Sponsored Post: The Ashes Rivalry and Beyond

The cricket rivalry between England and Australia, which is played out over the Ashes, is one of the best rivalries in any sport.

Since 1887, these two teams have regularly played each other, with so much on the line. The Ashes consists of five two innings test matches. If a series is drawn, the country holding the Ashes retains them.

In August 1882, England were beaten on home soil for their first time by Australia. That match is what ultimately started the rivalry. Since then every Ashes is filled the joy of winning and the agony of defeat.

In light of one of the world’s most famous rivalries currently being played out in England, it got me thinking about the best rivalries in all sports. I made a list of the top 5…

5. St Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs

Because these two clubs are located so close to each other in the heart of the US, they are always competing for the hearts of fans in the Midwest. These teams play each other several times a year and every matchup gives off a playoff atmosphere.

4. Manchester United vs. Liverpool

The Northwest Derby is something special every year. The proximity of the two clubs is one thing, but the amount of prestige the two fight for is through the roof. They are consistently fighting for the Premier and Champions League.

3. Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

These two La Liga clubs always make worldwide headlines when they meet on a yearly basis. Madrid have always been seen as an extension of Spanish Nationalism. While Barca are currently viewed as the football capital of the world.

2. Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The longest running feud in the NBA. These two teams have a combined 33 titles (17 Celtics and 16 Lakers) and are always fighting for the title as the NBA’s model franchise. The ’80s was the pinnacle of this rivalry, meeting in the NBA Finals three times. This was also considered the time that Magic Johnson of the Lakers and Larry Bird of the Celtics helped resurrect the league.

1. Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees

This is all a rivalry is made out to be. While some rivals respect each other, these teams flat out hate each other. From 1900-1918, the Red Sox were the class of baseball. But then they sold Babe Ruth to Yankees, which came to be known as “The Curse of the Bambino”. From 1918 to 2004 the Yankees became the royalty of baseball winning 26 World Series titles, while the Red Sox won zero. Then in 2004 they defeated the Yankees in an incredible seven-game series. Every time these two clubs get together, there’s always some uneasiness.

But how do these five rivalries compare to the Ashes? This is what two of those involved, Shane Watson and Eoin Morgan, think of the intense cricket rivalry…

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