The Ultimate Ashes

A lot has been made of the origins of the Ashes in the lead up to the 2023 series, and in particular the lead up to the second test at Lord’s where the famous Ashes urn is housed. The story keeps being retold about the obituary that was written tongue-in-cheek back in 1882 mocking the death of English cricket and leading to the ashes of a bail being presented in to the now-famous urn. Fast forward 140 odd years to a totally different world. A world where money dominates events, and competition even in a sporting context has become win-at-all-costs. Nothing exemplifies this greater than Premier League football where it’s considered a bargain to buy a defender for £40 million. Many players, agents and those that run the game are millionaires. The difference between winning and losing and the resulting riches that come with or without that can be the difference between a club existing or not. It’s little wonder in this context that players are taught to do whatever it takes. To bend e