At just 5 inches high or thereabouts, the Ashes urn may be the smallest trophy in world sport but, if you're an English or Australia sportsfan, it's the most priceless.
Whenever England and Australia cricket teams play each other in a Test Series (not one day matches) they compete for the famous Ashes urn.
Back in 1882, Australia and England played each other at the Oval in London. Australia won - the first time Australia had ever beaten England in England.
Apparently, the stadium went quiet, as England fans could not believe their team had just lost to a British colony.
An English newspaper even printed a mock obituary, mourning the death of English cricket.
The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The English media dubbed the next English tour to Australia (1882–83) as the quest to regain The Ashes.
During that tour a small terracotta urn was presented to England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women. The contents of the urn are a mystery, but are reputed to be the ashes of an item of cricket equipment, possibly a bail, ball or stump.
Some Aborigines hold that The Ashes are those of King Cole, a cricketer who toured England with an Australian Aboriginal side in 1868.
The Dowager Countess of Darnley claimed recently that her mother-in-law, Bligh's wife Florence Morphy, said that they were the remains of a lady's veil.
Now, whenever the two teams meet in a Test Series, they compete for the historic Ashes urn.
The first match of this five match series has ended in a draw - something which will please England more than Australia.
Today was the fifth and final day of the match. In the first innings, Australia posted a whopping score of 674-6, before deciding that that score was enough, and declared, putting England into bat to start the second innings.
England scored 435 in the first innings - itself a good score. Little did they know that Australia would then score an even higher total - in fact, 674-6 is the fourth highest score for Australia in Ashes history.
England went into their second batting innings 239 runs behind, and made a disastrous start, with two players getting out early, leaving England on just 20-2 at the end of yesterday.
They started today 219 runs behind and, with no chance of victory, needed just to keep on batting all day until the end of today's play to salvage a draw and deny Australia victory.
Australia needed to take another 8 wickets today - they took another 7.
England were on 252-9 when today's play ended, and Australia are surely gutted that they didn't get the one more wicket they needed.
By Oliver Brett
BBC Sport
The Ashes
Fifth Day of the First Test (At the Swalec Stadium, Cardiff).
Result.
1st Innings
England: 435
Australia: 674-6 declared
2nd Innings
England: 252-9
The match is drawn. The five match Series remains 0-0.
The 2nd Test starts on Thursday at Lord's.
England: Strauss (C), Cook, Bopara, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior (W), Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Panesar
Australia: Katich, Hughes, Ponting (C), M Clarke, M Hussey, North, Haddin (W), M Johnson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Hauritz
England's last-wicket pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar defied Australia for 40 minutes to clinch a draw in the first Ashes Test.
Amid scenes of high tension in Cardiff, and with every dot ball roared by a capacity crowd, England somehow kept Australia's spinners at bay.
Paul Collingwood hit a valiant 74 after England, 20-2 overnight, had lost three further wickets inside 90 minutes.
Australia seemed certain winners then, but somehow England clung on.
So near but so far: Ricky Ponting (150) is dismissed with his first double hundred against England in his sights
Picture: PA
Collingwood's innings lasted 245 balls, five and three quarter hours in all. It was an innings of grisly determination, which put the efforts of other players in the top order sharply into perspective.
But with 50 minutes to go in the match, and England still a tantalising six runs away from making Australia bat again, the Durham man played probably his first slightly risky shot.
Attempting to steer Siddle wide of point he instead hit it high to backward point, where Michael Hussey parried a catch above his head, before taking it - agonisingly - at the second opportunity.
Anderson and Panesar defied the odds to frustrate Australia
It seemed now, with Panesar coming out to join Anderson, that England would lose in heart-breaking fashion. But the last man refused to be an easy target, and when Anderson squirted Siddle down to third man for four, England had a precious lead.
Significantly, that meant England did not have to bat until the 1850 BST cut-off. They just had to get past 1840, which meant facing around three overs fewer.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who seemed to underbowl his hugely impressive swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, gave the final few overs to the two off-spinners Nathan Hauritz and Marcus North.
But Hauritz, though he had bowled brilliantly earlier in the day when he
took three significant wickets, was by now tired and North was not a danger to two vastly improved tail-enders.
