1974-75 Ashes series - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Preliminaries

For when Mike Denness
Mike Denness
Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...

and his side went to the ground on the Wednesday morning, two days before the First Test, the pitch to their astonishment was a morass of black mud. They left the acting-curator and reigning Lord-Mayor of Brisbane, Clem Jones
Clem Jones
Clem Jones AO a surveyor by profession, was the longest serving Lord Mayor of the city of Brisbane, Australia, representing the Australian Labor Party from 1961 to 1975.-Public life:...

, clad in a yellow safety-helmet flattening it, roughly speaking, with a heavy motor-roller...Clem Jones is a regular Pooh-Bah whose energies are said to have accomplished much for the city of Brisbane; but as Michael Melford put it in the Daily Telegraph 'civic duies and curatorship do not easily blend.'

E.W. Swanton

The Brisbane Test was traditionally hit by torrential rain and in 1975-75 it fell heavily in the week before the match. The Lord-Mayor of Brisbane was Alderman Clem Jones

Clem Jones

Clem Jones AO a surveyor by profession, was the longest serving Lord Mayor of the city of Brisbane, Australia, representing the Australian Labor Party from 1961 to 1975.-Public life:...

who had sacked the curator at the Gabba so that he could prepare the Test wicket himself. Jones had recently been dethroned as Queensland's representative in the Australian Board of Control

Cricket Australia

Cricket Australia, formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board, is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket...

, but was still influential in the Queensland Cricket Association

Queensland Bulls

The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...

. He was a hands-on manager who got his hands dirty and even manned the turnstiles when he saw the need and had prepared wicket before, though not at Test level. His efforts were not helped by the downpour which turned the ground into sludge, and he admitted that the Test wicket "was a bit crook at one end". However, the scorching Queensland sun and an army of staff working day and night dried out the ground and Jones discarded the muddy wicket for the one used in the Queensland-Western Australia state game. E.W. Swanton thought that over use of the heavy roller on the soft ground had created a ridge at the Vulture Street end, producing uneven bounce, but Frank Tyson

Frank Tyson

Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

noted that only Lillee and Thomson were able to get the ball to rise above stump height and that it only became unpredictable on the last day.

Australia

Australian cricket team in Australia in 1974-75

The 1974-75 Australians beat the touring England team 4-1 in the 1974-75 Ashes series. Labelled the Ugly Australians for their hard-nosed cricket, sledging and hostile fast bowling they are regarded as one of the toughest teams in cricket history...

had several series wins behind them and the selectors Sam Loxton

Sam Loxton

Samuel John Everett "Sam" Loxton OBE is a former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951...

, Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...

and Phil Ridings

Phil Ridings

Phil Lovett Ridings was an Australian cricketer.Ridings made 107 first-class appearances for South Australia, scoring 9 hundreds. Primarily a batsman, he also took 61 first-class wickets with his fast-medium pace bowling...

picked the regulars; the batsmen Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation...

, Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

Gregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...

(despite recovering from influenza

Influenza

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...

), Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

and Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

, wicketkeeper Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

Rodney William Marsh MBE is a former Australian wicketkeeper.A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western...

, fast bowler Max Walker

Max Walker

Maxwell Henry Norman Walker AM is a former Australian cricketer and VFL/AFL footballer. Formerly an architect, he currently works as a media commentator and motivational speaker and has diverse business interests.- Football career :...

and leg-spinner Kerry O'Keeffe

Kerry O'Keeffe

Kerry James "Skull" O'Keeffe is a former Australian cricketer and now a commentator for ABC Radio. O'Keeffe played 24 Tests and 2 ODIs between 1971 and 1977.He was a spin bowler, bowling leg breaks...

. The fast bowler Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

had demonstrated his fitness after his crippling back injury of 1973 and was brought back into the team along with the surprise choice of Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...

, an inaccurate fast bowler with a slinging, javelin throw

Javelin throw

The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...

action. His sheer pace would be the deciding factor in the series, though many pundits thought the left-arm Geoff Dymock

Geoff Dymock

Geoffrey Dymock is a former Australian and Queensland cricketer. He played in 21 Tests and 15 One Day Internationals between 1974 and 1980. He was the third bowler to dismiss all eleven opposition players in a test match, and remains one of only six players to have achieved this unusual...

would have been the better bet. The leg-spinner Terry Jenner

Terry Jenner

Terrence James Jenner was an Australian cricketer who played nine Tests and one ODI from 1970 to 1975. He was primarily a leg-spin bowler and was known for his attacking, loopy style of bowling, but he was also a handy lower-order batsman...

was another surprise as Brisbane was not conductive to spin, but in the end the regular O'Keeffe was made twelfth man and Jenner played in his stead. Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

and Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards is a former Western Australian and Australian cricketer.Edwards played in 20 Tests for Australia, playing against England, West Indies and Pakistan. He also played in nine One Day Internationals including the 1975 Cricket World Cup series...

were brought over from Western Australia, Wally was an angular opening batsman in the style of Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

William Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...

and Ross had made his name by scoring 170 not out at Trent Bridge

Trent Bridge

Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...

in the 1972 Ashes series.

England

English cricket team in Australia in 1974-75

Mike Denness captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1974–75, playing as England in the 1974-75 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour...

had left their best batsman Geoff Boycott and best bowler John Snow

John Snow (cricketer)

John Augustine Snow played cricket for Sussex and England in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite being the son of a country vicar and publishing two volumes of poetry Snow was England's most formidable fast bowler between Fred Trueman and Bob Willis and played Test Matches with both of them at either end...

at home, but were still able to present a professional-looking team which had lost only one of its last eleven Tests. The tour selectors Alec Bedser

Alec Bedser

Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...

, Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

Alan Christopher Smith, known as A. C. Smith is an English former Test cricketer, who appeared in six Tests for England. Primarily a wicket-keeper, Smith was also a capable right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm seam bowler...

, Mike Denness

Mike Denness

Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...

, John Edrich

John Edrich

John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation...

and Tony Greig

Tony Greig

Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...

were slightly hampered by rain-affected practice matches and a line of niggling injuries; David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

David Lloyd is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire and Test and One Day International cricket for England. He also played semi-professional football for Accrington Stanley...

was out with a broken finger, Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold is an English cricketer who played 34 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals for England. His nickname of "Horse" was based on his initials of GG. He was a seam and swing bowler, who finished his first-class cricket career, which lasted from 1963 to 1982, with 1130 wickets at an average...

with a strained shoulder and Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

with an injured hand. The captain Denness had just recovered from a mystery virus, Edrich from a back injury and Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

Dennis Leslie Amiss MBE was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.Amiss suffered a serious back injury whilst playing soccer in his teenage years, which entailed him starting each day of his sporting life undergoing stretching routines to loosen up.He played cricket for both Warwickshire...

and Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

had thrown off groin strains. However, they had beaten New South Wales

New South Wales Blues

The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...

and were the first MCC

Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...

team to beat Queensland

Queensland Bulls

since the war. Boycott's replacement Brian Luckhurst

Brian Luckhurst

Brian William Luckhurst was an English cricketer, who played his entire county career for Kent County Cricket Club. He played for Kent from 1958 to 1976, usually opening the batting, then in 1985, in an emergency, played in one more match against the Australians. He was cricket manager from 1981...

was chosen to open with Amiss, followed by the batsmen Edrich, Denness, Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher is a former English cricketer, who played for Essex and England. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex team-mate, Ray East, because Fletcher's winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear...

, Greig, the wicketkeeper Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

, the spinner Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

and the fast bowlers Willis, Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

and Peter Lever

Peter Lever

Peter Lever is a former English cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and ten ODIs for England from 1970 to 1975. He was a successful wicket taker, taking 41 victims from those seventeen Tests, and a handy batsman with a top score of 88 not out...

.

Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

won the toss and elected to bat on the suspect surface. Though it is a brave captain who puts the opposition in to bat Chappell had a difficult decision as the wicket could dry out into a good batting surface later in the match, though the prevailing opinion was that it would be better not to bat last on an under-prepared wicket.

Australia – First Innings

A retrospective analysis of the Australian batting performance revealed that the recognised bats, other than the two Chappells and Edwards
Ross Edwards
Ross Edwards is a former Western Australian and Australian cricketer.Edwards played in 20 Tests for Australia, playing against England, West Indies and Pakistan. He also played in nine One Day Internationals including the 1975 Cricket World Cup series...

had reduced the art to technical absurdity; whereas the tail-enders has distilled it to simplicity. The scoresheet disclosed that no fewer than six batsmen lost their wickets hooking and pulling.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

opened the bowling with a stiff breeze behind him, but Peter Lever

Peter Lever

found it too much going into the wind and Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

(2/64) replaced him after one over. Hendrick got Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

to mis-hook a short ball to a tumbling Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

. At the other end Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

was backing away to leg to avoid Willis's bouncers, but exposed his off-stump and was yorked for 5, leaving Australia 10/2. The Chappell brothers recovered the innings with a stand of 100 runs in 155 minutes with Denness rotating his bowlers every four overs so they could rest. Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

was out of form and took 97 minutes to make 11 runs, but after lunch the fast bowlers were replaced by Tony Greig

Tony Greig

, who suffered as the brothers took advantage of his poor length. In the end it was Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

who dismissed Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

for 58 with the best ball of the day, a leg-spinner which clipped the edge of his bat and was taken by Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

at slip. The Australian captain started arguing with Greig as the lanky bowler's footmarks were in line with the stumps and obliterating Chappell's block mark. Greig kept scuffing the block mark to even the ground so he would not trip and Chappell kept re-marking his block until they looked like schoolboys kicking dirt at each other. Chappell build up another partnership of 87 with Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

until the captain reached 90, decided to attack the bowling in the last hour of play and hooked Willis (4/56) into the hands of Greig, soon followed by Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

who hooked him to Lever. Edwards was caught behind by another deadly delivery from Underwood (2/54) and 197/3 became 205/6 then 216/6 at stumps. The overnight batsmen Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

and Terry Jenner

Terry Jenner

had to face Willis with the new ball and Jenner mis-hooked him to square-leg, where Lever ran 22 yards to take the catch. Marsh was beaten by Hendrick's swing and was caught by Denness to leave Australia 228/8 and in real trouble when they were saved by a wagging tail. The 6'4" Max Walker

Max Walker

started swinging the bat for 41 not out and added 29 with Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

, who fell over trying to hook a medium-paced bouncer from Greig (1/70) and gloved the ball to the wicketkeeper Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

, who had missed a chance off Walker at 242/8. After Lillee had given Greig a few words of discouragement and walked off Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

hit 23 and added 52 runs for the last wicket until he was run out by a brilliant pick up and throw from the England captain and Australia were all out for 309.

England – First Innings

I hadn't witnessed the full, frightening pace of Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...

until the First Test of the 1974-75 series against England. Rod Marsh
Rod Marsh
Rodney William Marsh MBE is a former Australian wicketkeeper.A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western...

, playing for W.A.
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...

, had. 'He's bloody quick!' was Rod's verdict...There was a stiff breeze and I thought Max
Max Walker
Maxwell Henry Norman Walker AM is a former Australian cricketer and VFL/AFL footballer. Formerly an architect, he currently works as a media commentator and motivational speaker and has diverse business interests.- Football career :...

might use the new ball better. Maybe curiosity influenced me, but I gave the ball to Thommo. His first over was quick...I was standing beside Marsh as the ball thudded into his gloves. He tossed the ball to Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell
Gregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...

at second slip - and wrung his hands. 'Something wrong, pal?' I asked. 'Christ, that hurt,' said Marsh. 'But I love it.'

Ian Chappell
Ian Chappell
Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation...

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

opened the Australian bowling with the help of the wind and was a yard faster than Willis, but Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

bowling into the wind was faster still and made the opening batsmen Brian Luckhurst

Brian Luckhurst

and Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

flinch from the ball leaping off the pitch towards their bodies. Luckhurst edged a catch behind to Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

and Amiss to Terry Jenner

Terry Jenner

in the gully and England were 10/2 just as Australia had been, with Thomson (3/59) receiving enthusiastic applause from his new home crowd. The England vice-captain John Edrich

John Edrich

dug himself and bravely fought off the short-pitched deliveries which battered his body and hands. His captain Mike Denness

Mike Denness

padded up to a ball that landed outside his off-stump and cut back under the new leg before wicket

Leg before wicket

In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...

law which meant he could be out if the umpire was satisfied that the ball would hit the wicket even if it pitched outside the line of the stumps. Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

was severely bruised on his forearm and fended off a couple of balls that landed just beyond the reach of Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

at short-leg. Thomson had now switched ends and with the wind behind him was bowling at extraordinary speed, Fletcher once edging the ball over the slips that almost went for six. After Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

and Jenner had given him a rest Lillee (2/73) returned to bowl Fletcher, who cut the ball onto his stumps and England were 57/4. The Edrich family were well known for their tenacity and Tony Greig

Tony Greig

used his long reach to slash the short stuff over the head of the Australian slip and gully fieldsmen. As a result they saw out the day with the score on 114/4. Strangely Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

had not asked for the wicket to be rolled at the start of the second day and neither did Denness at the start of the third. Edrich started the day making 2,000 runs against Australia, the seventh man to do so after Jack Hobbs

Jack Hobbs

Sir John Berry "Jack" Hobbs was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches from 1908 to 1930....

, Wally Hammond

Wally Hammond

Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...

, Herbert Sutcliffe

Herbert Sutcliffe

Herbert Sutcliffe was an English professional cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England as an opening batsman. Apart from one match in 1945, his first-class career spanned the period between the two World Wars...

, Len Hutton

Len Hutton

Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...

, Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...

and Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...

. Immediately afterwards Greig was dropped by Jenner off Lillee and Edrich, whose had was so swollen from a bone broken on the previous day that he could barely hold his bat, edged Thomson to Ian Chappell at first slip for 48. Max Walker

Max Walker

(4/73) was now bowling into the wind with the new ball and dismissed Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

and Peter Lever

Peter Lever

, but "Greig started slashing the ball all over the place on his way to a century and Underwood's nagging straight bat was defying everything we threw at him. Lillee, Thomson, Walker, Jenner...then through them all again." Greig (110) and Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

(25) added 58 for the eighth wicket when Chappell called on Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

to break the partnership. The ball slipped from Walters hand and wafted towards Underwood, who was so used to the pace of Lillee and Thomson that he mistimed his stroke and gave a simple catch to Redpath in the covers for 228/8. Greig hit his 17th boundary then gave a fine edge to Marsh from Lillee at 248/9, the first England batsmen to make a century in Brisbane since Maurice Leyland

Maurice Leyland

Maurice Leyland , christened 'Morris Leyland', was an English cricketer who played 41 Test matches between 1928 and 1938 and proved himself one of the best left-handers of his generation....

in 1936-37, also the last time England had won at the venue. Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

and Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

added 17 runs for the last wicket until the latter gave a catch to Redpath off Walker and England were out for 265, 44 runs behind Australia.

Australia – Second Innings

To watch every ball of the 1974/75 Ashes battle was to see excitement and controversy at its height in the game of cricket: an Australian fast-bowling pair to rank with the greatest ever to pull on a pair of boots, catching the equal or better of anything I have seen in Test cricket, batting and captaincy to match anything Australian sides have produced since the war.

Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

There was a considerable difference between the two Australian innings, six batsmen had lost their wicket hooking the ball in the first innings ad this stroke was ignored in the second as Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

told his men to stay in. This cost them the initiative as it took 150 minutes to reach 51/2, with only 8 runs scored off the last 12 8-ball overs. The batsmen to fall were Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

, was caught by Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

off Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

(3/45), and Ian Chappell who prodded a ball to Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

off Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

(2/60). On the fourth day Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

was bowled again by Willis to leave Australia 59/3, but after this Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

(71), Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

(53), Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

(63 not out) and Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

(46 not out) set about extending the lead. Chappell and Edwards added 114, without getting away from the tight bowling and defensive fields and Knott took his 174th Test catch off Willis to dismiss Edwards, thus breaking Godfrey Evans

Godfrey Evans

Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England.Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches...

's 15 year old record. It took some robust strokeplay from Walters and Marsh to bring the score to 288/5 in under 8 hours, Marsh hitting Underwood for a four and a six off successive balls before being dropped by the substitute Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

in the outfield and Walters hitting the 100,000th run for Australia against England on 199/5. Chappell declared 45 minutes before stumps to give England 335 minutes to make 333 runs to win, carefully timed to prevent a repeat of their shock win over the West Indies after a sporting declaration by Gary Sobers in 1967-68.

England – Second Innings

Lindsay Hassett
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...

...said he thought an over bowled by Thomson at Brisbane was the best he had ever seen from a fast bowler.

E.W. Swanton

Though there was 35 minutes for England to bat until stumps they survived with 10/0 as a stormcloud loomed over the ground. Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

and Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

were sending down three short balls an over and Umpire Bailhache

Robin Bailhache

Robin Carl Bailhache, , is a former Australian Test cricket match umpire.He umpired 27 Test matches between 1974 and 1988. His first match was between Australia and England at Brisbane on 29 November to 4 December 1974, won by Australia by 166 runs with Jeff Thomson taking 9 wickets...

told them they should bowl fuller, but the next ball was a Thommo bouncer and the umpire gave the English batsmen the benefit of the bad light. Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

complained about the umpire's interference as strictly speaking he could not tell the bowlers what to bowl and the ABC

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...

commentator Frank Tyson

Frank Tyson

agreed. Brian Luckhurst

Brian Luckhurst

edged Lillee (2/25) to Ian Chappell early the next morning leaving Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

and John Edrich

John Edrich

to bat, both of whom had broken bones in their hands from the first innings. Edrich took pain-killing injections in the drinks break, but was plainly out of sorts and was bowled by Thomson (6/46). Amiss received a brute of a ball from Thomson that he sent to Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

at third slip. This brought Mike Denness

Mike Denness

and Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

together at 40/3 and they resisted for an hour when the captain was taken by Walters off another Thommo thunderbolt, soon followed by Fletcher, caught by Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

off Terry Jenner

Terry Jenner

(2/45) and Tony Greig

Tony Greig

bowled by Thomson yorker at 94/6. There was little hope of England lasting the day, but Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

held out for two hours making 19, adding 29 with Peter Lever

Peter Lever

and 47 with the top-scorer Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

(30). When Underwood fell at 162/8, Knott and Hendrick soon followed and England were all out for 166 to lose by 166 runs, 84 minutes short of saving the game. Thomson took 6/46, which remained the best Test figures of his career.

Result

The unpleasant truth for England after Brisbane was that every curator at every Test ground would be seeking to quicken their pitches. There would be no respite from pace. There was no running to the medium pace end for a breather. We had seen the birth of a new pace partnership which can be as effective as Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...

and Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...

. The past demonstrated that these are the types of bowlers who win Test matches.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Australia won the First Test by 166 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series, though a little more effort from England could have denied them an important victory. Worse for them Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

, John Edrich

John Edrich

and David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

had broken hands, Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

a badly bruised arm, Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

a groin strain and Peter Lever

Peter Lever

had injured a side muscle. Before they left Brisbane the tour selectors sent back to London for a replacement batsmen and asked for the 41 year old Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

. Cowdrey was highly regarded by the MCC team and in particular by Mike Denness

Mike Denness

, who had succeeded him as captain of Kent

Kent County Cricket Club

Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...

. In his 20 year Test career he had faced the fast bowling of Keith Miller

Keith Miller

Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...

, Ray Lindwall

Ray Lindwall

Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...

, Wes Hall

Wes Hall

Wesley Winfield Hall is a Barbadian former cricketer and politician. A tall, strong and powerfully built man, Hall was a genuine fast bowler and despite his very long run up, he was renowned for his ability to bowl long spells. Hall played 48 Test matches for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969...

, Charlie Griffith

Charlie Griffith

Charles Christopher Griffith is a former West Indian cricketer who played in 28 Tests from 1960 to 1969. He formed a lethal fast bowling partnership with Wes Hall during the 1960s...

, Ian Meckiff

Ian Meckiff

Ian Meckiff is a former cricketer who represented Australia in 18 Tests between 1957 and 1963...

, Gordon Rorke

Gordon Rorke

Gordon Frederick Rorke is a former Australian cricketer who played in 4 Tests in 1959.Rorke made his Test debut in January 1959 in the Fourth Test of The Ashes series against England in Adelaide...

, Neil Adcock

Neil Adcock

Neil Amwin Treharne Adcock is a former South African cricketer who played 26 Tests. A tall aggressive fast bowler, he could lift the ball sharply off a length. He was the first South African player to take 100 Test wickets.Making his Test debut in 1953 at home against New Zealand, he had only 9...

and even the young Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

. Although the Australian press was aghast at such a recall - Cowdrey had not played a Test in four years - the tourists were keen to have a man with the technique and strength of purpose to play the fastest of bowlers. The attendance over the five days was a record 62,000, easily beating the old one of 42,000 as the facilities at the Gabba had been greatly improved over the wooden stands and barbed wire 'concentration camp' of yesteryears.

Second Test – Perth

Preliminaries

My father toured Australia six times (in 1954/5, 1958/9, 1962/3, 1965/6, 1970/1 and 1974/5) with immense success, winning friends everywhere. You have probably seen a photograph of the banner hung at the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...

, that tribute to him from his Australian fans. People still talk of his hundred in Melbourne on his first tour, and his highest first-class score, 307 at Adelaide
MCC tour of Australia in 1962–63
The Marylebone Cricket Club tour of Australia in 1962–63 under the captaincy of Ted Dexter was its twelfth since it took official control of overseas tours in 1907–1908. The touring team played as England in the 1962–63 Ashes series against Australia, but as the MCC in all other games...

. Six times he toured, being good enough at 20 and good enough at 40.

Chris Cowdrey
Chris Cowdrey
Christopher Stuart "Chris" Cowdrey is an English former cricketer. Cowdrey played for Kent, Glamorgan and England as an all-rounder...

Colin Cowdrey

arrived in Perth with the wives of the MCC team after a 19 hour delay in Bombay, too late to play a practice match and he was called up for the Second Test two days after he arrived and with three hours in the nets. This was his sixth tour of Australia matching the record of the Lancashire

Lancashire County Cricket Club

Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...

spinner Johnny Briggs

Johnny Briggs (cricketer)

Johnny Briggs was a left arm spin bowler for Lancashire County Cricket Club between 1879 and 1900 who still stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in the county's history after Brian Statham...

. Frank Tyson

Frank Tyson

, who had played with Cowdrey in the 1954-55 Ashes series and now commentating for the ABC

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...

was jokingly asked by fans if he would be recalled as well. The tour selectors were limited by the hand injuries to John Edrich

John Edrich

and Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

, but David Lloyd's

David Lloyd (cricketer)

finger had mended and he was called up to open the innings. Fletcher had a numb forearm after being hit by a Lillee bouncer in Brisbane and again by Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

in the nets and was 'absent hurt' in the match against Western Australia, but had now recovered and kept his place. Peter Lever

Peter Lever

had a side strain and Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

a fever and they were replaced by Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

and Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

. More surprisingly Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

was replaced by the veteran Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

Frederick John Titmus MBE was an English cricketer, whose first-class career spanned five decades. Although he was best known for his off spin , he was an accomplished lower-order batsman who deserved to be called an all-rounder, even opening the batting for England on six occasions...

. Underwood had bowled some excellent balls in the First Test, but the WACA was a fast, true pitch with little turn and Titmus's ability to flight the ball was seen as an advantage, and his all-round ability would strengthen the fragile batting line up. The task of the Australian selectors was easier as they kept the same XI from Brisbane, but exchanged the twelfth man Kerry O'Keeffe

Kerry O'Keeffe

for the off-spinner Ashley Mallett

Ashley Mallett

Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...

. Like Titmus Mallett was able to flight the ball, so Terry Jenner

Terry Jenner

was made twelfth man and Mallett played. Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

won the toss and took the extraordinary decision to field, believing that the England batsmen were still demoralised from their experience at Brisbane and that a dose of fast bowling on the quickest pitch in Australia might break them. Also there was some moisture in the air which would help his swing bowlers. Only twice had a captain put the opposition into bat and won in Australia, Johnny Douglas

Johnny Douglas

John "Johnny" William Henry Tyler Douglas was a cricketer who was captain of the England team and an Olympic boxer.-Early life:...

in the Fourth Test of the 1911-12 Ashes series

English cricket team in Australia in 1911-12

The English cricket team in Australia in 1911–12 was led by Plum Warner, but Johnny Douglas took over the captaincy for all five Test matches when Warner fell ill early in the tour. Despite losing the first Test at Sydney, a side which included Jack Hobbs, Frank Woolley, Sydney Barnes and Wilfred...

and Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

in the Fifth Test of the 1958-59 Ashes series, both at the MCG

Melbourne Cricket Ground

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...

England – First Innings

"Mr Thomson, I believe? How good to meet you."

Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...

"That's not going to help you fatso, piss off."

Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...

Initially it looked like Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

's plan to put England in to bat had backfired. Though Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

made the ball bounce over Brian Luckhurst

Brian Luckhurst

's head on several occasions, the Kent batsmen was 'smitten hip and thigh' and had a bone broken in his hand, but he and David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

saw off the new ball and added 44 for the first wicket. Luckhurst now decided to make some runs and was caught in the gully by Ashley Mallett

Ashley Mallett

Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...

trying to drive Max Walker

Max Walker

(2/49). Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

now walked to the crease to an ovation

Ovation

The ovation was a lower form of the Roman triumph. Ovations were granted, when war was not declared between enemies on the level of states, when an enemy was considered basely inferior or when the general conflict was resolved with little to no bloodshed or danger to the army itself.The general...

from the 16,000 crowd at the WACA, but not from Thomson when he arrived at the crease. He showed that he has lost none of his timing and that his bat was as straight as ever. Lloyd (44) took 10 runs off Mallett's first over and England were 99/1 when he slashed a ball off Thomson into the gully where Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

took a sharp catch. England now collapsed to 132/6; Cowdrey was bowled behind his legs by Thomson (2/45) for 22, Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

was beaten by Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

and edged the ball to Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

in the slips, Mike Denness

Mike Denness

edged another ball off Lillee (2/48) to Greg Chappell also in the slips, Tony Greig

Tony Greig

repeated his slashing tactics of Brisbane, but smashed the ball into Mallett's stomach off Walker and was out. Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

set about restoring the decision, making 51 out of 62 added with Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

in 70 minutes. Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

(2/13) broke the partnership by having both batsmen caught by Redpath and the tail folded. Greg Chappell dived to knock a well struck ball from Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

off Ian Chappell's leg-spin and caught ti on the second try and Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

was run out by Walters and Marsh. England were dismissed for 208 a few minutes before stumps and Australia were on top.

Australia – First Innings

Doug Walters
Doug Walters
Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

went to the wicket when Australia's total stood at 4/192 just before tea and played his shots to such telling effect that, by the time stumps arrived, he had scored 103...He opened the dressing-room door, expecting a flood of congratulations from his fellow players on the brilliance of his stroke play. His team mates, however, had anticipated Walters' expectations and were hidden in the shower room. Ian Chappell
Ian Chappell
Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation...

, the Aussie skipper, was alone in the room, hunched over a newspaper crossword. Chappell looked up as Walters entered, well ahead of his fellow batsmen. 'What the hell are you doing back here? I told you not to get out tonight'...

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

and Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

saw off the new ball and were 1/0 at stumps on the first day. The next day Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

(2/91) hit Edwards with a bouncer and appealed for Redpath caught behind off his gloves, which was declined by the umpire. They took the score to 64 runs in less than an hour when Edwards hit Tony Greig

Tony Greig

to David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

at cover-point. The usually static Redpath was stumped when he danced down the wicket to Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

(2/84) and Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

edged Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

(2/129) to Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

while trying to leg glance, leaving Australia 113/3. Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

made 62, his fifth successive 50 against the tourists and added 79 runs with Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

by tea, though Titmus conceded only 20 runs in nine 8-ball overs. Chappell was out at 192/4 when he cut Willis into the gully where Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

knocked the ball up to be caught by Greig. After tea Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

came out and took command of the game as Denness declined to use Willis to attack his well known weakness around the off stump. Instead Greig sent up his slow off-cutters and gave away 69 runs off nine overs. Walters reached his 50 in 44 minutes, followed by that of Edwards in 174 minutes. The English fielding became ragged as they added 158 runs after tea. Walters reached his century off the last ball of the day by pulling Willis for six and was engulfed by fans as he left the field, as well they might as he was the first batsman since Bradman to score a hundred runs in a session in an Ashes Test. Australia were 352/4 and well ahead in the game, but the Australian team played a trick on Walters when he returned, hiding in the showers with Ian Chappell pretending that they had not seen his innings before coming out to congratulate him. he was out first thing the next day, caught by Fletcher in the gully off Willis waving his bat outside off-stump for 103, but Edwards stayed in to make 115, having been 79 overnight and became the first Western Australian

Western Warriors

The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...

to make a hundred at the WACA. He was bowled by Arnold, but Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

hit 41 and the tail added 65 runs before Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

cleared things up with 3/85. Australia made 481, a lead of 273 in the first innings and few thought England could avoid an innings defeat.

England – Second Innings

Truthfully, I enjoy hitting a batsman more than getting him out. It doesn't worry me in the least to see the batsman hurt, rolling around screaming and blood on the pitch.

Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...

With Brian Luckhurst

Brian Luckhurst

injured Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

volunteered to open the innings with David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

and withstood the wild first overs of Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

(2/59) and Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

(5/93). So many of the balls were short that only two or three had to be played each over and runmaking came slowly as the batsmen concentrated on survival. Lloyd was caught in the box by a bouncer from Thomson that failed to rise, doubled up in pain for five minutes and was helped off by the England physiotherapist Bernie Thomas. Cowdrey was dropped by Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

off Lillee, hit on the arm, survived a confident appeal by Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

before he was finally caught lbw

Leg before wicket

by Thomson for 41, the bowler's 50th first class wicket, with the score 62/1. Mike Denness

Mike Denness

had replaced Lloyd and despite Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

low expectations, "Oh Christ, don't tell me we have to put up with that Mike Denness

Mike Denness

for a couple of balls again", he and Tony Greig

Tony Greig

lasted the day with his team on 102/1. After a rest day the innings resumed in 37°C heat on the fourth day, but the game was effectively over when four wickets fell in the first hour. Greig repeated his slashing policy of the First Test until he was caught by Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

off Thomson. He was replaced by Lloyd who saw Denness edge the same bowler to Redpath, then Fletcher to Marsh to give him 3/8 in three overs. Greg Chappell caught Knott and Lloyd, Luckhurst came out to bat with his broken hand, but was caught by Mallett off Lillee after a stand of 63 with the gallant Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

(61). With nothing to lose Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

thrashed 2 sixes and 5 fours, taking 20 runs off one over from Max Walker

Max Walker

and making 43 of the 64 runs added with Titmus for the eight wicket, which ensured that Australia would have to bat again. Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

was Thomson's fifth victim and Greg Chappell took Titmus off Mallett (2/32) to give him a seven catches in a Test, breaking the record for a fielder held by his grandfather Vic Richardson

Vic Richardson

Victor York Richardson OBE was a leading Australian sportsman of the 1920s and 1930s, captaining the Australian cricket team and the South Australian Australian rules football team, representing Australia in baseball and South Australia in golf, winning the South Australian state tennis title and...

amongst others. England made 293, forcing Australia to make 21 runs for victory.

Australia – Second Innings

Ironically, England whose fielding had been so lacklustre in the Australian first innings pulled out all the stops in the second, when they had no chance of winning. Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

appealed for lbw against Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

on his first two balls, and was successful the second time round, but Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

and Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

made the necessary runs to end the match with 23/1.

Result

Australia won the Second Test by 9 wickets to take a 2-0 lead in the series. It was the first time that Australia had won two Tests in a series against England since 1961 and the first time that they had been 2-0 up against the old enemy since 1958-59.

Third Test – Melbourne

Preliminaries

Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...

and John Edrich
John Edrich
John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation...

were unable to practice on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...

- mainly because of the drizzling rain but also because Cowdrey wanted to spend his birthday in comparative peace. Since both batsmen wanted to feel the ball on bat before the Test, I volunteered the use of the Hawthorn
Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...

Indoor Cricket Centre, in which I was a partner, for a two hour work-out on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

morning. It was quite a contrast to open the children's presents in the early hours and to open the bowling at the two English batsmen before lunch. My fifteen old son, Philip, thought the latter experience to be quite the best of his Christmas presents.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

By long tradition the Victoria

Victorian Bushrangers

The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...

-New South Wales

New South Wales Blues

The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...

Sheffield Shield match began on Boxing Day

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...

at the MCG

Melbourne Cricket Ground

, much to the chagin of the NSW players who missed Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

with their families as a result. But with six Tests to fit into the season this game was moved and the Third Test was held instead, thus beginning the current tradition of the Boxing Day Test

Boxing Day Test

The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team which is touring Australia that summer. It begins annually on Boxing Day and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground...

in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

. Australia kept and unchanged team from Perth, but the England team had a few changes. Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

and John Edrich

John Edrich

had recovered enough to play again after having their hands broken in the First Test at Brisbane, though Edrich's hand was still sore. The out of form Brian Luckhurst

Brian Luckhurst

and Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

were dropped to make room. Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

and Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

were also dropped as the now fit Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

and the spinner Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

returned to the team, Old somewhat unfairly as he had played well at Perth. This gave England only two fast bowlers, Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

and Arnold, the medium pace and off-cutters of Tony Greig

Tony Greig

and the spin of Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

and Underwood. The Melbourne Cricket Ground

Melbourne Cricket Ground

was slower than it had ever been, with low bounce that would limit the effectiveness of the Australian fast bowling attack. Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

won the toss for the third time in a row and became the first captain in history to put the opposition in to bat in successive Tests. The day was overcast and as good for bowling as it would ever be at the MCG and Chappell was confident in the strength of his bowling attack and the fragility of the English batting.

England – first innings

The deterioration of crowd behavior in Australia has been marked and easily observable over the last few years...Exhibitionists, generally in drunken stupor, invaded the pitches...attempted to run the gauntlet of policemen patrolling the perimeter. When they intruded upon the playing area to congratulate their heros, their sincereity extended to trying to steal their caps or snitching a bail or stump whilst the umpire was distracted by his concern for the pitch...umpire Brooks and an intruder clashed physically in the centre of the Test pitch. The invader was sent sprawling in the centre of the wicket by an exasperated umpire, who was no doubt unwise to intrude into the domain of law and order.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

(2/70) showed what could be done by swinging the ball like a boomarang in the first over and with his eighth ball turned Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

around and clipped the shoulder of his bat to give Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

a difficult catch at third slip. Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

did not like bowling into the wind and was replaced after one over by Max Walker

Max Walker

, who bowled three maiden overs, but had David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

dropped by Walters as he and Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

slowly advanced the score. Thomson was brought in at Lillee's end with the wind behind him and gave Lloyd a rearing ball that moved on the leg stump, struck his hand and lobbed to Ashley Mallett

Ashley Mallett

Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...

in the gully to leave England 34/2. 40/2 at lunch. John Edrich

John Edrich

came in with his still sore hand and for two hours the veteran partnership added 76 runs between lunch and tea. The 50 was brought up in 160 minutes by a Thomson bouncer that leaped over Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

's head for four byes and he struck Cowdrey on the chest and elbow with successive balls. Edrich snicked Lillee to Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

, who dropped and catch and split his hand between his thumb and forefinger, so had to leave the field for treatment. Just before tea two supporters climbed the picket fence

Picket fence

A picket fence is a variety of fence that has been used mostly for domestic boundaries. Until the introduction of advertising on fences in the 1980s, a Cricket field was also usually surrounded by a picket fence, giving rise to the expression rattling the pickets for a ball hit firmly into the...

and reached the wicket before Umpire Brooks

Tom Brooks

Thomas Francis Brooks OAM was an Australian Test cricket match umpire who was born in Paddington, New South Wales...

removed them and the interlude spoilt Cowdrey's concentration. He misjudged a Thomson inswinger which he thought was passing him, but rapped his pads and he was given out leg before wicket

Leg before wicket

for 35. In the next over, Edrich tried to glance a ball from Mallett (2/37) and was caught by Marsh for 49, though the batsmen later said he had missed and the ball had come off his pads he was given out by Umpire Bailhache

Robin Bailhache

and England were 110/4. Tea was taken when the wicket fell and Mike Denness

Mike Denness

and Tony Greig

Tony Greig

resumed after the break. As at Brisbane and Perth, Greig slashed away at everything and was dropped by both Ian and Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

. Thomson pulled up with a leg-strain and left the field, but Denness cut Mallett into the hands of Marsh and Greig was controversially run out and England were 157/6. Ian Chappell had thrown the ball in from the boundary as Greig was completing his third run and Marsh caught the ball and smashed the stumps as the 6'7" South African reached for the crease with his long handled bat. Photographs later showed that he had just made his ground, but Umpire Bailhache gave him out and Greig refused to go until rudely told to leave by Greg Chappell. The innings now depended on Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

, who made 52, and Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

who batted until stumps, which were pulled when Lillee bowled round the wicke to the Cockney

Cockney

The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...

spinner and Mallett took a catch off his bat-handle. Resuming at 176/7, Thomson returned despite the advice of the team physiotherapist as Knott and Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

made 39 runs in 38 minutes, the England wicketkeeper cutting with abandon. Thomson was bowling carefully to avoid further injury and was replaced the Walker (1/35) who an overconfident Underwood tried to drive only to give Marsh his third catch of the innings. Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

slashed a ball from Thomson into the covers and Walters took a running catch over his left shoulder. Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

hit two boundaries in his 8 not out and the innings ended when Thomson (4/72) yorked Knott with the score on 242 to give him 20 wickets in five innings.

Australia – First Innings

At 3:30pm two umpires emerged from the players' race leading from the dressing rooms. The crowd roared its approval. It seemed there was going to be more play. The cordon of policemen, reinforced after the spectator intrusions of the first day, respectfully made way to allow the umpires to pass. But wait! Surely Tom Brooks
Tom Brooks
Thomas Francis Brooks OAM was an Australian Test cricket match umpire who was born in Paddington, New South Wales...

does not have a beard. Robin Bailhache
Robin Bailhache
Robin Carl Bailhache, , is a former Australian Test cricket match umpire.He umpired 27 Test matches between 1974 and 1988. His first match was between Australia and England at Brisbane on 29 November to 4 December 1974, won by Australia by 166 runs with Jeff Thomson taking 9 wickets...

, slight in build though he is, is slightly more substantial than the youthful beanpole figure making his way to the centre. It took Bill Watkins, the groundsman at the M.C.G. to detect the impersonation. He hurried from his post by the covers in the centre of the ground to intercept the impostors and turn them back from whence they came. In tribute to a skillful piece of improvised humour, police sergeant Brian Watkins allowed them to make good their escape, instead of conducting them to the local lock-up.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

The second day had 54,000 spectators, but was affected by rain and bad light. Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

took the second over and pulled a hamstring muscle with his fifth ball, tried a sixth and then left, injured beyond help for the rest of the series. England were left with only one fast bowler and Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

gave an extended spell of seven overs and Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

was given the ball after only six overs, but strangely Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

was not brought on until after lunch, and then replaced Underwood instead of forming a spin twin partnership. Though Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

was clearly struggling Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

was happily playing the depleted attack, but when the umpires gave them the light at 3:13 pm the Australian batsmen walked off. At 3:30 pm a couple of hoaxers dressed up as umpires and "sold the crowd a pup" before they were chased off. Play resumed for two overs at 4:00 pm until a Willis bouncer and light rain convinced the umpires to stop play and the day ended with Australia 63/0. Willis stormed in the next morning and Edwards attempted a forehand smash

Smash (tennis)

A smash in tennis is a shot that is hit above the head with a serve-like motion. A smash can usually be hit with great force relatively safely and is often a shot that ends the point. Most smashes are hit fairly near the net or in mid-court before the ball bounces, generally against lobs that have...

against a rising ball straight to Denness at mid-off. Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

's had was still smarting so Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

came in and tried to cut Willis through the gully, but the ball lifted and moved in and the ball was taken by the telescopic arm of Tony Greig

Tony Greig

at second slip. At the other end Titmus (2/43) floated a ball up to Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

that he edged to Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

at first slip and Australia were 68/3. Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

hit a chancy 36 with the stationary Redpath, whose 55 took 242 minutes to make when Greig (2/63) dismissed them both to bring Ian Chappell and Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

together at a precarious 126/5. These two added 47 runs when Willis took the new ball and caught the captain lbw

Leg before wicket

for 36, 173/6. Marsh (44) and the free swinging Max Walker

Max Walker

(30) pulled Australia up to 237 when they were both caught by Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

, a leaping dive to dismiss Marsh off Titmus and a simple snick to take Walker off Willis. Lillee survived a lbw appeal from Titmus, Ashley Mallett

Ashley Mallett

Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...

was run out by substitute Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

for a duck and Willis bowled Thomson and Australia were all out for 241, one run behind England. Willis took 5/61, his first 5 wicket haul in Tests.

England – Second Innings

This was the one occasion when Australia saw the vintage Amiss
Dennis Amiss
Dennis Leslie Amiss MBE was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.Amiss suffered a serious back injury whilst playing soccer in his teenage years, which entailed him starting each day of his sporting life undergoing stretching routines to loosen up.He played cricket for both Warwickshire...

. There was no better batting on either side in the series than the 70 he made before lunch, chiefly with Lloyd
David Lloyd (cricketer)
David Lloyd is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire and Test and One Day International cricket for England. He also played semi-professional football for Accrington Stanley...

in their opening stand of 115. For once Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

and Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...

were hit and hit hard, and naturally their control faltered.

E.W. Swanton

After one Thomson over on the third day the gloom made the umpires pull stumps with England 1/0. Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

had made his name as a heavy scoring batsman with tallies of 663 runs (82.87) in the West Indies in 1973-74 and 370 runs (92.50) against India and 220 runs (55.00) against Pakistan in 1974 with five big centuries to his credit. He needed only 93 runs to make 1381 runs in 1974 and equal the record made by Bobby's Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...

in 1964. Here, on a flat wicket at Melbourne he showed his talent in Australia by making 70 runs in an opening stand of 115 in the first session against Lillee, Thomson and Walker. David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

looked less certain and gave several chances, including a catch by Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

which the Australian captain indicated had hit the ground before he took it, much to everyone's surprise. Ashley Mallett

Ashley Mallett

Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...

(4/60) slowed the run rate and just before lunch tricked LLoyd (44) and had him caught and bowled when the left-hander tried to drive a turning ball. With the pitch taking spin Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

slowed his pace and concentrated on swing and after swearing at the gentlemanly Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

hit him through mid-wicket had him caught by Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

who leapt above his brother's at first slip to poach a catch. Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

(4/71) took a spell of 3/13 in six overs, having John Edrich

John Edrich

caught behind, Denness caught by Ian Chappell, Knott was caught behind and Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

banged painfully on the back of his knee, which held up the match before until he could struggle back to his feet. Ian Chappell also caught Amiss off Mallett ten runs short of his century and 3 runs short of Simpson's record and Underwood off the spinner, who also bowled Titmus for a 31 minute duck as England collapsed from 152/2 to 182/2. As at Brisbane Tony Greig

Tony Greig

restored the situation thrashing 5 fours and a six in his 60 and adding 66 runs with Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

(15) for the ninth wicket before Greg Chappell snatched a catch off a ball heading to the third man boundary. The limping Hendrick came out to help add a few runs, but Willis was bowled trying to drive Thomson, who had now taken 24 wickets in three Tests, an average of four wickets in each England innings. The total of 244 left Australia 365 minutes to make 246 runs to win their third Test in succession.

Australia – Second Innings

In seven overs by Titmus and Underwood, bowling to normal containing fields, Australia added only seven runs...a protest against Titmus bowling to six leg-side fielders and Underwood operating without a slip. But what did they want - England to serve up the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...

on a plate with, as Neville Cardus
Neville Cardus
Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus CBE was an English writer and critic, best known for his writing on music and cricket. For many years, he wrote for The Manchester Guardian. He was untrained in music, and his style of criticism was subjective, romantic and personal, in contrast with his critical...

once observed parsley
Parsley
Parsley is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region , naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice and a vegetable.- Description :Garden parsley is a bright green hairless biennial herbaceous plant in temperate...

around them?

E.W. Swanton

There was only time for one over before stumps on the fourth day and Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

conceded 4 extras, reducing the target to 242. The next morning Tony Greig

Tony Greig

(4/56) got Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

lbw for a duck as he shuffled across the wicket and in the following over Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

was lbw to Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

(1/56) and Australia were 5/2. Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

(39) and Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

(61) resurrected the Australian innings with a stand of 101, but scored runs a crawl - 68 runs in the morning session - and Redpath survived two lbw appeals and was dropped by the normally reliable Denness. Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

(0/43) and Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

(2/62) were brought on, but found little turn and Chappell was the third man in the innings to be leg before wicket

Leg before wicket

when a Titmus shooter hit him on the ankle. Redpath had been almost run out, but John Edrich

John Edrich

's poor return allowed him to get home. Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

was caught by Titmus's spin as the ball kicked up, clipped the edge of the bat and was caught by David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

, then Redpath's luck ran out and he was run out by Underwood and Knott when he crossed the crease without grounding his bat and Australia was 121/5. The spinners were now bowling with two slips, a short-leg and short mid-wicket, tied up Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

(32) and Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

(40) and reduced the 40,000 crowd to silence. By tea Australia were 145/5, needing 101 runs to win in two hours, or about 28 overs. Greig replaced Underwood and appealed for lbw against Walters when a shooter got through, then had him caught by Denness at 171/6, but by 5 pm Australia needed 55 runs in the mandatory 15 overs in the last hour of the game. After some discussion between Denness, Edrich, Cowdrey and Greig the new ball was not taken and Titmus and Underwood - nicknamed "Steptoe and Son

Steptoe and Son

Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...

" - carried on with defensive fields to a displeased Marsh who refused to make runs in protest. After six overs Willis and Greig took the new ball and the latter had Marsh caught by a diving Knott on the leg-side. Marsh was reluctant to go and when Grieg theatrically pointed the way to the pavilion he was booed by the crowd. Max Walker

Max Walker

(23 not out) and Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

(14) thumped 22 runs off three overs from Willis and Underwood was brought back on to bowl the penultimate over with the England team spread around the outfield, which was a maiden. Greig bowled the last over with 14 runs or 3 wickets needed for victory. Greig's fifth delivery was no-balled as he had three fieldsmen behind square-leg - the rule introduced to prevent a repartition of Bodyline

Bodyline

Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...

. With three balls left and 9 runs needed Lillee drove Greig into the hands of Denness in the covers. Walker had crossed ends and his single off the penultimate ball ensured a draw and the final ball was a bouncer to Ashley Mallett

Ashley Mallett

Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...

. Australia ended on 238/8, 8 runs short of victory.

Result

On the whole the result was fair enough - the closest-fought draw in my experiance in Test between England and Australia.

E.W. Swanton

Australia and England drew the Third Test, leaving Australia with its 2-0 lead in the series. Though England had yet to pass 300 runs in an innings in the series they had shown that they could reduce Australia to their level and it was a considerable improvement over the defeats at Brisbane and Perth.

One Day International - Melbourne

Preliminaries

The first ever One Day International had been played at the MCG

Melbourne Cricket Ground

to replace the washed out Third Test of the 1970-71 Ashes series. Four years later a match was organised for New Year's Day

New Year's Day

New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...

instead of the Melbourne Test usually played on that day, the Test being moved to Boxing Day

Boxing Day Test

Australian Innings

Mike Denness

won the toss and put Australia in to bat with immediate results as Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

and Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

were sent back to the pavilion with the score on 11/2. Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

hit 42 off 49 balls before Peter Lever

Peter Lever

caught him in the outfield off Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

(4/57) with the score on 65/3. Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

made 44 off 50 balls until Old bowled him, Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

and Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

to leave Australia 139/6. Wickets now fell regularly as the lower order tried to add a few runs, but they were bowled out for 190 after 34.5 overs, leaving England to make 191 off their full 40 overs.

England Innings

Dennis Amiss

had made the first two one-day international centuries and hit 47 off 54 balls out of the 70 run opening stand with David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

(49). Amiss was bowled by Max Walker

Max Walker

and Lloyd was run out, but more controversially the bowler Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

ran out Brian Luckhurst

Brian Luckhurst

when he was backing up and England were 124/3. The big hitting Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

was promoted up the order and struck 12 runs off 10 balls before be was bowled by Alan Hurst

Alan Hurst (cricketer)

Alan George Hurst is a former Australian cricketer who played in twelve Tests and eight ODIs between 1975 and 1979...

(2/27), who was playing instead of Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee

Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

. Tony Greig

Tony Greig

managed to his run three off the only ball he faced, and was then run out, followed by Denness and Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

who both fell nine runs short of victory. Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

and Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

made the winning runs with the help of a few extras and 191/7 was reached with 23 balls to spare.

Result

England won by 3 wickets and Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

and Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

were made the two men of the match for their entertaining innings, even though they were not the top scorers. Oddly, the result was almost a mirror image of the first One Day International, when England had made 190 and Australia 191/5.

Fourth Test – Sydney

Preliminaries

If Denness did not warrant selection from amongst seventeen players on the eve of the Fourth Test, the chances are that he was not good enough in the first place to have been in the touring party. It required courage to drop himself at Sydney. It would have been far more judicious act of courage to have refused the captaincy of the touring side to Australia when it was first offered to him.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

The great shock of the Fourth Test was that Mike Denness

Mike Denness

became the first Test captain to drop himself for poor form. Percy Chapman

Percy Chapman

Arthur Percy Frank Chapman was an English cricketer who captained England to a then English-record-equalling seven consecutive Test match wins, a record that was not surpassed until Michael Vaughan's team won eight in a row in 2004...

had dropped himself for the Fifth Test in 1928-29 because of flu and Wally Hammond

Wally Hammond

in 1946-47 due to fibrositis, but in both these cases the series had already been decided. England could still win the series by winning the last three Tests, or hold onto the Ashes

The Ashes

The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...

by winning two and drawing the other. Denness had made only 65 runs (10.83) so far in the series and was desperately out of form, but his replacement Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

was hardly a better bet with 45 runs (11.25) and had been dropped for the Third Test. The vice-captain John Edrich

John Edrich

was put in charge, an old pro who had captained Surrey

Surrey County Cricket Club

Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...

since 1973, but was unlikely to fire up the team or take any chances. Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

replaced the injured Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

, but Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

was made twelfth man and England went into the match with just two fast bowlers on a lively green wicket that made Frank Tyson "worry about the safety of the English batsmen". Australia made a change to their lien up with the opener Wally Edwards

Wally Edwards

Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....

being dropped after making 68 runs (11.33) in the first three Tests. He was replaced by the tall, athletic Rick McCosker

Rick McCosker

Richard Bede McCosker is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer.McCosker played in 25 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals in a career spanning 1975 to 1982 playing as a right hand batsman....

who had made four consecutive first class centuries that season and 52 and 56 for NSW

New South Wales Blues

The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...

against the tourists. Unfortunately, this left Australia with only one opening batsman and McCosker was sent in with Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

on his debut, though admittedly on his home ground. Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

won the toss for the fourth time in a row (Edrich called heads, while Denness had always called tails) and chose to bat regardless of the help the wicket was due to give the bowlers.

Australia – First Innings

Whether or not Walter's misfortune put The Hill in bad way I can't say, but what with the beer and the overcrowding and the heat the denizens thereof had one of their noisiest, most refractory days.

E.W. Swanton

The first ball was a leg bye to bring Rick McCosker

Rick McCosker

on strike and he glance the ball off his legs to bring up his first Test runs to the applause of the 52,164 strong crowd. He made 80 on debut and added 96 with Redpath as the England fast bowlers missed their chance with the new ball and the pitch proved to be truer than expected. McCosker edged a ball that fell short of Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

, slashed another that was missed by Edrich in the gully and Redpath nearly ran himself out off a no-ball (photographs later showed that he should have been out). The England captain set defensive fields from the outset, with a third and fine leg and only three close fielders and Australia were in little trouble. Redpath was hit on the hand by Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

and finally out when he trod on his stumps off Titmus for 33, but McCosker made 80 when he was disturbed by the rumpus from the Sydney Hill

Sydney Cricket Ground

The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...

. Fans were throwing beer cans at Tony Greig

Tony Greig

, one hitting him on the back, and Umpire Brooks

Tom Brooks

Thomas Francis Brooks OAM was an Australian Test cricket match umpire who was born in Paddington, New South Wales...

had to intervene to calm them down and have the field cleared of rubbish before play could resume. McCosker's concentration was disturbed and he was caught by Knott off Greig (4/104) Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

was almost run out by David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

for a duck, but made 53 before he was caught by Knott off Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

(5/86). Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

came out at 199/3 to the disappointment of his local fans, who wanted their hero Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

to come out and score a century as he had at Perth and had erected the famous "Doug Walters Stand" banner on the Hill. Edwards made only 15 in a stand of 52 with Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

when he played over a yorker from Greig two balls short of stumps and play was ended early at 251/4. This soon became 255/5 when Arnold took the new ball and nipped it back to catch Walters lbw, but Chappell and Marsh added 50 runs in 56 minutes. They were removed by the ever-combative Grieg, who removed Marsh's middle stump with a yorker and caught Chappell off Arnold when he looked set for a hundred to leave them 310/7. The Australian lower order made runs quickly enough despite being repeatedly bounced by Arnold and Grieg, who hit Lillee on the elbow and bruised Ashley Mallett

Ashley Mallett

Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...

's bowling hand. Fletcher told Lillee that he had been asking for bouncers the way he bowled and the fast bowler's reply made him complain to Umpire Brooks about his use of language. Two bouncers in one over resulted in Greig being warned for intimatory bowling, who asked if Lillee was restricted to one bouncer per over to him as well. Brooks saying that as Lillee was a tailender and Greig was a batsman the same standard did not apply. In the end Arnold dismissed Lillee and Walker, but Thomson hit 24 not out off 23 balls before Mallet was lbw to Grieg with the score on 405.

England – First Innings

Chappell, the grandson of Victor Richardson, had no doubt been weaned on tales of the Bodyline
Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...

tour by his grandfather, one of the few Australian batsmen to fight it out with Larwood
Harold Larwood
Harold Larwood was an English cricket player, an extremely accurate fast bowler best known for his key role as the implementer of fast leg theory in the infamous "bodyline" Ashes Test series of 1932–33....

and his support bowlers. Forty years later, and it was time to pay back the Poms. When Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher is a former English cricketer, who played for Essex and England. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex team-mate, Ray East, because Fletcher's winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear...

deflected a ball on to his cap and crumpled in a heap as it dropped just short of cover point, Ian Chappell
Ian Chappell
Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation...

probably thought his grandafther would approve if he had been alive to witness the carnage. One can only hope that the reaction of Vic Richardson - a combative, but essentially a cheerful, sporting cricketer - would have surprised Chappell.

Bob Willis
Bob Willis
Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

The England innings began with 10 extras from Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

with Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

leaping behind the stumps in vain as one ball lifted over the heads of the batsman and wicketkeeper for four. Thereafter wickets fell regularly with the Hillites cheering on the fast bowlers, but it was Max Walker

Max Walker

(2/77) who made the breakthrough when he swung the ball to the edge of Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

's bat to see it superbly caught by Mallett in the gully. Thomson took a surprisingly good catch to dismiss Lloyd off a Lillee bouncer and then beat Cowdrey three balls in a row before the master was caught by McCosker at short leg. This left England 69/3, but Edrich and Fletcher saw the day out safely enough. One ball from the captain was driven full into McCosker's face, knocking him unconscious for five minutes and he was helped off the field. Mallet was brought on at the end of the day, but asked to be taken off after one over because of his bruised had from that morning. Returning on the third day Thomson was bowling at his fastest and took 1/12 off five overs, having Edrich missed by Redpath in the slips, Greig caught by Greg Chappell and almost having Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

out on the second, third and fourth balls he faced, dropped by Marsh, a caught behind not given and almost bowled by an inswinger. Fletcher was hit on the head by a bouncer and was caught by Redpath off Walker to leave England were 123/5, their top order failing again. After his escape Knott rode his luck and sliced 11 fours in an innings of 82, adding 57 with Edrich (50), 60 with Fred Titmus (22) and 33 with Derek Underwood (27). Knott and Underwood took 14 runs off one Lillee over and Ian Chappell had to set a defensive field for the first time in the series. The wicketkeeper was finally dismissed leaning back ready to cut the short ball and had his stumps flattened by a Thomson half-volley, but Lillee repeatedly bounced the tailenders and gave Bob Willis a beamer which fortunately missed his head. Willis was bowled by Thomson (4/74) and Lillee took the last wicket, having Underwood caught by Walker when he drove high into the covers. England were out for 295, having saved the follow on, which looked unlikely at one point, but still 110 runs behind.

Australia – Second Innings

His
Greg Chappell
Gregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...

batting was disdainfully untroubled and his strength on the on-drive caused the English bowlers to revise their policy of pitching constrainingly close to the batsman's pads. Reaching a contemptuous fifty in eighty minutes, Chappell depressed the accelerator of attack and Australia cruised past the century mark in four minutes under two hours.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

England were dismissed just before tea, so the interval was taken early and Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

and Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

came out to open as Rick McCoster was still dazed from his injury, having fielded for only a few overs in the morning before he had to retire again. Chappell was caught by David Lloyd close to the ground off Willis, but there no immediate appeal as Lloyd had hurt his bruised fingers and left to have then tended when the Australian captain was given out. This brought in his brother Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

at 15/1 and he added 108 runs with Redpath by the end of the day, with 100 runs coming in 110 minutes. Resuming on 123/1 Redpath and Chappell took their partnership to 220 runs, a record for Australia against England in Australia, beating the 216 made by Bill Woodfull

Bill Woodfull

William Maldon "Bill" Woodfull OBE was an Australian cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s. He captained both Victoria and Australia, and was best known for his dignified and moral conduct during the tumultuous bodyline series in 1932–33 that almost saw the end of Anglo-Australian cricketing ties...

and Hunter Hendry

Hunter Hendry

Hunter Scott Thomas Laurie Hendry was a cricketer who played for New South Wales, Victoria and Australia national cricket team.Nicknamed Stork, he was a formidable batsman who bowlers found difficulty in delivering to...

back in 1928-29

English cricket team in Australia in 1928–29

-Second Test :-Third Test :-Fourth Test :-Fifth Test :-Further reading:* Ralph Barker & Irving Rosenwater, England v Australia: A compendium of Test cricket between the countries 1877-1968, Batsford, 1969, ISBN 0-7134-0317-9.* Percy Fender, The Turn of the Wheel: MCC Team in Australia 1928-29,...

. These came slowly at first as Edrich set defensive filed and Arnold and Willis bowled accurately for the first 90 minutes. However, when they were replaced by Underwood, Titmus and Greig, Chappell increased the run-rate and when Willis returned the Queensland captain took 13 runs off one over. He made his first century of the series, 1,000 run of the season and was dropped on 136 by Underwood at deep fine-leg with The Hill braying behind him. He was out for 144 trying to hit Arnold for six and skying the ball to Lloyd at mid-wicket. Chappell had now made 122, 51, 58, 71, 62, 2, 61, 44, 84 and 144 against the tourists in the season, including the Queensland vs MCC match and the One Day International. Walters came in and tried to impress his fans with another Perth-like run feast, but tried to hit Underwood across the line and was bowled for 5. With the sluggish Redpath now setting the pace and England trying to delay the declaration the game drifted, but the opener was out for 105 in 344 minutes when he uncharacteristically hit out at Underwood (2/65) and was caught by the substitute Chris Old. A few runs late Marsh was nearly run out and hurried off to the pavilion as Australia declared at 289/4, leaving England 400 runs to win in 500 minutes.

England – Second Innings

In his recent book 'Back to the Mark' the fast bowler had written 'I try to hit a batsman in the rib-cage when I bowl a purposeful bouncer and I want it to hurt so much that the batsman doesn't want to face me any more'. How well he had succeeded in Edrich's case! The irony of his pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...

was that Edrich had not been felled by a bouncer...The English press greeted the incident with headlines such as: 'Licence to Kill!', 'Lillee should be banned' - '007, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

cricket'. The atmosphere on and off the field was emotionally electric. Bodyline
Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...

was freely discussed. In the background the crowd, lusting for more blood and guts, stirred the embers of controversy chanting for 'Lillee, Lillee'.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

The declaration became just before tea, which was taken early again, but storm clouds gathered over the ground and many of the 35,900 crowd left for home. The Umpire made a brief inspection, but declined to resume play due to the gloom and the rain promptly came down a few minutes later. However, the clouds passed over and the ground was cleared up quickly enough for play to resume at five minutes past five. Dennis Amiss and David Lloyd survived, making 33/0 by stumps even though they each gave an easy chance, Amiss hitting a full-toss in the still dazed McCosker's midriff, where he fumbled the catch and Walters dropping Lloyd in the slips. England began the last day needing 367 runs in 360 minutes and to everyone’s surprise Amiss and Lloyd set about the bowling as if they meant to win. The wicket was now brown, slow and even without any spin and they reached 68/0 off 86 minutes. At this point Lloyd edged the ball off Thomson (2/74) to Greg Chappell, who took his twelfth catch of the series. Amiss gloved an unplayable, rearing ball from Lillee (2/65) to the predatory Marsh. John Edrich

John Edrich

came in and ducked a Lillee bouncer that stayed low and gave him a sickening blow to his ribs. He was helped off the field by the England physiotherapist Bernie Thomas and taken to hospital for an X-ray. Colin Cowdrey steered an awkwardly lifting ball from Walker (2/46) to Ian Chappell and England were 74/3, effectively 74/4. Keith Fletcher was joined by Tony Greig took the score past 100, but the Essex captain, having fended off a sharp bouncer the ball before, played back to a fuller delivery and was caught by Ashley Mallett in the gully. Mallett's hand had recovered enough for him to bowl and he took 2/3 after lunch, Knott was caught by Redpath glancing the ball off his legs and Titmus was caught sweeping. To everyone's surprise Edrich returned to the wicket at 156/6, he had been told that his ribs were only badly bruised, but he moved with obvious pain (later tests revealed that they were broken). Ian Chappell promptly brought Lillee back into the attack even though he was not fully rested and the fast bowler gave the England captain two overs of short-pitched bowling. At the other end Greig had made a confident 54, but was stumped trying to drive Mallet (4/21). Underwood was caught and bowled by Walker and England went in to tea on 184/8. On their return Edrich played a captain's innings against Lillee and Thomson, controlling the strike and bringing up the 200. Lillee ironically bowled Willis with a yorker just after being warned for the third or fourth time about his short-pitched bowling to the tailender. By this time England were 211/9, but only needed to survive 10 overs for a draw. Arnold held out for 35 minutes and made 14 when he misread Mallet's spin and edged him to Greg Chappell. Edrich had batted for 155 minutes for his 33 not out, but it was not enough. England were dismissed for 228 and lost the Test by 171 runs and with it the Ashes

The Ashes

. The crowd flooded the field as the players walked off and Australia started their celebrations.

Result

I suspected that even the Australian administrators were praying for rain and the delaying of the final outcome of a series that was proving a financial bonanza. A draw in Sydney would so wonders for the Adelaide gate and takings; whereas an Australian win and the resolution of the rubber might cause a loss of interest in the remaining Tests.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Australia won by 171 runs to win the series 3-0 with two Test to play. They recovered the Ashes

The Ashes

having lost them four years before on the same ground in the 1970-71 Ashes series and Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

equalled Bobby Simpson's

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

record of 13 catches by a fielder in a Test series.

Fifth Test – Adelaide

Preliminaries

A fresh pocket of black clay soil was discovered in the preceding winter and the whole Adelaide wicket area had been re-laid. A dispute between the cricket authorities and the local football players also meant that little of the Australian game
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

was played on its undisturbed surface during the winter of 1974. The question about the Adelaide surface for the Fifth Test was whether it would be a pitch in the old tradition of batting excellence or a wicket whose unsettled nature would lead to bowling supremacy throughout the game.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

England had a good time between the Fourth and Fifth Tests. Mike Denness

Mike Denness

returned to form with 157 not in their innings victory over Tasmania

Tasmanian Tigers

The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...

and 99 in a 187 run win over New South Wales

New South Wales Blues

The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...

. Dennis Amiss

Dennis Amiss

made 52 and 124 in the Sydney game and Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

took 7/59. Denness therefore returned to the team as England captain, replacing the injured vice-captain John Edrich

John Edrich

who was still recovering from his damaged ribs, which had in fact been broken, not just bruised as previously thought. Australia dropped the batsman Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

in favour of the local leg-spinner Terry Jenner

Terry Jenner

. There was a storm the night before the first day, which ripped the covered off the field and flooded the ground. The nightwatchman had not seeing fit to call the curator, so the damage could not be repaired in time for the first day's play, which had to be abandoned. The ex-Australian umpire Col Egar thought that play might not even start on the second day. What made it more distressing was that a record crowd appeared despite the series having already been won, but had to be turned away. Jim Laker

Jim Laker

James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...

and Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

were part of the crowd, escorting travel groups of British cricket fans. As it was there was a steady wind which helped dry out the ground overnight, except at the River Torrens

River Torrens

The River Torrens is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains and was one of the reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the Adelaide Hills near Mount Pleasant, across the Adelaide Plains, past the city centre and empties...

end, but the famously long boundary was pulled in with ropes marking a now egg shaped Adelaide Oval

Adelaide Oval

The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...

. Denness called heads and for the first time England won the toss. With the pitch still worse for wear he chose to field, the third time the winning captain had taken this unusual course in the series.

Australia – First Innings

Doug Walters is not a creature of habit nor indeed the perfect cricket technician. He is a batsman who depends on his natural aggressive flair and his superb eye...While Jenner top-scored in Australia's first innings it was Walters who not only bore the brunt of the worst of the wicket but also scored freely in spite of the pitch.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

(21) and Rick McCosker

Rick McCosker

(35) upset the England plans by adding 52 in 83 minutes for the first wicket. Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

made the ball cut and lift immediately, but Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

struggled and after six overs Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....

replaced Arnold, who changed ends so as to have the advantage of the wind behind him. "Deadly Derek" (7/113) was called an umbrella

Umbrella

An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...

bowler - there in case of a rain-affected wicket - and he was able to make the ball leap and turn from his first over. The openers managed to survive, and by surviving most of the first session they ensured that the Australian middle order would be able to play on a less lethal wicket. Denness failed to bring on Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

at the other end until the last over before lunch in conditions tailor made for spin bowling, a decision for which he was greatly criticised though E.W. Swanton thought the damps patches were not on Titmus's length. As it was Underwood had to do all the work, bowling 29 overs compared to 31 by the other five bowlers. He achieved the breakthrough when McCosker clipped a ball to Cowdrey in the slips, then both Chappell brothers, Ian was surprised by a leaping ball and skyed it to Knott, while Greg was lbw to a ball that turned from leg to middle stump while he tried to run a leg-bye. With the last ball before lunch Redpath edged the ball the Greig at silly-point and Australia were 77/4. After lunch Marsh tried to hit Underwood out of the attack, but was taken by Greig at mid-wicket at 84/5 with the Kent bowler having taken all the wickets 5/35. The South Australian sun was now drying out the wicket, which reverted to its normal, placid self in the afternoon. The brilliant Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

hit 55 off 66 balls with 7 fours and a six, adding 80 with Terry Jenner who made his only Test fifty on his home ground. Titmus replaced Underwood just as the pitch was losing its turn and Walters was getting into his stride. The Australian batsmen took 24 runs off two overs and Walters's six was caught one handed in the member's stand. The tired Underwood was brought back as his left arm spin could not be hit so easily and Walters spooned a catch to a surprised Willis at mid-off. The tall Max Walker

Max Walker

had yet to fail in the series and hit 41, adding 77 with Jenner until the latter became Underwood's seventh successive wicket when he misjudged the flight and hit over a ball. Walker hit what looked like an easy two only to end up at the same end as Lillee while Denness threw down the stumps after a fine pick up. Lillee walked to keep Walker in until Amiss insisted that Walker was the man to go and the umpire agreed. Lillee (26) added 36 with Mallett (23 not out) and hooked Willis for four until the new ball was taken. Willis then spread Lillee's stumps and Arnold those of Thomson and Australia were out for 304, the mystery being why they had not been out in the morning such a poor wicket.

