History of Test cricket from 1877 to 1883
By 1883, the tradition of England-Australia tours was well established, that year having concluded the first Ashes series. When England lost at home for the first time in 1882, "The Sporting Times" lamented the death of cricket in the mother country and declared that "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". England captain Ivo Bligh promised that on the tour to Australia in 1882–83 he would regain "the ashes" and the term began to be established. During that tour a small terracotta urn was presented to Bligh by a group of Melbourne women. The urn is commonly, but erroneously, believed to be the trophy of the Ashes series, but it has never been formally adopted as such and Bligh always considered it to be a personal gift.
Australian cricket team in England and Scotland in 2009
The series of five Test matches between England and Australia was for The Ashes and, for the first time, a Test match was held in the capital of Wales, Cardiff. Australia was the holder of The Ashes trophy, having won the 2006-07 series 5–0. England won the last series to be held in England in 2005, and subsequently won the 2009 Ashes 2–1. The Twenty20 International series was drawn 0–0 as bad weather meant that neither match produced a result.