England and Australia have a cricketing rivalry that goes back a long way. Both teams have been world leaders of the game at some point or the other in history and have time and again fought it out on the field with undying vigour, limitless energy and burning fire.
As we all know, when fire fights fire, we end up with ashes. Or in this case, the Ashes.
The word “Ashes” right now, could mean a lot. A phoenix only rises from the ashes.
If you are a cricket fan, by now you would have interpreted this statement in more than one way, decoded all the hidden meanings and understood the metaphoric references.
If you are not, I will help you out.
The Ashes is a Test Cricket series consisting of five matches played between Australia and England. The series is held at least once every few years and the venue is alternated between the two playing nations; ie, Australia and England.
A phoenix is a mythological bird that is cyclically regenerated. It obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor and is thus reborn from the ashes.
In the comparison mentioned above, the ashes are the Ashes cricket series and the phoenix is England.
Here is why:
Merely a few months ago:
In the ICC Cricket World Cup, the most prestigious tournament in the sport, the Australian cricket team came out winners, lifted the Cup and claimed the title of World Champions.
In the very same tournament, the English team went up in flames, dying an early death by shockingly exiting from the World Cup without even making it to the semi-finals.
Merely a few hours ago:
In the five match Ashes series, England won the first match, Australia the second and England the third as well as the fourth. Elementary knowledge in mathematics makes it clear that although there is one game still to play, this 3-1 lead is an unbeatable one and England has won the Ashes.
What is more is that they were convincing victories, to say the least. The last one came with an innings to spare.
The same English team that was knocked out of the World Cup in March has today defeated the World Champions in the coveted Ashes series, emerging victorious, making a classy comeback from the decomposition and bringing new life to English cricket.
Just as a phoenix rises from the ashes, English cricket has been reborn from the Ashes.
