Latest news with #Ashes-winning
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
How an Australian made sure ‘the real Ashes trophy' finally made it to Lord's
Not to Bligh, though. After Dick Barlow bowled Tom Garrett to complete England's 'Ashes-winning' victory in the third match in Sydney in January, 1883, Bligh had souvenired the fallen bail and shaped it into a letter-opener, complete with ivory blade and an inscription noting the occasion it marked. 'ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA JANUARY 26, 1883 ENGLAND WON BY 69 RUNS THIS BAIL was knocked off by the last ball bowled IN THE MATCH.' This he presented to Lady Clarke, reciprocating the gesture of the ashes urn, but a later custodian of the letter opener, Ian Metherall, suspects it was also to maintain the favour of the Clarkes and a pretext to see Florence Morphy regularly, which he did. Duly, Bligh proposed, Morphy accepted, but Lady Clarke advised prudence, noting the difference in their social stations and the fact that Bligh's parents in England had not been consulted. She wrote from experience; she herself had come from humble origins to marry Sir William and knew the invisible pitfalls. If Bligh's parents approve, she said, the Clarkes would be only too pleased to give the couple their blessing. Loading Bligh returned to England, but the two artefacts of that series, the urn and the opener, remained with the Clarkes at Rupertswood. In the mind's eye, it's impossible not to see them sitting side-by-side on a mantlepiece somewhere in that grand mansion (elsewhere in its wings, some of Ned Kelly's armour lay, but that's another story for another day). Bligh came back to Melbourne the next summer with his parents' sanction and the Clarkes made a lavish production of his marriage to Morphy. Eventually, the couple settled in England, taking with them the urn. At first, they struggled. As the second son of an earl, Bligh was not entitled and had little money until his older brother died, whereupon funds and comforts accrued, and the title of Lord Darnley. Morphy, now Lady Darnley, made the acquaintance of royalty and other notables, including Rudyard Kipling, and for her pastoral work during World War One was made a dame of the empire. When Bligh died in 1927, she donated the Ashes urn to Lord's. Less than two years later, Don Bradman would have clapped his eyes on it for the first time. Meantime, the bail-cum-letter opener passed down through the line of the Clarke's descendants until it rested in a garage belonging to Metherall and his wife Rosemary, a great-granddaughter of the Clarkes, on their farm at Nagambie. Metherall, an importer/exporter, is also a collector of cricket memorabilia and, incidentally, cars. Rosemary's other grandfather was Essington Lewis, a former head of BHP and an arms manufacturer during World War One who sourced prized steel for General Motors to begin to build Holdens in Australia after World War Two. For his efforts, General Motors delivered to him the first Holden ever made in Australia, the hallowed 48-215. Forerunning that car was a prototype built by GM in Detroit. Metherall and Rosemary at one estage had custody of both cars, each of which had travelled many miles before being restored by enthusiasts and finding their way via the Metherall collection to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra in 2004. Metherall says not all in his family were best pleased with this outcome for these heirlooms. Loading Enter – or re-enter - the bail. Driven to elevate its place in the Ashes narrative, but anxious not to cause further family tensions, Metherall says he bought the bail from them outright. He has since become the champion-in-chief of its paramountcy in the Ashes legend. Since Bligh's descendants say the urn is not a cricket trophy, but a 'personal and romantic keepsake', Metherall regards the bail as a symbolic prize in its own right. He has his backers. 'The Bail is an object of equal importance and historical significance to the Darnley Urn as part of the early Ashes story,' wrote long-serving MCC librarian David Studham in 2011. 'Indeed, its status as a genuine artefact from a Test match on the 1882-83 tour makes it even more so. It is unique; no other bails from this first Ashes series are known to exist, and therefore none are held in any Australian public collections. It deserves to be retained in Australia as a significant item relating to such a key part of our sporting heritage, the battles for 'The Ashes'.' Writing in the magazine Australiana in 2006, curator, publisher and broadcaster Tom Thompson was even more blunt. 