England and New Zealand to compete for Crowe-Thorpe Trophy
What's the story
England and New Zealand will battle for the newly introduced Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, a one-of-a-kind tribute to cricketing legends Martin Crowe and Graham Thorpe.
The trophy is made of wood from each player's bat, in a joint effort by the New Zealand Cricket (NZC), England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and the families of both players.
It will be unveiled on Thursday morning in Christchurch, ahead of the three-match series.
Trophy design
The trophy was designed by David Ngawati
The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy was designed by David Ngawati of Mahu Creative, who also designed the Tangiwai Shield for New Zealand's Test series with South Africa.
The bats used to create this unique trophy have immense historical value. Crowe's bat is the Gunn and Moore he used to score his century at Lord's in 1994, while Thorpe's Kookaburra bat saw him score back-to-back centuries against New Zealand in 1997.
Tributes
Root and Weenink honor Crowe and Thorpe's legacies
England's former Test captain Joe Root said he was honored to play for a trophy named after Thorpe. He noted how Thorpe had a huge impact on his game as a batting coach with the ECB.
NZC CEO Scott Weenink also paid tribute to the cricketing legends in a statement on Tuesday. He stressed today's players are building on the foundations laid by greats like Crowe and Thorpe, who were highly respected for their deep understanding of cricket.
Legacy preservation
ECB chief executive Gould echoes sentiments
Richard Gould, the ECB's chief executive, echoed these sentiments.
He described Crowe and Thorpe as two legends of cricket and said it is fitting for Test series between England and New Zealand to be contested in their honor.
He hoped this tribute will help preserve the memories and legacies of these exceptional cricketers for future generations to remember and admire.
Unveiling ceremony
Crowe-Thorpe Trophy to be unveiled at Hagley Oval
The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy will be unveiled by Deb Crowe, Martin's sister, and former England Test captain Michael Atherton at the Hagley Oval.
The unveiling will be done ahead of the national anthems on Thursday.
This will mark the beginning of a new chapter in cricket history as teams from England and New Zealand will battle it out for this unique trophy honoring two of their greatest players.