of fun facts on this summer's fiercest battle, and how you can join in all the fun...
The winning team will celebrate with a replica urn similar to this
SO, WHOSE ASHES ARE THEY PLAYING FOR?
Well, it's not actually as morbid as it may seem. After Australia defeated England at The Oval for the first time back in 1882, the Sporting Times carried a mock obituary of English cricket, concluding that the 'body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.'
England travelled to Australia a few weeks later and triumphed 2-1 in a series, and it became known that they had 'brought back the Ashes.' A small terracotta urn was gifted to symbolise this.
Now, whenever the two sides play each other in Test cricket, they compete for the Ashes.
THE TROPHY
The greatest prize in cricket is all of 11cm tall and the winning captain doesn’t even get to hold the original Ashes Urn.
That resides behind glass at Lord’s while a replica is held aloft. The original urn is rumoured to contain the ashes of a bail.
THE RIVALRY
England and Australia are the only teams that compete for the Ashes, sparking a unique rivalry over the years.
The teams have competed for the tiny urn since 1882 and this is the one series both teams want to win and can’t stand to lose.
The original Ashes Urn can be found in the museum at Lord's Cricket ground in London, protected in a glass casing
THE LAST RESULT
England will be looking for redemption this time around after being thoroughly embarrassed by the Aussies in the last Ashes, losing 5-0, leading the then ECB chairman Giles Clarke to call it an ‘appalling’ result.
The Aussies had England’s number in just about every facet of the game, and it showed.
Legendary ex-England cricketer Ian Botham in action in the 1981 Ashes, where his performances almost single-handedly won his country the series
JOIN IN WITH THE BARMY ARMY
Whether you're sat in the pub sinking a cold one (make sure it's not Fosters) or you're sat at home watching from the comfort of your living room, you might start to tap your foot.
This could lead to fist pumping and a full burst into song.
It's ok, you've simply being sucked in by England's Barmy Army - the team's ultimate fan support. Embrace it, follow the chants, hell, even get your face painted in the cross of St George!
The Barmy Army will do their best to cheer England to victory, and will follow wherever the team go
THE CRICKET'S ON... LET'S DRINK!
So the Aussies are renowned for enjoying the Amber Nectar, and the English like to get merry.... why not invent your very own Ashes drinking game?
A shot for every ball bowled isn't too sensible, so be innovative. But know your limits!
If you're watching the cricket in the pub, the chances are it could be a long session
BE ACCEPTING OF CULTURE AND TRADITIONS
The chances are, especially if out in the nation's capital, you're going to bump into a rival fan.
Now cricket is known as the gentleman's game, so we as fans should act the same right? So no laughing at silly hats and anyone dressed as a kangaroo...it's all just banter.
Fancy dress is popular when people go out to watch the cricket, involving the weird and wonderful
HOLD YOUR LAUGHTER... IT'S ERNIE THE URN
Hopefully England's performance on the pitch won't be as laughable as their sponsor.
Introducing 'Ernie the Urn,' the ingeniously named crowd pleaser. Who can possibly imagine how long marketing bosses deliberated over picking that name...
England's mascot is Ernie the Urn, in one of the less imaginative naming of crowd-pleasers
BE PREPARED FOR RAIN FRUSTRATIONS
We all know the English summer weather is unpredictable at best. So don't be expecting continuous play for all five matches in the series.
The last time England hosted the Ashes back in 2013, resulting in a 3-0 home victory, three of the five Tests were hit by rain, causing overs to be reduced and early declarations.
At least you'll have the Sky Sports pundits to listen to during the breaks.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
High level sport can swing one way, and then the other and there are no guarantees.
So having a flutter on the matches can provide good fun with friends, though you'll do well to defy odds like England were in the third test in 1981.
At 500/1, an Ian Botham inspired England came back from the brink after bring asked to follow on and triumph.
WHERE'S THAT PIETERSEN FELLA?
The most talked about cricketer in the build up to the Ashes is not even playing.
News about Kevin Pietersen has been unavoidable since his dismissal from the England team in 2012 and his unsuccessful attempts to reintegrate this year.
Kevin Pietersen's skills on the field were never in doubt for England, but falling out with other players and management saw his Ashes career hit the buffers
Pietersen is arguably the most naturally gifted batsman of his generation but is known for causing a rift or two in the dressing room.
Will England regret not picking KP, we’ll have to wait and see.
WHAT'S WITH RUBBING THE BALL?
You may see the fully grown men rubbing the ball furiously near to their groin area. This in turn leaves red marks that even mum would find difficult to wash out.
But it's all about making the ball turn the way you want in the air, and its all perfectly legal.
As ever with the English weather, the rain could well play a part in disrupting the summer series
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
Never chose a Twitter handle that can land you in hot water with irate fans. In 2010, Ashley Kerekes, whose Twitter name is @TheAshes, found out the hard way when she suddenly gained 6,000 followers and became the centre of a storm of Anglo-Aussie banter.
"I'm not a freaking cricket match!" she yelled into the Twittersphere. Hilarious.
SKY SPORTS SING-ALONG
Sky Sports cricket pundits are clearly excited about the Ashes. They’ve teamed up with rock star Elio Pace and his band to record a song to the tune of Billy Joel’s classic ‘We didn't start the fire’.
It’s brilliant and can be also be viewed here.
Crazy cricketers didn't start the fire in lead up to The Ashes
MAKING NAMES
Legends of the game such as Don Bradman and Ian Botham made their name by performing in the Ashes.
There’s also you chance you’ve heard of a certain Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff. His incredible display in 2005, and the drunken antics on a pedalo that followed, has spawned books, a regular appearance on Sky’s A League of their Own as well as countless speaking gigs.
Who could be next?
Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff was a character to say the least when he represented England in The Ashes
OOOOOH... SPLIT LOYALTIES!
Following a despairing run of form England sacked head coach Peter Moores, replacing him with Australian Trevor Bayliss.
Now it might not be fair to question the man's professionalism, but can a man from Down Under ever really switch off the passion tap where cricket is concerned.
All eyes will be looking into the management box!
One of Trevor Bayliss' main tasks as England chief is to guide the side to Ashes victory against the country of his birth
WHAT ARE THEY ON ABOUT?
If you’re going to enjoy the cricket, you need to know at least some of the lingo. Swing bowling will be mentioned a ton throughout the Ashes.
It’s all down to wind resistance on the ball but I won’t go into that now. Just know that if the ball is swinging and England are bowling, it’s a good thing.
SLEDGING - YET NO SNOW IN SIGHT!
It's important in the most famous one-on-one match in cricket to gain the upper hand wherever possible. And this is where sledging - verbally intimidating the opposition - comes in.
So don't be surprised if the Sky Sports microphones pick up some rather colourful language. They key thing to watch for is who is first to crack.
Michael Clarke of Australia (left) and England's James Anderson were involved in serious sledging in the 2013/14 Ashes that saw the former fined for his comments
In the 2013/14 Ashes a microphone on the stump day caught Australia captain Michael Clarke telling England's James Anderson to 'get ready for a broken f*****g arm.'
He was fined 20 per cent of his match earnings for the outburst.
WHO TO WATCH
Joe Root is poised to have a big series. He recently scored the fourth fastest one-day international century in England’s history, with his ton coming off 71 balls. His feat was beaten in the same match by Jos Buttler – another player to watch – who smashed 100 runs off 66 balls.
Incredibly, it wasn’t his fastest century. That came off just 61 deliveries. This is test cricket though, so will England be able to continue their upturn?
Big things are expected of England's Joe Root, who goes into the series in fine form
SPEED KILLS
Mitchell Johnson’s bowling has topped the speed gun at 97mph. That’s seriously quick. And he’s not the only Aussie who can sling the cherry.
Mitchell Starc has registered a 94mph seam ball and Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle are all frighteningly quick bowlers.
England’s saving grace is that only three of them will be selected.
Mitchell Johnson can bowl at near 100mph and will be a big threat to England's batsmen
JOIN IN WITH SKY's #MYASHESSUMMER
Using #MyAshesSummer, fans can send in their own content, including selfies from the ground, friends and family at home, or pictures watching in the pub.
Your images will then sit alongside footage of historic Ashes moments and behind the scenes content from the Sky Sports cricket team.
The TV ad will be updated after every Test, using images and video from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine.
But what is the Ashes? And why is winning it a matter of life and death for millions of English and Australians?
The Barmy Army, beer and bizarre mascots... oh, and some cricket: The only guide to the Ashes 2015 you really need
Sponsored by Sky Sports
England set to welcome Australia for the historic cricket series
The first Test starts on July, with competition ending on August 24
Whether watching at home or in the pub, we can join in all the fun
Fancy dress, drinking games and friendly banter order of the day
By John Hutchinson for MailOnline
6 July 2015
Daily Mail
This summer sees the 69th renewal of the most famous cricket series in the world - the Ashes.
Australia are over in the UK for five matches: at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff; Lord's in London; Edgbaston in Birmingham; Trent Bridge in Nottingham; and the Oval in London from July 8 to August 24.
