The Crowe–Thorpe Trophy is a
Test cricket
Test cricket is a Forms of cricket, format of the sport of cricket, considered the game’s most prestigious and traditional form. Often referred to as the "ultimate test" of a cricketer's skill, endurance, and temperament, it is a format of i ...
series played between the men's cricket teams of
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. It was launched in November 2024 during
England's tour of New Zealand. The two countries have played each other in international cricket since England's
1929–30 tour of New Zealand.
The trophy commemorates the late
Martin Crowe
Martin David Crowe (22 September 1962 – 3 March 2016) was a New Zealand cricketer, Test and ODI captain as well as a commentator. He played for the New Zealand national cricket team between 1982 and 1995, and is regarded as one of the count ...
(New Zealand) and the late
Graham Thorpe
Graham Paul Thorpe (1 August 1969 – 4 August 2024) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Surrey, and represented England in 100 Test matches. He also played 82 One Day Internationals (ODIs) including appearances at the ...
(England).
The trophy, made by David Ngawati, is constructed from
bats
Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
used by each player to score
centuries in series between New Zealand and England in
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
and
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
.
It is inlaid with
jade
Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or Ornament (art), ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in t ...
/
pounamu
Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in the South Island of New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture.
Name
The Māori word ...
. According to the artist, it signifies the pinnacle or highest mountain, and the base represents the players' foundation, "their family members on each side, their clubs, their community".
commented, "It’s not often that boards get things absolutely spot on but that is a brilliant trophy"
Prior to the
first named edition in 2024, the Crowe–Thorpe Trophy was unveiled by Deb Crowe (Martin's sister) and the former captain of England,
Michael Atherton.
England won the series in New Zealand, 2–1;
the next will be held in England in
2026
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1 – Bulgaria is expected to adopt the euro and become the 21st member state of the eurozone.
* January 6 – The 2025 Jubilee will end on this day.
* February 5 – The New START Treat ...
.
The competition continued a trend in bilateral international cricket series being named after a famous player from each country, such as the
Border–Gavaskar Trophy, the
Richards–Botham Trophy and the
Chappell–Hadlee Trophy
The Chappell–Hadlee Trophy in cricket is a One Day International & Twenty20 International cricket series between Australia and New Zealand. It is named after legendary cricketing families from the two countries: the Chappell brothers ( Ian, ...
.
Background
Test series and one-off encounters not under the trophy
The two teams first met when the England national cricket team toured
Ceylon
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and New Zealand in the 1929–30 season. Thereafter, England and New Zealand contested many Test series before 2024.
Crowe–Thorpe Trophy series
See also
*
Hillary Shield (the rugby union equivalent)
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowe-Thorpe Trophy
England in international cricket
Cricket awards and rankings
Cricket rivalries
Test cricket competitions