Cricket-Ashes urn set for unique tour of Australia

By Staff
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LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) The original Ashes urn, symbol of the historic rivalry between England and Australia, will leave Lord's on Sunday to begin a unique three-month tour of six Australian cities.

The urn, normally based at the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) museum at the home of cricket, will be travelling around Australia for the first time since it was presented to England captain Ivo Bligh during the 1882-83 tour to Australia.

It will be only the third time the famous urn has left the MCC museum.

It had a spell in a Sydney building in 1988 when the bicentenary of European settlement was being marked and four years later was displayed for a time at another museum in London.

''It (the urn) represents all that is good between our two nations,'' MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw told a news conference at the launch of The Ashes Exhibition at Lord's today.

''As the urn makes its 26,000-mile journey to and around Australia, I hope that as many cricket fans as possible will take this unique chance to view a remarkable reminder of our shared heritage.'' The exhibition was arranged in response to a request from Cricket Australia, and has been designed to coincide with England's Ashes defence which starts at the first test in Brisbane on November 23.

More than 30 other historical artefacts will be involved in the exhibition which visits seven museums starting in Sydney on October 21 and ending in Hobart in January.

Security will be extremely tight and the fragile 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. Its security is paramount to us,'' said Bradshaw.

Mike Gatting, the last England captain to win the Ashes in Australia in 1986-87, welcomed the 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.'' The Ashes came about after Australia won a series in England for the first time in 1882.

Following the decisive defeat at the Oval, The Sporting Times published a now famous mock obituary for English cricket.

Although there is argument about the exact nature of the Ashes, the most generally accepted story is that months later a group of Melbourne ladies burnt a set of bails and presented their ashes to Bligh's touring team, who took them home where they have remained ever since.

REUTERS PDS VC1909

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