Few sporting contests carry the history, drama and aura of the Ashes. Born from a mock newspaper obituary in 1882 and symbolised by a tiny urn, the rivalry between Australia and England has shaped more than a century of Test cricket

Cricket tests between the English and Australian teams started in 1877. According to the Marylebone Cricket Club, the Lord's-based custodian of the laws of the game, the term "Ashes" was first used in August 1882 in a satirical obituary for English cricket printed in The Sporting Times

The obituary reported that the body of English cricket would be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia. English captain Ivo Bligh led a team to Australia later that year with a vow to reclaim the ashes

The Ashes series has evolved into a regular event, held approximately every two years and alternating between the two countries

The first match of the Ashes Test series is scheduled to be played from November 21 at the Optus Stadium in Perth