Introduction
The Ashes is the name given to any Test Match series between the cricket teams of England and Australia, in a tradition which began as newspaper joke.
IN 1882, a cricket team representing Australia defeated England by just seven runs in a match at the Oval in London, the first time Australia had beaten England on home soil.*
The Sporting Times mourned the death of English cricket in a tongue-in-cheek Obituary, which ran:
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.
The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.
When England had their revenge upon Australia the following year, a group of Australian ladies graciously presented the victorious English captain, Ivo Bligh, with a terracotta urn no more than six inches high, containing (so it is said) the ashes of a single bail.*
Thus ‘the ashes of English cricket’ were returned, and to this day, every Test series between Australia and England is said to be ‘a fight for the Ashes’.
*See the urn at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Note that the urn is not a trophy, and the teams do not ‘fight’ for it or the ashes inside it: they fight for the ashes of English cricket.
See the scorecard at CricInfo.
Précis
Following England’s first home defeat by Australia, in 1882, the Sporting Times announced the ‘death’ of English cricket, adding that its ashes had been taken to Australia. Victory in Australia that winter saw the England captain presented with a tiny urn commemorating the ‘recovery of the ashes’, from which the two nations’ continuing rivalry takes its name. (57 / 60 words)
Following England’s first home defeat by Australia, in 1882, the Sporting Times announced the ‘death’ of English cricket, adding that its ashes had been taken to Australia. Victory in Australia that winter saw the England captain presented with a tiny urn commemorating the ‘recovery of the ashes’, from which the two nations’ continuing rivalry takes its name.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, despite, if, just, not, otherwise, ought, since.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Sport. Than. Which.
2 Following. Obituary. Run.
3 Beat. Sporting. Take.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
lds (9+2)
elides. eludes. ladies. lads. lauds. leads. lids. loads. lodes.
lidos. oldies.
You are welcome to share your creativity with me, or ask for help with any of the exercises on Clay Lane. Write to me at this address:
See more at Email Support.
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
