A rare and historic gold medal presented by the Melbourne Cricket Club to the English cricketer E.F.S. Tylecote in commemoration of the first Ashes Te

A rare and historic gold medal presented by the Melbourne Cricket Club to the English cricketer E.F.S. Tylecote in commemoration of the first Ashes Test Series in 1882-83 and to provide Tylecote with Honorary Life Membership of the Melbourne Cricket Club, the design forming the monogram MCC and incorporating cricket bats, bails and a ball, the reverse inscribed E.F.S. TYLECOTE, 1882-3, hallmarked to suspension ring, but marks indistinct Identical medals were presented to all gentlemen members of The Hon. Ivo Bligh's England team to Australia in 1882-83. Following the famous satirical obituary for English Cricket published in The Sporting Times in the aftermath of Australia's first Test victory on English soil at The Oval in 1882, captain Ivo Bligh led the England team determined to restore national pride in Australia in 1882-83. The obituary had stated that English cricket had died, and that the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. Hence, the English media dubbed the series 'the quest to regain The Ashes. During the tour Bligh was presented with a small terracotta urn by a group of Melbourne women reputed to contain the ashes of a cricket bail. The three match series was won by England 2-1 with the tourists coming from behind after a reverse in the first test. An ''extra'' Test was subsequently arranged on an ad hoc basis which Australia won. This medal commemorating this historic series was presented by the Melbourne Cricket Club, presumably before the start of the First Test at the MCG, to the England wicketkeeper Edward Ferdinando Sutton Tylecote. During the series he took three stumpings, one catch and produced a top score of 66 with the bat in the deciding Test. E F S Tylecote was born at Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire 23rd June 1849. His first-class career for Kent, Oxford University & England spanned the years 1869 to 1886. He was famous for standing up to the stumps for all but the very fastest bowling and is said to be one of the first wicketkeepers to dispense of a long stop. As a schoolboy at Clifton College Tylecote posted a then world record cricket score of 404 not out. Edward Tylecote died at New Hunstanton, Norfolk, 15th March 1938, aged 88.