It is two years since England were humiliated 5-0 Down Under, so there is desperation to right that wrong and reclaim the Ashes.
England celebrate winning the Ashes back in 2013 on home soil - but can they do the same in 2015?
The famous little urn - it may be little but the English and the Aussies consider it to be the most valuable prize in cricket - is lifted by the Australia captain after his side won the 2013/14 Ashes series
And things are tight where the results are concerned - Australia are on 32 series wins, England on 31 with five draws since the first match back in 1882.
But what is the 'Ashes'? How can we throw ourselves into supporting the famous old competition? And is it worth booking time off work to go crazy with the England barmy army?
Here's a lowdown packed full of fun facts on this summer's fiercest battle, and how you can join in all the fun...
The winning team will celebrate with a replica urn similar to this
SO, WHOSE ASHES ARE THEY PLAYING FOR?
Well, it's not actually as morbid as it may seem. After Australia defeated England at The Oval for the first time back in 1882, the Sporting Times carried a mock obituary of English cricket, concluding that the 'body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.'
England travelled to Australia a few weeks later and triumphed 2-1 in a series, and it became known that they had 'brought back the Ashes.' A small terracotta urn was gifted to symbolise this.
Now, whenever the two sides play each other in Test cricket, they compete for the Ashes.
THE TROPHY
The greatest prize in cricket is all of 11cm tall and the winning captain doesn’t even get to hold the original Ashes Urn.
That resides behind glass at Lord’s while a replica is held aloft. The original urn is rumoured to contain the ashes of a bail.
THE RIVALRY
England and Australia are the only teams that compete for the Ashes, sparking a unique rivalry over the years.
The teams have competed for the tiny urn since 1882 and this is the one series both teams want to win and can’t stand to lose.
The original Ashes Urn can be found in the museum at Lord's Cricket ground in London, protected in a glass casing
THE LAST RESULT
England will be looking for redemption this time around after being thoroughly embarrassed by the Aussies in the last Ashes, losing 5-0, leading the then ECB chairman Giles Clarke to call it an ‘appalling’ result.
The Aussies had England’s number in just about every facet of the game, and it showed.
Legendary ex-England cricketer Ian Botham in action in the 1981 Ashes, where his performances almost single-handedly won his country the series
JOIN IN WITH THE BARMY ARMY
Whether you're sat in the pub sinking a cold one (make sure it's not Fosters) or you're sat at home watching from the comfort of your living room, you might start to tap your foot.
This could lead to fist pumping and a full burst into song.
It's ok, you've simply being sucked in by England's Barmy Army - the team's ultimate fan support. Embrace it, follow the chants, hell, even get your face painted in the cross of St George!
The Barmy Army will do their best to cheer England to victory, and will follow wherever the team go
THE CRICKET'S ON... LET'S DRINK!
So the Aussies are renowned for enjoying the Amber Nectar, and the English like to get merry.... why not invent your very own Ashes drinking game?
A shot for every ball bowled isn't too sensible, so be innovative. But know your limits!
If you're watching the cricket in the pub, the chances are it could be a long session
BE ACCEPTING OF CULTURE AND TRADITIONS
The chances are, especially if out in the nation's capital, you're going to bump into a rival fan.
Now cricket is known as the gentleman's game, so we as fans should act the same right? So no laughing at silly hats and anyone dressed as a kangaroo...it's all just banter.
Fancy dress is popular when people go out to watch the cricket, involving the weird and wonderful
HOLD YOUR LAUGHTER... IT'S ERNIE THE URN
Hopefully England's performance on the pitch won't be as laughable as their sponsor.
Introducing 'Ernie the Urn,' the ingeniously named crowd pleaser. Who can possibly imagine how long marketing bosses deliberated over picking that name...
England's mascot is Ernie the Urn, in one of the less imaginative naming of crowd-pleasers
BE PREPARED FOR RAIN FRUSTRATIONS
We all know the English summer weather is unpredictable at best. So don't be expecting continuous play for all five matches in the series.
The last time England hosted the Ashes back in 2013, resulting in a 3-0 home victory, three of the five Tests were hit by rain, causing overs to be reduced and early declarations.
At least you'll have the Sky Sports pundits to listen to during the breaks.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
High level sport can swing one way, and then the other and there are no guarantees.
So having a flutter on the matches can provide good fun with friends, though you'll do well to defy odds like England were in the third test in 1981.
At 500/1, an Ian Botham inspired England came back from the brink after bring asked to follow on and triumph.
