Cricket’s Greatest Clash: The newest chapter in the England-Australia rivalry will be resumed when the two sides face off in the first Ashes 2023 Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday, June 16. The series will culminate with the fifth and final Test, which will be held at the Kennington Oval in London from July 27 to July 31.
When Australia and England last clashed in the Ashes in 2021-22, the Aussies won 4-0 in Australia. Pat Cummins and the company will enter the new battle on a high note as well. They just defeated India by 209 runs at The Oval to win the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
England, on the other hand, is set to put up a far greater fight this time. They are captained by the fiery Ben Stokes, who has dramatically improved the team’s Test fortunes in collaboration with coach Brendon McCullum. A tight race is to be expected.
Many commentators believe that the Ashes is not just the oldest but also the most important rivalry in cricket. We examine three reasons why the observation is correct.
Here are 3 reasons why Ashes is cricket’s greatest clash. Look at them:
1) Some of the best performances have come from the Ashes.
The Ashes series began in 1882-82 and has produced some of the best performances in cricket history. Sir Don Bradman set the record for most runs in a Test in 1930, with 974 runs in five matches at an average of 139.14. In reality, an Englishman (Wally Hammond – 905 runs in 1928/29 Ashes) and an Australian (Mark Taylor – 839 runs in 1989 Ashes) share the second and third spots on the list.
The 1981 series is known as Botham’s Ashes because England veteran Ian Botham nearly single-handedly won it for his country. The former all-rounder scored 399 runs, including the legendary 149* at Headingley, and took 34 wickets.
Andrew Flintoff’s flexibility guided England to their first Ashes victory since 1986-87 in the post-2000 era during the 2005 series. Throughout the series, the all-rounder proved to be Australia’s arch-rival. He scored 402 runs at a 40.20 average and took 24 wickets with his deft quick bowling.
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Another famous performance observed during the Ashes was Steve Smith’s 774 runs from four Tests after returning from his ball-tampering ban in 2019.
2) It’s like a museum full of wonderful memories.
The Ashes has delivered a plethora of spectacular moments throughout the years. Shane Warne’s century ball to Mike Gatting in 1993 at Old Trafford in Manchester immediately comes to mind. Another classic moment was when Flintoff consoled Brett Lee after the dramatic finish at Edgbaston in 2005.
The Ashes also saw the renowned Bradman dismissed for a duck in his final Test innings in 1948, when he needed only four runs to complete his career with a perfect 100 average.
Looking for remarkable escapes, England’s last-wicket partnership of James Anderson and Monty Panesar batted for 40 minutes to deny Australia victory in the first Test of the 2009 Ashes in Cardiff. England would go on to win the series 2-1.
In addition, Ashton Agar, then 19, scored 98 on his Test debut in 2013, coming in at No. 11 in the first Test of the series in Nottingham.
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The list of famous Ashes memories is limitless, as corny as it may seem.
3) The sarcastic banter and predictions
The sly banter and predictions made by present and past cricketers from both teams are an inseparable part of the Ashes. The brawl begins well before a ball is bowled. There have been off-field fights over the years that have contributed to the reputation of the rivalry.
In the run-up to the 2023 Ashes, veteran England fast bowler Stuart Broad remarked that he did not consider the 2021-22 series to be a’real’ Ashes since players were not at their peak owing to the toll of travelling during the epidemic.
From the Australian side, Steve Smith has offered a veiled warning to Ben Stokes & Co. regarding ‘Bazball’.
“They’ve obviously done well against other attacks, but they haven’t yet faced us. We’ll see how it plays out against us,” Smith added.
Meanwhile, Australian superstar Glenn McGrath, known for his wild forecasts, has predicted 5-0 in favour of Pat Cummins and Co. As a result, the Ashes war has officially begun.
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