Ashes remains most prized trophy for Aussies, ahead of World Cup

Sydney, Apr 21 (UNI) For the Aussies nothing beats the Ashes and this was confirmed when a whopping 63 per cent of them voted the famous urn as Australia's most treasured national team sporting prize, ahead of the World Cup, which came a distant third with just seven per cent of votes.

A survey carried out by Newspoll on behalf of Cricket Australia found the majority consider the Ashes to be the country's most valued sporting trophy.

The World Cup, which the Aussies have won for a record three time scould not even manage the second spot, which was grabbed by its soccer version with eight per cent of the votes.

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said the results, particularly the gap between first and second, showed just how important The Ashes are to the Australian public.

''When it comes to Australian team sporting prizes, it's clear that the public consider The Ashes to be the pinnacle and we expect the whole country will be gripped by Ashes fever when the series begins later this year,'' said Mr Sutherland.

The telephonic poll was conducted nationally among 1200 respondents aged 18 years and over in the period between April 7 and 9.

The famous rivalry, which would be renewed later this year when England travel Down Under to defend their first Ashes victory in 21 years, is named after a satirical obituary published in The London Sporting Times in 1882 following the match at The Oval, in which Australia beat England at home for the first time.

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 as the quest to regain The Ashes.

A small terracotta urn was presented to England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women after England's victory in the next Test series. The urn is reputed to contain a set of burnt bails symbolising ''the ashes of English cricket''.

The urn resides in a glass case at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum at Lord's and a large Waterford crystal commemorative trophy, shaped in the form of the original urn, is presented to the winning country at the conclusion of each Ashes series.

UNI XC PM RR DS1203