What are The Ashes in cricket?

[Vaklyrie]

What exactly are the Ashes that are played for in cricket?

[woofgang]

click here

[d+dwidow]

When the Australians first beat England in 1882 there was an obituary dedicated to the death of cricket:

In Affectionate Remembrance of English Cricket,which died at the Oval on 29th A U G U S T, 1882,
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances
R.I.P.
N.B. - The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia

The cricket stumps were burned and put in an urn and that is what the ashes are.

"As a final word the term "Ashes" of course precedes these encounters between Australia and England and needless to say it is Ireland that bears the distinction in having the term coined. The Commissioners of the Lord Protector of England, Oliver Cromwell banned the playing of "Krickett" in Ireland by an order of 1656. All "sticks and balls" were henceforth to be burnt (and thereby reduced to ashes!) by the common hangman. So much for the l9th century Ashes - events in Ireland preceded these by over two hundred years."

quote from www.334notout.com which will give you a more indepth history.