Culture of Australia tour to Australia (1882–83) as the quest to "regain the ashes". The tradition continues with the Ashes series, an icon of the sporting rivalry between the two countries. Successful cricketers often become lasting celebrities in Australia. Sir Donald Bradman, who made his Test debut in the 1928–29 series against England, is regarded as the game's greatest batsman and a byword for sporting excellence. Other Australian cricketers who remain household names include Richie Benaud, Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne. Internationally, Australia has for most of the last century sat at or near the top of the cricketing world. In the 1970s,
Australian cricket team in England in 1882 obituary, written by Reginald Brooks under the pseudonym "Bloobs", appeared in "The Sporting Times". It read as follows: Ivo Bligh fastened onto this notice and promised that, on the tour to Australia in 1882–83 (which he was to captain), he would regain "those ashes". He spoke of them again several times over the course of the tour, and the Australian media quickly caught on. The three-match series resulted in a two-one win to England, notwithstanding a fourth match, won by the Australians, whose status remains a matter of ardent dispute. In the twenty years following Bligh's campaign, the term "The