Empire Podcast – Episode 310

The Origin of The Ashes & The Killer Cricket Scandal (Part 1)
Hosts: William Dalrymple & Anita Anand
Guest: Tim Wigmore (author of Test Cricket: A History)
Release Date: November 25, 2025

Main Theme Overview

This episode launches a special series exploring the deep intertwining of cricket’s story and the British Empire, beginning with the legendary Ashes series between England and Australia. Moving beyond sport, hosts William Dalrymple and Anita Anand reveal how cricket reflects seismic social, political, and imperial changes—how a contest for a tiny urn became the stage for class struggle, anti-imperial sentiment, commercialization, and even diplomatic crises. Guest Tim Wigmore, cricket historian and journalist, helps unpack both sporting history and its wider significance.

Key Topics & Discussions

Cricket – Origins and Imperial Export

[07:12–08:34]

• Early history: Cricket's origins are murky; possibly played as early as the 14th century, but recognizable cricket emerges in 17th-century England.
• First scorecard: Appears in 1744.
• Gambling and scandal: Match-fixing as early as 1817—“both teams had been bribed to lose.”
• First international: Surprisingly, it was USA vs. Canada in Manhattan, 1844.
• First English tour to Australia: 1861, a highly profitable and popular venture.

“Money has always been the driver of sport and that was true from the 1860s.”
—Tim Wigmore [11:43]

The Birth of The Ashes

[08:55–14:47]

• Historical context: The 1880s British Empire at its apex; Australia still a federation of colonies (not a nation until 1901).
• National identity: Australia fields a national cricket team decades before official nationhood—cricket as a tool for forging national consciousness.
• Social backdrop: Australia rapidly urbanizing due to gold rushes, expanding settlements (often at indigenous expense).
• First test matches: Started as marketing by private tour organisers. The foundational match for “the Ashes” is at the Oval, 1882—unexpectedly not at Lord’s.
• Class markers in venues: The Oval as a “people's ground” vs. Lords’ upper-class exclusivity.

The Ashes, Class Politics, and The Oval 1882

[14:47–18:16]

• Colourful captains:
  • William “Billy” Murdoch (Australia) with “droopy” moustaches.
  • Albert Nielsen “Monkey” Hornby (England) for his agility.
  • Both sides permeated with nicknames, facial hair, and personalities.
• Epic atmosphere: 20,000 at the Oval, bookmakers offering 60-to-1 odds, crowd drama—including a spectator dying of excitement and another chewing through his umbrella.

“That would have been the funniest match to watch, where they both tried to lose.”
—William Dalrymple on early match-fixing [08:01]

• Fred “The Demon” Spofforth: Australian bowler, single-handedly crushes England’s chase:
  • Refuses to stop bowling: “He shouts to his teammates... this thing can be done!”
  • England collapse from a winning position. The first iconic “England batting collapse” is born.

WG Grace and “Gentlemen vs Players”

[17:53–20:45]

• WG Grace: Enormous personality and beard; changed batting and cricket economics.
• The amateur/professional divide:
  • Amateurs (gentlemen, usually captains) vs. professionals (players—often from working-class backgrounds).
  • “A complete farce”—amateurs draw more in “expenses” than professionals’ salaries.
• Champagne and cheating: Grace’s mix of professionalism, gamesmanship, and privilege.

“There’s a story once in a match he’s bowled out and then he just acts as if nothing happened... ‘They’ve come to watch me bat, not you, umpire.’”
—Tim Wigmore on WG Grace [18:16]

Ashes Origins: Myth & The Tiny Urn

[21:01–22:44]

• England’s shock defeat: The press (notably the Sporting Times) runs a mock obituary:
  • “The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia”—thus, The Ashes legend begins.
• Debate: Was it the stumps’ bails or the ball burned and placed in the urn? Tim Wigmore opts for “bales”.

“The bales is what I think it is.”
—Tim Wigmore [22:44]

Class Divide: English Toffs vs. Egalitarian Aussies

[25:22–32:10]

• Ivo Bligh: England captain (also the 8th Earl of Darnley)—symbolizing cricket’s class system.
• Team selection & splits:
  • England: Captains always “amateurs/gentlemen” (from Eton/Cambridge), professionals excluded from elite social circles and key decision-making.
  • Australia: Team picked by merit, not class.
• On England’s captains:
  • “They even go through different gates at grounds… there’s an absolute class divide.” —Tim Wigmore [27:44]
• Socio-political effect:
  • Australians perceive themselves as more egalitarian, see English class prejudice reflected in imperial attitudes, and start forging national identity in opposition.

“This is sort of Gallipoli with a cricket bat.”
—Anita Anand [32:54]

Don Bradman & The Myth of the Australian Hero

[32:59–34:43]

• Bradman’s legend:
  • Self-taught genius: “A boy from the bush… embodies social mobility.”
  • Averaged 99.94 in Test cricket—“50% better than the next best.”
  • Hero during Australia’s Great Depression.
• Moral symbolism: Chosen for his humility, skill, and decency. His “beating England” central to Aussie pride.