'It is the real trophy,' he said, 'and as cricket memorabilia trumps the urn by being created from an actual stump gifted by the English captain. The Ashes urn is a faction.' Metherall says his efforts to consecrate the bail's place in history have largely been stonewalled. For a time, he had it on display at the Australian Club and it appeared in the National Museum from 2006-2008. But the Melbourne Cricket Club museum rebuffed him in 2018, saying it had plenty enough Ashes curios; more would mean only clutter. How near a relative the bail is to the urn and how much weight it should be accorded in the game's iconography is a matter of intrigue. Apart from anything else, it was fashioned from a verifiable piece of Ashes furniture, whereas doubts linger about the ashes in the Ashes. One of several theories that now can never be tested is that the urn was presented to Bligh twice, at Rupertswood before the series when it was empty, and again after the series, now containing the burnt remains of the other bail. If true, it would make the pairing irresistible. But we'll never know. Metherall is not easily deterred. Eventually, he found a sympathetic ear in British broadcaster, actor and author Stephen Fry, a past president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Still, there was a process. The bail is on the National Cultural Heritage Control list, so cannot leave the country without approval. Fortunately, at the Australian end, this was obtained in 24 hours. But British bureaucracy tied up that end like a county medium-pacer. Metherall says he risked a long jail term or a massive fine if he tried to fly it into England without the necessary permissions, because the blade is made of ivory, a prohibited import. A plan to deliver it in February had to be scrapped, but after three months of wrangling, the paperwork finally came through, and Metherall and his precious cargo made their way to London last week, first class (seat 1A), of course. The bail was handed over to Lord's last week and is now on display alongside the venerable urn, together again for the first time since their Rupertswood days. In explaining what he sees as the bail's historic significance vis a vis the urn, Metherall likens it to the pair of historic Holdens he once owned: each tells part of the whole tale. Metherall also says the whole Ashes mystique has been forever misrepresented. 'People don't understand that the Ashes story is not about a little urn,' he said. 'It's actually a love story, between the captain and a pauper.' Bligh suffered frequent ill-health and did not play Test cricket again after that 1882-3 series. The four matches he played then comprise his whole Test career. Its substance is an aggregate of 62 runs, with a top score of 19. Concerning a man who has such venerable place in cricket history, this reads modestly. But like the letter opener he shaped from the bail, it is a humble token that embodies a grand idea that is cherished to this day. As for Metherall, while championing the past, he does not live there. Next on his plate is a project to import unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Age
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
How an Australian made sure ‘the real Ashes trophy' finally made it to Lord's
Not to Bligh, though. After Dick Barlow bowled Tom Garrett to complete England's 'Ashes-winning' victory in the third match in Sydney in January, 1883, Bligh had souvenired the fallen bail and shaped it into a letter-opener, complete with ivory blade and an inscription noting the occasion it marked. 'ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA JANUARY 26, 1883 ENGLAND WON BY 69 RUNS THIS BAIL was knocked off by the last ball bowled IN THE MATCH.' This he presented to Lady Clarke, reciprocating the gesture of the ashes urn, but a later custodian of the letter opener, Ian Metherall, suspects it was also to maintain the favour of the Clarkes and a pretext to see Florence Morphy regularly, which he did. Duly, Bligh proposed, Morphy accepted, but Lady Clarke advised prudence, noting the difference in their social stations and the fact that Bligh's parents in England had not been consulted. She wrote from experience; she herself had come from humble origins to marry Sir William and knew the invisible pitfalls. If Bligh's parents approve, she said, the Clarkes would be only too pleased to give the couple their blessing. Loading Bligh returned to England, but the two artefacts of that series, the urn and the opener, remained with the Clarkes at Rupertswood. In the mind's eye, it's impossible not to see them sitting side-by-side on a mantlepiece somewhere in that grand mansion (elsewhere in its wings, some of Ned Kelly's armour lay, but that's another story for another day). Bligh came back to Melbourne the next summer with his parents' sanction and the Clarkes made a lavish production of his marriage to Morphy. Eventually, the couple settled in England, taking with them the urn. At first, they struggled. As the second son of an earl, Bligh was not entitled and had little money until his older brother died, whereupon funds and comforts accrued, and the title of Lord Darnley. Morphy, now Lady Darnley, made the acquaintance of royalty and other notables, including Rudyard Kipling, and for her pastoral work during World War One was made a dame of the empire. When Bligh died in 1927, she donated the Ashes urn to Lord's. Less than two years later, Don Bradman would have clapped his eyes on it for the first time. Meantime, the bail-cum-letter opener passed down through the line of the Clarke's descendants until it rested in a garage belonging to Metherall and his wife Rosemary, a