ASHES TESTS – THANKS TED PEATE! 😎 🏏

The 2025 Ashes series is  about to begin and no doubt we will be  reminded of the 1882 mock ‘death notice’ that inspired this remarkable and long standing sporting rivalry;

I was unaware until recently that another ‘memorial’ had been published a few days earlier;

Peate, was Edmund ‘Ted” Peate, one of England’s best bowlers at the time.

The one-off London test was a low scoring affair. Australia had managed only 63 in the first innings and 122 in the second.  England were dismissed for  101  in their first innings, leaving them a modest target of 85.

At 51 for 2 the match was pretty much  over, but when the famous W.G. Grace got out on 32  it all went horribly wrong for the hosts.   Australia’s ‘demon’ bowler Fred Spofforth took seven wickets for 44.

However, when Yorkshireman Ted Peate walked to the crease  at number ten, only a handful of runs were required, Yet to face a ball at  the other end was Charles Studd, an excellent batsman who had scored two centuries a few months earlier.

Charles Studd Source – Wikipedia.

There are various explanations as to why 22 year old Studd  had come in to bat so late.  One story was that he was held back because he wasn’t feeling well. Another  was that  this was his first test match  and his nerves had failed in the tight contest. It was probably a combination of both.

Whatever the case, Peate was instructed to simply block each delivery until Studd could have a go.  Inexplicably, Ted failed to follow orders.  He hit the ball for a scratchy  two,  scurrying back to remain  on strike.

Now here the old class system comes into play. Studd was an Eton and Cambridge educated ‘gentleman’ cricketer.  Ted Peate had worked as a warp twister in a cotton mill prior to his professional cricket career.  It was thought that Studd was too polite to give the older and  more experienced tenth man a piece of his mind.

HOWZAT?

With eight more needed  Peate made a wild swipe and was clean bowled.

The unthinkable had happened. The wretched colonials had beaten England for the first time on home soil. Oh the shame!

The 20,000 strong  crowd was stunned and back in the rooms a  dismayed English captain, Albert ‘Monkey’ Hornby, asked,

‘Why in heaven’s name did you do that?’

Peate famously replied. ‘ Well I couldn’t trust Mr Studd, so I thought I’d just do my best.’ 

The story of the man whose lost wicket inspired The Ashes had a sad ending. Ted Peate liked alcohol a bit too much. He gained a lot of weight and his health deteri0rated, ending his career prematurely.  He died in poverty in 1900. aged only 45.

His grave in his Yorkshire hometown of Yeadon had no headstone  until a few weeks ago, when well-wishers raised the money to right this wrong.

Rest in Peace Ted Peate. Source – Find a Grave

Let the 2025 Ashes series begin!  🏏

FOR MORE ON THE LONG HISTORY OF ASHES SERIES, CLICK HERE.