Ashes 2023: How small is Ashes urn? What is written on it? What's inside it?

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Ashes 2023: The much-awaited Ashes 2023 kicked off at the Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday, June 16. Test champions Australia will be locking horns with England to retain the urn which they have been holding since 2017-18.

A total of 72 Ashes editions have been played between the two countries, making the series the oldest in the history of Test cricket. Australia have won the Ashes series 34 times, while England are also not fire behind at 32.

Hosts England would be aiming to avenge their 4-0 demolition in the Ashes 2021-22. Under their new coach and captain duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum - England have given birth to a new 'bazball' technique which involves batting with an aggressiveness not usually associated with the longest format of the game.

While England have won 10 of their last 12 Test matches under Ben Stokes, Australia are high on confidence after beating India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final 2023 by 209 runs at The Oval in London.

The informative piece brings to you all the details related to the urn. How small is the urn? What's inside it? Where is the original urn placed?

How small is the Ashes urn?

The Ashes, a small terracotta urn presented to the winner of the five-Test series, is approximately 10 centimetres in length.

What's there inside the Ashes urn?

It is believed to contain the ashes of a burnt cricket bail or the burnt remains of a lady's veil.

What's the story behind the Ashes urn?

On August 29, 1882 Australia defeated England in a cricket match played at Kennington Oval (The Oval) in London. The defeat - first-ever on home soil - was not well received by English fans and a few days later a mock obituary notice appeared in the Sporting Times newspaper.

"In Affectionate Remembrance of English Cricket which died at the Oval on 29th August, 1882, Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. R.I.P. N.B.—The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

Before leaving for 1882-83 series in Australia, then England captain Ivo Bligh vowed to bring back "The Ashes of England cricket." England won the series 2-1.

During the tour, Bligh's team also particpiated in many social matches aprart from the three scheduled matches. It was after one such match, at the Rupertswood Estate outside Melbourne on Christmas Eve 1882, that Bligh was given the small terracotta urn as a symbol of the ashes that he had travelled to Australia to regain.

Accoroding the Lord's Cricket Ground's official website, "On the same occasion, he met his future wife - Florence Morphy - who was the companion to Lady Janet Clarke, mistress of Rupertswood, and governess to the Clark children."

What is written on the Ashes urn?

There are two labels pasted on the Ashes urn. The top label simply says 'The Ashes'. the bottom label is a six lined verse cut out from the Melbourne Punch magazine of February 1, 1883. Here's what it says.

"When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn;

"Studds, Steel, Read and Tylecote return, return;

"The welkin will ring loud,

"The great crowd will feel proud,

"Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn, the urn;

"And the rest coming home with the urn."