great-granddaughter of the Clarkes, on their farm at Nagambie. Metherall, an importer/exporter, is also a collector of cricket memorabilia and, incidentally, cars. Rosemary's other grandfather was Essington Lewis, a former head of BHP and an arms manufacturer during World War One who sourced prized steel for General Motors to begin to build Holdens in Australia after World War Two. For his efforts, General Motors delivered to him the first Holden ever made in Australia, the hallowed 48-215. Forerunning that car was a prototype built by GM in Detroit. Metherall and Rosemary at one estage had custody of both cars, each of which had travelled many miles before being restored by enthusiasts and finding their way via the Metherall collection to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra in 2004. Metherall says not all in his family were best pleased with this outcome for these heirlooms. Loading Enter – or re-enter - the bail. Driven to elevate its place in the Ashes narrative, but anxious not to cause further family tensions, Metherall says he bought the bail from them outright. He has since become the champion-in-chief of its paramountcy in the Ashes legend. Since Bligh's descendants say the urn is not a cricket trophy, but a 'personal and romantic keepsake', Metherall regards the bail as a symbolic prize in its own right. He has his backers. 'The Bail is an object of equal importance and historical significance to the Darnley Urn as part of the early Ashes story,' wrote long-serving MCC librarian David Studham in 2011. 'Indeed, its status as a genuine artefact from a Test match on the 1882-83 tour makes it even more so. It is unique; no other bails from this first Ashes series are known to exist, and therefore none are held in any Australian public collections. It deserves to be retained in Australia as a significant item relating to such a key part of our sporting heritage, the battles for 'The Ashes'.' Writing in the magazine Australiana in 2006, curator, publisher and broadcaster Tom Thompson was even more blunt. 'It is the real trophy,' he said, 'and as cricket memorabilia trumps the urn by being created from an actual stump gifted by the English captain. The Ashes urn is a faction.' Metherall says his efforts to consecrate the bail's place in history have largely been stonewalled. For a time, he had it on display at the Australian Club and it appeared in the National Museum from 2006-2008. But the Melbourne Cricket Club museum rebuffed him in 2018, saying it had plenty enough Ashes curios; more would mean only clutter. How near a relative the bail is to the urn and how much weight it should be accorded in the game's iconography is a matter of intrigue. Apart from anything else, it was fashioned from a verifiable piece of Ashes furniture, whereas doubts linger about the ashes in the Ashes. One of several theories that now can never be tested is that the urn was presented to Bligh twice, at Rupertswood before the series when it was empty, and again after the series, now containing the burnt remains of the other bail. If true, it would make the pairing irresistible. But we'll never know. Metherall is not easily deterred. Eventually, he found a sympathetic ear in British broadcaster, actor and author Stephen Fry, a past president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Still, there was a process. The bail is on the National Cultural Heritage Control list, so cannot leave the country without approval. Fortunately, at the Australian end, this was obtained in 24 hours. But British bureaucracy tied up that end like a county medium-pacer. Metherall says he risked a long jail term or a massive fine if he tried to fly it into England without the necessary permissions, because the blade is made of ivory, a prohibited import. A plan to deliver it in February had to be scrapped, but after three months of wrangling, the paperwork finally came through, and Metherall and his precious cargo made their way to London last week, first class (seat 1A), of course. The bail was handed over to Lord's last week and is now on display alongside the venerable urn, together again for the first time since their Rupertswood days. In explaining what he sees as the bail's historic significance vis a vis the urn, Metherall likens it to the pair of historic Holdens he once owned: each tells part of the whole tale. Metherall also says the whole Ashes mystique has been forever misrepresented. 'People don't understand that the Ashes story is not about a little urn,' he said. 'It's actually a love story, between the captain and a pauper.' Bligh suffered frequent ill-health and did not play Test cricket again after that 1882-3 series. The four matches he played then comprise his whole Test career. Its substance is an aggregate of 62 runs, with a top score of 19. Concerning a man who has such venerable place in cricket history, this reads modestly. But like the letter opener he shaped from the bail, it is a humble token that embodies a grand idea that is cherished to this day. As for Metherall, while championing the past, he does not live there. Next on his plate is a project to import unmanned aerial vehicles.
