RIP Bazball – Updating The Ashes Urn

Here are the words affixed to the famous terracotta Ashes Urn given to England Captain, Ivo Bligh when England toured Australia in 1882/83, following Australia’s defeat of England in 1882 in England and the accompanying laments of the death of English cricket, as explained here.

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.

All tongue in cheek of course.

With the RIPs for Bazball as of 21 December 2025, now flying about, perhaps an additional label should be attached to the Urn along the lines of –

Here lies bold Bazball, brisk and bright,

Once swinging free in summer light;

But Aussie pace and cunning spin

Did chase its daring from the grin.

Now silence falls where chaos played—

The urn returns, the debt is paid.

* By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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