Tracks’ Clive Field reluctantly returns cricket trophy to Australia’s John Simson
Cricketing rivalry between England and Australia is the stuff of legend and it’s continued with the Greeting Card Ashes which have just been – reluctantly! – handed over.
Tracks Publishing founder Clive Field has been maintaining the friendly grudge with his pal John “Simo” Simson, from Simson Cards in Oz, for the many years they’ve been working together, and they came up with the idea of copying the Ashes tradition.
With the famous cricketing trophy being an urn containing the ashes of a cricket bail from the 1882 match between the two sides when England lost to the Aussies for the first time, the publishing duo each burned a pile of their own cards and sealed them in a miniature Gordon’s Gin bottle for England and a Bundy Rum for Australia.
And Sunday, 21 January, saw the latest chapter in the story when Clive had to hand over the trophy to Simo, who told PG Buzz: “At the end of his annual pilgrimage to the Australian Open, he reluctantly presented me with the Greeting Card Ashes.
“The country that wins and or holds the England v Australia cricket Ashes, also holds the Greeting Card Ashes – with the first cricket test about to begin just after PG Live back in June, the Ashes were left with Clive on the expectation England would triumph on home soil.”
However, the five test matches ended with two wins each and a draw, so the whole series was drawn, meaning Australia, as the current holders, retain the trophy since they won it in the 2017/18 series, drew in 2019, and won again in 2021/22 – although the original is presented at the end of the tournament, it is safely held in the MCC Museum at Lord’s in London, and has only actually been taken down under twice for touring displays in 1988 and 2006.
With Australia in the lead having won the Ashes outright 34 times to England’s 32 over the 72 series played to date, it’ll be next year before England’s captain has the chance to lift the trophy again as that’s when the bi-annual tournament is due to take place.
Simo added: “It celebrates our long partnership with Tracks and Clive as we’re total cricket tragics – but it’s all a bit of fun, honest!”