When the clock ticked past 1840 BST, it was clear that Hauritz was bowling the last over. Anderson survived his 53rd delivery - Panesar had hung around for 35 - and the ground roared as one to salute a famous result.
Dreadful batting earlier in the day had seemed to ensure that anything other than an Australian win would be extremely unlikely.
Collingwood played superbly before falling on 74
Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior all had only themselves to blame by getting dismissed in the first hour and a half. Pietersen left a straight ball before Strauss and Prior played cross-batted attacking shots at balls that could have been safely ignored.
The first wicket of the morning fell in only the fourth over. Pietersen had already left one Hilfenhaus delivery that went straight on, the ball flicking his pad as he survived an lbw appeal. But he did not learn the lesson, again pulling out of a forward defensive - and the ball flattened the stumps.
Ponting wasted little time in bringing Hauritz into the attack, and Hauritz wasted little time in bringing about the next mortal blow to England's ambitions of salvation.
Strauss followed up one square cut off the spinner for four by attempting a repeat next ball and nicking it straight into Brad Haddin's gloves. It was a depressing way for the captain to get out and he lingered at the crease for several seconds.
The message did not seem to be getting through to the others, as Prior soon aimed an outrageous attempted slash outside off-stump at Peter Siddle - and missed. Hauritz was bowling really well, finding drift, bounce and varied amounts of turn.
Collingwood was making him look like Muttiah Muralitharan on a particularly good day, but at least he was surviving, just - despite almost giving short-leg a catch and having to trap a delivery with his boot as it ricocheted towards his stumps.
Prior, on the other hand, persisted with risky cuts, and eventually edged one to slip.
England were surely staring at a massive defeat, but Collingwood was at last playing with some sort of fluency and in Andrew Flintoff - who scored a century to save a Test in Antigua in 2004 - finally found a partner whose mind was not completely riddled with uncertainty.
Nathan Hauritz and Ricky Ponting saw the Aussies come so close
They took England to 102-5 at lunch , still 137 behind, with Collingwood on 35 and Flintoff 11.
But things started to look dicey again soon after the interval when Hilfenhaus, in bright sunshine, got the ball to swing in both directions - something that bemused the England dressing-room balcony given the travails of the home team's bowlers.
Collingwood's tenacity continued - he did not mind having to wait 45 minutes to advance his score after lunch. But Flintoff never completely settled, and his 23-over stay at the crease was finally ended when he edged a delivery from Mitchell Johnson that did nothing untoward, and the edge was taken low down at second slip.
After narrowly surviving a desperately close lbw appeal first ball, Stuart Broad produced a determined effort, showing up many of the specialist batsmen in the side, but failed to get through to tea. Playing back to Hauritz when perhaps he might have chosen to go forward he was pinned lbw on middle stump.
Steady does it: Australia's Michael Clarke eased his way to 70 runs
Picture: GETTY
Next, Graeme Swann did his best to play doughty sidekick to Collingwood, and he batted until tea and for an hour beyond - initially weathering a ferocious over from Siddle in which he was hit twice by bouncers, requiring the physio each time.
When the new ball failed to provide an immediate breakthrough - Hilfenhaus bowled beautifully, Johnson waywardly - there was genuine hope that the match could be drawn.
But with 19 overs left in the day, Swann went for a pull shot off Hilfenhaus, the ball kept a little low, and he was out lbw.
The tension cranked up another gear as James Anderson became the next batsman to play a courageous hand, and gradually England moved closer to the score they had to reach to make the Aussies bat again.
When Collingwood fell to Siddle, England fans were briefly silenced, but they ultimately left Test cricket's newest venue with a lot of pleasant memories - even if it was "only" a draw.
Taking out the trash: stewards haul a disgruntled protestor away from the middle at Sophia Gardens
Picture: PA
Gotcha: Mitchell Johnson celebrates taking the wicket of Andrew Flintoff
Picture: GETTY
Defiant: Paul Collingwood frustrates the Australian bowlers after lunch
Picture: GETTY
Horror show: the England team look on from the pavillion as their first Test hopes crumbled before them
Picture: PA
What a waster: Matt Prior only added 14 runs before going out cheaply
Picture: GETTY IMAGES
Trouble: Australia celebrate the wicket of Andrew Strauss on day five
Picture: AFP
Bad start: Kevin Pietersen's dismissal got England off on the wrong foot on day five
Easy does it: Marcus North dives in for his first Ashes ton for Australia
Picture: GETTY IMAGES
Under the cosh: England's bowlers failed to make breakthrough on day four
Picture: GETTY IMAGES
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
Whenever England and Australia cricket teams play each other in a Test Series (not one day matches) they compete for the famous Ashes urn.
Back in 1882, Australia and England played each other at the Oval in London. Australia won - the first time Australia had ever beaten England in England.
Apparently, the stadium went quiet, as England fans could not believe their team had just lost to a British colony.
An English newspaper even printed a mock obituary, mourning the death of English cricket.
The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The English media dubbed the next English tour to Australia (1882–83) as the quest to regain The Ashes.
During that tour a small terracotta urn was presented to England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women. The contents of the urn are a mystery, but are reputed to be the ashes of an item of cricket equipment, possibly a bail, ball or stump.
Some Aborigines hold that The Ashes are those of King Cole, a cricketer who toured England with an Australian Aboriginal side in 1868.
The Dowager Countess of Darnley claimed recently that her mother-in-law, Bligh's wife Florence Morphy, said that they were the remains of a lady's veil.
Now, whenever the two teams meet in a Test Series, they compete for the historic Ashes urn.
The first match of this five match series has ended in a draw - something which will please England more than Australia.
Today was the fifth and final day of the match. In the first innings, Australia posted a whopping score of 674-6, before deciding that that score was enough, and declared, putting England into bat to start the second innings.
England scored 435 in the first innings - itself a good score. Little did they know that Australia would then score an even higher total - in fact, 674-6 is the fourth highest score for Australia in Ashes history.
England went into their second batting innings 239 runs behind, and made a disastrous start, with two players getting out early, leaving England on just 20-2 at the end of yesterday.
They started today 219 runs behind and, with no chance of victory, needed just to keep on batting all day until the end of today's play to salvage a draw and deny Australia victory.
Australia needed to take another 8 wickets today - they took another 7.
England were on 252-9 when today's play ended, and Australia are surely gutted that they didn't get the one more wicket they needed.
By Oliver Brett
BBC Sport
The Ashes
Fifth Day of the First Test (At the Swalec Stadium, Cardiff).
Result.
1st Innings
England: 435
Australia: 674-6 declared
2nd Innings
England: 252-9
The match is drawn. The five match Series remains 0-0.
The 2nd Test starts on Thursday at Lord's.
England: Strauss (C), Cook, Bopara, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior (W), Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Panesar
Australia: Katich, Hughes, Ponting (C), M Clarke, M Hussey, North, Haddin (W), M Johnson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Hauritz
England's last-wicket pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar defied Australia for 40 minutes to clinch a draw in the first Ashes Test.
Amid scenes of high tension in Cardiff, and with every dot ball roared by a capacity crowd, England somehow kept Australia's spinners at bay.
Paul Collingwood hit a valiant 74 after England, 20-2 overnight, had lost three further wickets inside 90 minutes.
Australia seemed certain winners then, but somehow England clung on.
So near but so far: Ricky Ponting (150) is dismissed with his first double hundred against England in his sights
Picture: PA
Collingwood's innings lasted 245 balls, five and three quarter hours in all. It was an innings of grisly determination, which put the efforts of other players in the top order sharply into perspective.
But with 50 minutes to go in the match, and England still a tantalising six runs away from making Australia bat again, the Durham man played probably his first slightly risky shot.
Attempting to steer Siddle wide of point he instead hit it high to backward point, where Michael Hussey parried a catch above his head, before taking it - agonisingly - at the second opportunity.
Anderson and Panesar defied the odds to frustrate Australia
It seemed now, with Panesar coming out to join Anderson, that England would lose in heart-breaking fashion. But the last man refused to be an easy target, and when Anderson squirted Siddle down to third man for four, England had a precious lead.
Significantly, that meant England did not have to bat until the 1850 BST cut-off. They just had to get past 1840, which meant facing around three overs fewer.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who seemed to underbowl his hugely impressive swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, gave the final few overs to the two off-spinners Nathan Hauritz and Marcus North.
But Hauritz, though he had bowled brilliantly earlier in the day when he
took three significant wickets, was by now tired and North was not a danger to two vastly improved tail-enders.
When the clock ticked past 1840 BST, it was clear that Hauritz was bowling the last over. Anderson survived his 53rd delivery - Panesar had hung around for 35 - and the ground roared as one to salute a famous result.
Dreadful batting earlier in the day had seemed to ensure that anything other than an Australian win would be extremely unlikely.
Collingwood played superbly before falling on 74
Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior all had only themselves to blame by getting dismissed in the first hour and a half. Pietersen left a straight ball before Strauss and Prior played cross-batted attacking shots at balls that could have been safely ignored.
The first wicket of the morning fell in only the fourth over. Pietersen had already left one Hilfenhaus delivery that went straight on, the ball flicking his pad as he survived an lbw appeal. But he did not learn the lesson, again pulling out of a forward defensive - and the ball flattened the stumps.
Ponting wasted little time in bringing Hauritz into the attack, and Hauritz wasted little time in bringing about the next mortal blow to England's ambitions of salvation.
Strauss followed up one square cut off the spinner for four by attempting a repeat next ball and nicking it straight into Brad Haddin's gloves. It was a depressing way for the captain to get out and he lingered at the crease for several seconds.
The message did not seem to be getting through to the others, as Prior soon aimed an outrageous attempted slash outside off-stump at Peter Siddle - and missed. Hauritz was bowling really well, finding drift, bounce and varied amounts of turn.
Collingwood was making him look like Muttiah Muralitharan on a particularly good day, but at least he was surviving, just - despite almost giving short-leg a catch and having to trap a delivery with his boot as it ricocheted towards his stumps.
Prior, on the other hand, persisted with risky cuts, and eventually edged one to slip.
England were surely staring at a massive defeat, but Collingwood was at last playing with some sort of fluency and in Andrew Flintoff - who scored a century to save a Test in Antigua in 2004 - finally found a partner whose mind was not completely riddled with uncertainty.
Nathan Hauritz and Ricky Ponting saw the Aussies come so close
They took England to 102-5 at lunch , still 137 behind, with Collingwood on 35 and Flintoff 11.
But things started to look dicey again soon after the interval when Hilfenhaus, in bright sunshine, got the ball to swing in both directions - something that bemused the England dressing-room balcony given the travails of the home team's bowlers.
Collingwood's tenacity continued - he did not mind having to wait 45 minutes to advance his score after lunch. But Flintoff never completely settled, and his 23-over stay at the crease was finally ended when he edged a delivery from Mitchell Johnson that did nothing untoward, and the edge was taken low down at second slip.
After narrowly surviving a desperately close lbw appeal first ball, Stuart Broad produced a determined effort, showing up many of the specialist batsmen in the side, but failed to get through to tea. Playing back to Hauritz when perhaps he might have chosen to go forward he was pinned lbw on middle stump.
Steady does it: Australia's Michael Clarke eased his way to 70 runs
Picture: GETTY
Next, Graeme Swann did his best to play doughty sidekick to Collingwood, and he batted until tea and for an hour beyond - initially weathering a ferocious over from Siddle in which he was hit twice by bouncers, requiring the physio each time.
When the new ball failed to provide an immediate breakthrough - Hilfenhaus bowled beautifully, Johnson waywardly - there was genuine hope that the match could be drawn.
But with 19 overs left in the day, Swann went for a pull shot off Hilfenhaus, the ball kept a little low, and he was out lbw.
The tension cranked up another gear as James Anderson became the next batsman to play a courageous hand, and gradually England moved closer to the score they had to reach to make the Aussies bat again.
When Collingwood fell to Siddle, England fans were briefly silenced, but they ultimately left Test cricket's newest venue with a lot of pleasant memories - even if it was "only" a draw.
Taking out the trash: stewards haul a disgruntled protestor away from the middle at Sophia Gardens
Picture: PA
Picture: GETTY
Picture: GETTY
Picture: PA
Picture: GETTY IMAGES
Picture: AFP
Easy does it: Marcus North dives in for his first Ashes ton for Australia
Picture: GETTY IMAGES
Picture: GETTY IMAGES
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
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