The urn prepares to leave home
As if they needed any further incentive to defeat England, Australia's sporting public will get a rare glimpse of what all the fuss is about this winter, as the original Ashes urn prepares for a unique voyage Down Under
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Aside from an exhibition in Sydney to mark Australia's bicentenary in 1988, and a brief spell in a London museum four years later, the original Ashes urn has never left its home at Lord's since it was presented to England's captain, Ivo Bligh, on the 1882-83 tour of Australia. But today, at a news conference to mark the start of a three-month tour that will take in six Australian cities, the Ashes urn prepared for an historic 26,000 mile journey.
"[The urn] represents all that is good between our two nations," said MCC's chief executive, Keith Bradshaw, at the launch of The Ashes Exhibition. "I hope that as many cricket fans as possible will take this unique chance to view a remarkable reminder of our shared heritage."
A previous tour in 2002-03 had to be cancelled when X-rays showed that the fragile urn had sustained serious cracks in its stem and it was feared it might not survive the voyage. An intricate restoration project has since reinforced the casing, and Mike Gatting, the last England captain to return victorious from Australia, welcomed the idea of the Ashes Exhibition.
"It is a fantastic idea," said Gatting. "There is no greater contest in sport than the Ashes and to be able to see the actual urn and so many other priceless artefacts up close is a once in a lifetime opportunity." In addition to the centrepiece of the exhibition, more than 30 other historical artifacts will be on display in a seven-museum tour, starting at Sydney on October 21 and ending in Hobart in January.
Security, unsurprisingly, will be tight with the urn will be housed in a protective shell inside a specially designed case. "We have left no stone unturned and will use the highest levels of security possible," said Bradshaw. "Security is paramount to us."
The legend of the Ashes was borne in 1882 when Australia won a thrilling match by seven runs at The Oval. The Sporting Times ran a mock obituary to mourn the death of English cricket, adding that the "body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia." When Bligh's side won on the return tour six months later the urn was presented to him by a group of Melbourne ladies.
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