The Bodyline Scandal – Ruthless Tactics and a Near Imperial Crisis

[35:13–44:44]

• Douglas Jardine: England’s cold, calculating Scotland-born captain.
• The “Bodyline” tactic:
  • Fast, short-pitched bowling aimed at the batsman’s body, fields crowded around to catch deflections.
  • Designed specifically to neutralize Bradman’s genius.
• Team backlash: Nawab of Pataudi and Gubby Allen refuse to participate in what they see as unsporting play.

“He doesn’t look like a murderer…”
—Australian boy, on Harold Larwood, England’s main “Bodyline” bowler [39:09]

• Escalation:

  • Australian press, public, and government (PM Joseph Lyons) outrage: see Bodyline as dangerous and unsporting.
  • On-field injuries: “There were several moments we could have had deaths in this series.”
  • Australia protests to the MCC; diplomatic tensions.

• Achievement/Aftermath:

  • Bradman’s average falls to 56 in the series (remarkably still world-class).
  • England win 4–1 but “lose the moral high ground.”
  • Harold Larwood never plays for England again; scapegoated despite following orders.

Cricket’s Role in Empire, War, and Postwar Reconciliation

[45:31–47:53]

• Wartime cricket metaphors: Bill Ponsford gets compared to Mussolini, Bradman to Hitler (by an MP during WWII).
• Cricket as unity:
  • VE Day “Victory Tests” help Britain/Australia reconnect.
  • “Spectators queuing from six in the morning to get favourite old seats at Lord’s.”
  • Poignant stories of POWs, like Graham Williams, returning and playing.

The Invincibles & Passing the Torch (Bradman to Tendulkar)

[47:53–50:41]

• 1948 “The Invincibles”: Bradman’s Australia defeat all comers; postwar dominance.
• Bradman’s humility and global impact:
  • Nelson Mandela asks Malcolm Fraser, “Is Don Bradman still alive?” upon release.
  • Bradman spots Sachin Tendulkar’s genius on television (“There’s a boy who plays just like you!”—Jessie Bradman).
  • Bradman and Tendulkar meet—“They pick up the cues better than anyone else. They know what’s going to happen before anyone else does.” [49:11]
• Anecdotes connect history:
  • Anita Anand recalls witnessing Tendulkar’s bowling heroics against Imran Khan in Pakistan.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“The history of cricket runs through like embroidery, through the fabric of empire.”
—William Dalrymple [05:47]

“Money has always been the driver of sport and that was true from the 1860s.”
—Tim Wigmore [11:43]

“The Australian captain, he'll consult his whole team. English captain will treat his players as if they are dogs.”
—Tim Wigmore [28:36]

“If this series happens maybe five or ten times, several people are being killed… this is not the sort of gentleman’s game.”
—Tim Wigmore [43:58]

“Nelson Mandela, upon his release, one of the first things he says is, ‘Tell me, Mr. Fraser, is Don Bradman still alive?’”
—William Dalrymple [48:06]

Noteworthy Timestamps

• 02:44–05:38 – Setting up the Ashes as more than sport; introduction to central characters
• 07:12–08:34 – Cricket’s murky origins and first scandals
• 11:11–11:44 – Cricket as a commercial venture from the start
• 14:47–18:16 – 1882 Ashes match, moustaches, and mayhem at The Oval
• 17:53–20:45 – WG Grace, amateurs vs. professionals, and the “gentleman” myth
• 21:01–22:44 – The Ashes legend begins: funeral for English cricket
• 25:22–32:10 – The class divide; Ashes as a mirror of imperial society
• 32:59–34:43 – Don Bradman’s rise; Australian identity and myth-making
• 35:13–44:44 – The Bodyline scandal, near-diplomatic crisis, and “moral ashes”
• 45:31–47:53 – World wars, cricket as common cause and symbol of unity
• 47:53–50:41 – The Invincibles and the Bradman-Tendulkar connection

Tone & Style

The episode is rich with wit, irreverence, and storytelling. Dalrymple and Anand combine deep historical knowledge with anecdotal colour and banter—“face furniture” (moustaches), champagne-soaked collapses, and cricketing class politics. Tim Wigmore’s expertise brings historical rigor and vivid narrative, making the podcast accessible to cricket novices and history buffs alike.

Conclusion / Next Episode Tease

The episode concludes by connecting The Ashes and Australia’s national awakening to the next imperial cricket chapter: the game's passage to India and another story of empire, struggle, and transformation. Tim Wigmore will return for the next episode focused on India’s cricketing odyssey.

[For exclusive access to the full series, visit empirepoduk.com.]