News.com.au
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Freddie Flintoff reveals horror photos from Top Gear crash for the first time
WARNING: Graphic The full extent of the injuries Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff suffered in his Top Gear crash are laid bare for the first time in his new Disney+ documentary. The show, which dropped on Saturday, includes graphic images of the lacerations he suffered to his nose, cheek, lips and chin when he was dragged, face down, for around 50 metres along the tarmac of Dunsfold Aerodrome in 2022. Photos apparently taken after he was removed from the Surrey track by air ambulance to St George's Hospital are likely to shock viewers, The Sun reports. They reveal for the first time the physical impact of the crash which happened when the three-wheeled Morgan supercar overturned and trapped Freddie, 47, underneath the vehicle. As well as the large cut, which required surgeons to carry out a skin graft, his front teeth were smashed to pieces by the impact and had to be replaced. Since the accident he has had to have multiple operations and have his face 'soldered' together with plasma as well as painful steroid injections straight into his scars. Talking in the documentary he says: 'But it'll never give me what I had back. 'I wasn't happy with it then but now I realise it wasn't too bad, was it? 'You just want people to be honest half the time — to say yeah, it is a f***ing mess, isn't it?' He added: 'I have moments where I forget, I'm just living, and it's so nice. 'And then you just get a stark reminder, I get a feeling on my face because it's all tight and it's different, I've got no teeth, or something will fall out of my mouth when I'm eating. 'Or I just look in the mirror and it all comes back. 'You say your face is your identity, but how many times do we hear, like, people say it's what's inside that counts, it's not how you look … b******s! You know what I mean?' Freddie revealed how he had the choice to turn his head away from the tarmac as the car overturned to prevent him from breaking his neck, but that meant his only other option was to go 'face down' as the vehicle continued to slide across the track. Flintoff, a key member of England's 2005 Ashes-winning side against Australia, admitted he feared he had been damaged beyond repair by the crash. 'After the accident I didn't think I had it in me to get through. This sounds awful, part of me wishes I'd been killed. Part of me thinks, I wish I'd died,' he said. 'I didn't want to kill myself. I wouldn't mistake the two things. I was not wishing, I was just thinking, 'this would have been so much easier'.' Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3 three-wheeled sports car when it overturned. The open-topped car is capable of hitting 209 km/h and the cricketer wasn't wearing a helmet when it flipped over. Flintoff's surgeon Jahrad Haq describes the former England captain's injuries as among the five worst he has come across in 20 years and likened the reconstruction process to a jigsaw with missing pieces.
Hindustan Times
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
'Wish I were killed, it would've been much easier': Former England captain Andrew Flintoff couldn't come out of bedroom
Former England captain Andrew Flintoff said it would have been "much easier" for him had he been "killed" in the near-fatal car accident close to three years ago. Flintoff revealed he thought his "face had come off during the horrific car crash that left him with serious injuries and broken ribs while filming for the television programme Top Gear in 2022. The 47-year-old has spoken at length about the sickening crash in a new Disney documentary 'Flintoff', which premieres on Friday. Flintoff, a key member of England's 2005 Ashes-winning side against Australia, admitted he feared the crash had damaged him beyond repair. "After the accident I didn't think I had it in me to get through. This sounds awful, part of me wishes I'd been killed. Part of me thinks, I wish I'd died," he said. "I didn't want to kill myself. I wouldn't mistake the two things. I was not wishing, I was just thinking, 'this would have been so much easier'." Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3 three-wheeled sports car when it overturned. The open-topped car is capable of hitting 130 mph (209 km/h) and the cricketer wasn't wearing a helmet when it flipped over. Flintoff's surgeon Jahrad Haq describes the former England captain's injuries as among the five worst he has come across in 20 years and likened the reconstruction process to a jigsaw with missing pieces. "I remember my head got hit, I got dragged out. I went over the back of the car and it pulled my face down on the runway, about 50 metres, underneath the car," Flintoff said. "My biggest fear was, I didn't think I had a face. I thought my face had come off. I was frightened to death." Rated as one of England's best-ever all-rounders, Flintoff struggled to come out of the bedroom for days. The 47-year-old ex-England all-rounder said it took him "10 goes to leave my bedroom" due to anxiety on his first morning as an assistant coach with the national team in 2023. "That day in Cardiff, it took me 10 goes to leave my hotel bedroom. I couldn't get out of the room," he told The Times in an interview with former England captain Mike Atherton. "I was so anxious and worried. I eventually went down to breakfast; sat down and chatted with Reece Topley and then Jos Buttler. "I had to go back to my room to get my baseball mitt and I was waiting for the lift again and heard footsteps. I knew it would be (England captain) Ben Stokes. "I didn't really know him then. I've built a great relationship with him since, but I was anxious about that, standing in the lift with him. "In the dressing room, Joe Root came over, one of the best men you'll ever meet, and everyone made me feel so welcome. The BBC "rested" Top Gear for the foreseeable future in 2023 after reaching a financial settlement with Flintoff. But he remains resentful about the entertainment culture he was involved in, likening it to his own injury-ravaged playing career. "I learned this in sport as well. All the injuries, all the injections, all the times I got sent out on a cricket field and treated like a piece of meat," he said. "That's TV and sport. It's quite similar, you're just a commodity." Despite regular flashbacks about the accident, Flintoff has gradually rediscovered the motivation to resume his public life as head coach of England Lions and Northern Superchargers. "I don't think I'm ever going to be better, just different now. I'm getting there slowly," he said. "Now I try to take the attitude that the sun will come up tomorrow and my kids will still give me a hug. I'm probably in a better place now." Flintoff retired as a player in 2010 aged 31 after playing in 79 Tests between 1998 and 2009. After the crash, he was initially invited to help with the England Under-19s, but he was appointed as the head coach of the England Lions in September 2024.
News.com.au
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff reveals horror details of car crash while on Top Gear
Andrew Flintoff has revealed he thought his 'face had come' off during the horrific car crash that left the former England all-rounder wishing he had died. Flintoff suffered serious facial injuries and broken ribs during the accident while filming for television program Top Gear in 2022. The 47-year-old has spoken at length about the sickening crash in a new Disney+ documentary 'Flintoff', which premieres on Friday. Flintoff, a key member of England's 2005 Ashes-winning side against Australia, admitted he feared he had been damaged beyond repair by the crash. 'After the accident I didn't think I had it in me to get through. This sounds awful, part of me wishes I'd been killed. Part of me thinks, I wish I'd died,' he said. 'I didn't want to kill myself. I wouldn't mistake the two things. I was not wishing, I was just thinking, 'this would have been so much easier'.' Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3 three-wheeled sports car when it overturned. The open-topped car is capable of hitting 130 mph (209 km/h) and the cricketer wasn't wearing a helmet when it flipped over. Flintoff's surgeon Jahrad Haq describes the former England captain's injuries as among the five worst he has come across in 20 years and likened the reconstruction process to a jigsaw with missing pieces. 'I remember my head got hit, I got dragged out. I went over the back of the car and it pulled my face down on the runway, about 50 metres, underneath the car,' Flintoff said. 'My biggest fear was, I didn't think I had a face. I thought my face had come off. I was frightened to death.' The BBC 'rested' Top Gear for the foreseeable future in 2023 after reaching a financial settlement with Flintoff. But he remains resentful about the entertainment culture he was involved in, likening it to his own injury-ravaged playing career. 'I learned this in sport as well. All the injuries, all the injections, all the times I got sent out on a cricket field and treated like a piece of meat,' he said. 'That's TV and sport. It's quite similar, you're just a commodity.' Despite regular flashbacks about the accident, Flintoff has gradually rediscovered the motivation to resume his public life as head coach of England Lions and Northern Superchargers. 'I don't think I'm ever going to be better, just different now. I'm getting there slowly,' he said. 'Now I try to take the attitude that the sun will come up tomorrow and my kids will still give me a hug. I'm probably in a better place now.'
