Ashes urn heads Down Under

England captain Michael Vaughan kisses the urn after winning the Ashes

The Ashes urn is heading Down Under - but England fans need not be dismayed as it is only going for an exhibition.

Ahead of this winter's eagerly anticipated clash between Australia and England the urn will be displayed in five cities from October.

It is only the second time the legendary urn has travelled to Australia in its 124-year history.

It normally resides at the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum at Lord's and attracted 35,000 visitors last year.

England beat Australia 2-1 last summer to win the Ashes for the first time since 1987.

Ashes urn repaired

Aside from the trophy, the exhibition will also feature the velvet bag presented to the then England captain Ivo Bligh in which the urn was kept.

Numerous other Ashes artefacts include the original 1882 scorebook from the match at The Oval that led to the bails being burned and the beginning of the legend, plus portraits of FW Spofforth and WG Grace.

MCC Curator Adam Chadwick said: "This touring exhibition will enable many more Australian cricket lovers right across the country to see the urn and learn more about its long and fascinating history.

"We hope it will be enjoyed by tens of thousands of people."

The Ashes exhibition will be seen in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne.