The origin of the Ashes and the right to burn
In the Guardian , Mike Selvey delivers a history lesson on the origin of the Ashes.
The obituary was attributed to a Victorian buck, Reginald Shirley Brooks (can you see that name without thinking of Leslie Nielsen, Airplane and "don't call me Shirley"?), and put down to a journalist's twee joke consistent with the age of music hall. He would have been blogging or tweeting these days.
"I think I was saying 3-0 or 4-0 about 12 months ago, thinking there might be a bit of rain around. But with the weather as it is at the moment, I have to say 5-0."
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo