ashes

ashes [ash′iz]

pl.n.

〚see ASH¹〛

1. the unburned particles and white or grayish powder remaining after a thing has been burned

2. the part of the body left after cremation

3. a dead person; human remains

4. ruins or remains, as of a destroyed civilization

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an imaginary prize that goes to the winner of each series of international cricket matches between England and Australia. The name comes from a humorous newspaper article written when Australia beat England at cricket in 1882, saying that English cricket had died, that it would be cremated (= burnt after death), and that its ashes would be taken to Australia:

With this victory Australia have retained the Ashes.

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▪ cricket

  symbol of victory in the usually biennial cricket Test (international) match series between select national teams of England and Australia, first staged in 1877. Its name stems from an epitaph published in 1882 after the Australian team had won its first victory over England in England, at the Oval, London. The epitaph lamented that English cricket was dead and that its body would be cremated and the ashes sent to Australia. The following year an urn containing the ashes of a wicket bail was presented to the captain of the touring English team in Australia. The urn is now kept at Lord's Cricket Ground, headquarters of the Marylebone Cricket Club, long the foremost British club.

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