Going into the final Test match of the 1982/83 tour, in Sydney, there was still much to play for on both sides. A win would mean that England would tie the series and retain the Ashes, whilst Australia just needed to avoid defeat.
Australia won the toss and batted, putting themselves in a reasonable position by making 314, John Dyson scoring 79 and Alan Border 89.
In reply, England were struggling at 24/3 but recovered to 237, thanks in large part to David Gower and Derek Randall, both of whom scored 70. Jeff Thomson took 5-50 for the home side.
Australia then put the game beyond the reach of England by making 382 in their second innings. Kim Hughes top-scored with 137, while Border got 83..
England night-watch Eddie Hemmings made 95, helping his side reach 314/7 in their second innings, but time ran out and the draws was declared. Australia had won the series and, in the process, had regained the Ashes.
However, the post-match celebrations took an unexpected turn when the Australian players realised that they were not going to be presented with the famous urn containing the Ashes, or even a replica of it.
Fuelled by a generous intake of alcohol, they decided to do something about it by burning one of the balls used in the Test match. The burnt offerings were placed in a new trophy which acquired the nickname “Urnie”.
At the time there was a suggestion that Urnie would become the actual trophy handed to the winning team at the end of each Ashes series, with the original staying at Lord’s, where the MCC headquarters are.
However, the idea failed to take off. The fate of Urnie now remains shrouded in mystery, with suspicions that it is sitting in a box somewhere, completely forgotten.
What was not forgotten was that the Ashes were back on Australian soil again, and that Kerry Packer’s Channel Nine had captured the series in all its glory.