WHERE'S THAT PIETERSEN FELLA?
The most talked about cricketer in the build up to the Ashes is not even playing.
News about Kevin Pietersen has been unavoidable since his dismissal from the England team in 2012 and his unsuccessful attempts to reintegrate this year.
Kevin Pietersen's skills on the field were never in doubt for England, but falling out with other players and management saw his Ashes career hit the buffers
Pietersen is arguably the most naturally gifted batsman of his generation but is known for causing a rift or two in the dressing room.
Will England regret not picking KP, we’ll have to wait and see.
WHAT'S WITH RUBBING THE BALL?
You may see the fully grown men rubbing the ball furiously near to their groin area. This in turn leaves red marks that even mum would find difficult to wash out.
But it's all about making the ball turn the way you want in the air, and its all perfectly legal.
As ever with the English weather, the rain could well play a part in disrupting the summer series
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
Never chose a Twitter handle that can land you in hot water with irate fans. In 2010, Ashley Kerekes, whose Twitter name is @TheAshes, found out the hard way when she suddenly gained 6,000 followers and became the centre of a storm of Anglo-Aussie banter.
"I'm not a freaking cricket match!" she yelled into the Twittersphere. Hilarious.
SKY SPORTS SING-ALONG
Sky Sports cricket pundits are clearly excited about the Ashes. They’ve teamed up with rock star Elio Pace and his band to record a song to the tune of Billy Joel’s classic ‘We didn't start the fire’.
It’s brilliant and can be also be viewed here.
Crazy cricketers didn't start the fire in lead up to The Ashes
MAKING NAMES
Legends of the game such as Don Bradman and Ian Botham made their name by performing in the Ashes.
There’s also you chance you’ve heard of a certain Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff. His incredible display in 2005, and the drunken antics on a pedalo that followed, has spawned books, a regular appearance on Sky’s A League of their Own as well as countless speaking gigs.
Who could be next?
Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff was a character to say the least when he represented England in The Ashes
OOOOOH... SPLIT LOYALTIES!
Following a despairing run of form England sacked head coach Peter Moores, replacing him with Australian Trevor Bayliss.
Now it might not be fair to question the man's professionalism, but can a man from Down Under ever really switch off the passion tap where cricket is concerned.
All eyes will be looking into the management box!
One of Trevor Bayliss' main tasks as England chief is to guide the side to Ashes victory against the country of his birth
WHAT ARE THEY ON ABOUT?
If you’re going to enjoy the cricket, you need to know at least some of the lingo. Swing bowling will be mentioned a ton throughout the Ashes.
It’s all down to wind resistance on the ball but I won’t go into that now. Just know that if the ball is swinging and England are bowling, it’s a good thing.
SLEDGING - YET NO SNOW IN SIGHT!
It's important in the most famous one-on-one match in cricket to gain the upper hand wherever possible. And this is where sledging - verbally intimidating the opposition - comes in.
So don't be surprised if the Sky Sports microphones pick up some rather colourful language. They key thing to watch for is who is first to crack.
Michael Clarke of Australia (left) and England's James Anderson were involved in serious sledging in the 2013/14 Ashes that saw the former fined for his comments
In the 2013/14 Ashes a microphone on the stump day caught Australia captain Michael Clarke telling England's James Anderson to 'get ready for a broken f*****g arm.'
He was fined 20 per cent of his match earnings for the outburst.
WHO TO WATCH
Joe Root is poised to have a big series. He recently scored the fourth fastest one-day international century in England’s history, with his ton coming off 71 balls. His feat was beaten in the same match by Jos Buttler – another player to watch – who smashed 100 runs off 66 balls.
Incredibly, it wasn’t his fastest century. That came off just 61 deliveries. This is test cricket though, so will England be able to continue their upturn?
Big things are expected of England's Joe Root, who goes into the series in fine form
SPEED KILLS
Mitchell Johnson’s bowling has topped the speed gun at 97mph. That’s seriously quick. And he’s not the only Aussie who can sling the cherry.
Mitchell Starc has registered a 94mph seam ball and Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle are all frighteningly quick bowlers.
England’s saving grace is that only three of them will be selected.
Mitchell Johnson can bowl at near 100mph and will be a big threat to England's batsmen
JOIN IN WITH SKY's #MYASHESSUMMER
Using #MyAshesSummer, fans can send in their own content, including selfies from the ground, friends and family at home, or pictures watching in the pub.
Your images will then sit alongside footage of historic Ashes moments and behind the scenes content from the Sky Sports cricket team.
The TV ad will be updated after every Test, using images and video from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine.
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