England – First Innings

The South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

Test always coincides with the Australia day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...

week-end. Without fail the South Australian Cricket Association
South Australian Cricket Association
The South Australian Cricket Association is the peak body for the sport of cricket in South Australia. The association runs Adelaide Oval and the Southern Redbacks based in Adelaide, South Australia. SACA is the controlling body for the South Australian Grade Cricket League...

celebrates January 27 with a stirring flag-raising ceremony before the start of play. The flag-pole before the member's enclosure is erected and both teams, together with the officials and umpires, troop out to form a guard of honour on each flank of the President of the Cricket Association as he raises the flag. To a man, and woman, the crowd rise to their feet to sing the national song...the men placing their hats and hands over their hearts. Equally there was no doubting the sincere determination of the Australian team
Australian cricket team in Australia in 1974-75
The 1974-75 Australians beat the touring England team 4-1 in the 1974-75 Ashes series. Labelled the Ugly Australians for their hard-nosed cricket, sledging and hostile fast bowling they are regarded as one of the toughest teams in cricket history...

as they took the field with their caps
Baggy green
The baggy green is the evolution of a cricket cap of green colour, which has been worn by Australian Test cricketers since around the turn of the twentieth century. The cap was not originally baggy as evidenced by photographs of early players...

set in a resolute angle over their eyes.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Amiss and Lloyd lasted the few balls left on the first day and a couple of byes gave the 2/0. On the third day Lillee for once looked better than Thomson, who was working hard digging the ball into the soft pitch. Throughout the series Lillee had peppered batsmen with bouncers, but on this occasion he had Amiss caught by Ian Chappell off the third ball of the day, bowled at medium-fast pace and well up. Encouraged by this the Western Australian bowled with much greater skill and even when he crowded Cowdrey with off and leg side slips in Bodyline

Bodyline

fashion he kept the ball up and was rewarded with 4/49, his best figures of the series. Lloyd was playing so far back that he was in danger of stepping on his stumps, but ended when he glanced Lillee straight behind to Marsh with England 19/2. The River Torrens Stand a banner "Denness' Last Stand" and a trumpeter in the crowd played the Last Post

Last Post

The "Last Post" can be either a B♭ bugle call within British Infantry regiments or an E♭ cavalry trumpet call in British Cavalry and Royal Regiment of Artillery used at Commonwealth military funerals and ceremonies commemorating those who have been killed in war.The two regimental traditions have...

when the England captain came to the wicket. Buoyed by his recent innings against Tasmania and NSW he struck 51 off 66 balls with 7 fours, using the square cut with effect. At noon the concentration of the batsmen was disturbed by the 21 gun salute from the barracks behind the Victor Richardson Stand, which held up play for five minutes. When play resumed Cowdrey was dismissed off a Thomson bouncer that swung in and flied off his bat high above Walker's head, only for the 6'4" Victorian to leap up Aussie Rules

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

style to take an 'impossible' catch. Thomson (3/58) also accounted for Denness a few minutes before lunch when an attempted cut went to Marsh, having made most of England's 90/4. Thus the Queenslander set a new Australian record for the most wickets in a series by a fast bowler, beating Lillee's 31 in the 1972 Ashes series. Terry Jenner's leg-spin was brought in after lunch, but Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

hit him for 12 runs off one over and he was replaced by Ashley Mallett

Ashley Mallett

Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...

's off-spin. At the other end Tony Greig

Tony Greig

became Lillee's third victim when he slashed a ball behind for Marsh's third catch of the day at 130/5. The last five wickets fell in a daze as first Fletcher tried to cut Thomson two feet off the off-stump and was caught by Ian Chappell and Knott, Titmus and Underwood gave Mallett figures of 3/14 by trying to sweep him out of the ground, giving two catches to Lillee in the deep and Greg Chappell a record 14 catches by a fielder in a Test series. Lillee bowled Arnold for a duck and England few from 155/5 to 172 all out, a deficit of 132 runs. It was a poor performance, the tourists were dismissed on a flat wicket inside two sessions and threw away the rain-given chance of winning a Test that was handed to them with the toss of a coin on the second day.

Australia – Second Innings

As in the First and Fourth Tests Australia were left to improve a large first innings lead and set England a target with a declaration. Rick McCosker was caught by wicketkeeper off Arnold on 16/1, but there were few other problems for the home side who ended the day on 111/2. England could have taken more wickets as Fletcher and Cowdrey both dropped Ian Chappell, who hit Underwood for six, then made an indecisive drive-sweep that skied the ball to Knott for 41. In the intervening rest day the players were invited to the Barossa Valley

Barossa Valley

The Barossa Valley is a major wine-producing region and tourist destination of South Australia, located 60 km northeast of Adelaide. It is the valley formed by the North Para River, and the Barossa Valley Way is the main road through the valley, connecting the main towns on the valley floor of...

vineyard of 'Windy' Hill-Smith, where Jeff Thomson sprained his shoulder playing tennis. The following day he found that he could not raise his bowling arm and that he was out of cricket for the rest of the series, having taken a remarkable 33 wickets (17.93) in four and a half Tests. To balance the books Bob Willis was also out for the rest of the series with his recurring knee cap injury. Redpath and Greg Chappell lasted the day, but were both out in the morning to Underwood (4/102) to leave Australia 133/4 as only 24 runs were scored in the first 12 overs of the day. Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

(71 not out) and Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

(55) were more aggressive and took 10 runs off one Underwood over. Marsh swept the spinner, once for six, twice to see Knott spill a running catch and third to be caught by Greig. Chappell waited for a few more overs before declaring at 272/5, 404 runs ahead with 500 minutes of play left, very similar to the situation at Sydney.

England – Second Innings

The excitement and interest of the dying game now centred around the batting performance of Alan Knott
Alan Knott
Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

. His last day survival was more than just occupation of the crease. Beginning the day without a run to his name, he consistently thumbed his nose at the Australian attack for over three hours, playing shots even though he knew that his ship was sinking under his very feet. It was a magnificent solo effort of defiance.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

There were hopes that England could make the 405 runs for victory on the now flat pitch, but these were soon dispelled when Amiss, Lloyd and Cowdrey were out with 10 runs on the board and Lillee 2/0. Lillee (4/69) and Walker (3/83) were able to swing the ball and Amiss picked up his second pair against Australia, having done this before at Old Trafford in 1968

Australian cricket team in England in 1968

The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1968 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.Australia retained The Ashes after the series was drawn 1-1.-Test series summary:* at Old Trafford – Australia won by 159 runs...

. Cowdrey was taken by a low left-handed catch by Mallett in the gully "that those who were not present would not believe". Ian Chappell decided to feed Denness's favourite cut and stationed Jenner at fly-slip while Lillee bowled outside off-stump, the captain duly cut and was out for 14. The lanky Greig played over a low ball from Walker and by the end of the day England were 94/5, thanks mainly to Fletcher's 39. The following day Fletcher and Knott took 15 runs off Lillee's first over and their fifty partnership came up in 51 minutes against the spin of Jenner and Mallett. Lillee had Fletcher lbw on his return when a yorker hit the Essex-man's toe and he was reluctantly out for 63 at 144/6. Knott made his fourth fifty of the series and he and Titmus made 50 runs in even time. Jenner went round the wicket and bowled googlies at Titmus as if he were an off-spinner and rapped him on the pads three times in a row without playing a stroke, the third producing a lbw decision from the umpire. Mallett bowled a spell of 2/1 off 8 overs; Underwood caught at grass level by Ian Chappell and Arnold bowled, both making pairs like Amiss. This left England 217/9 and Knott quickly cut his way to a century, the first by an England keeper against Australia since Les Ames

Les Ames

Leslie Ethelbert George Ames, CBE was an outstanding wicket-keeper and batsman for the England cricket team and Kent County Cricket Club. In his obituary, the Wisden of 1991 described him as the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman of all time...

at Lords in 1934

Australian cricket team in England in 1934

Australia won the 1934 Ashes series against England, winning two of the matches and losing one, with the other two tests drawn. The Australian tourists were captained by Bill Woodfull, while the home side were led by Bob Wyatt, with Cyril Walters deputising for Wyatt in the first Test.In the second...

, Ames being at Adelaide to congratulate his fellow Man of Kent. He made an unbeaten 106 when Willis was out and England were dismissed for 241.

Result

There was no doubt in my mind that Adelaide represent the very nadir
Nadir
The nadir is the direction pointing directly below a particular location; that is, it is one of two vertical directions at a specified location, orthogonal to a horizontal flat surface there. Since the concept of being below is itself somewhat vague, scientists define the nadir in more rigorous...

of the Australian tour...The reasons behind the ease of their successful loss were fourfold: unenterprising captaincy, bad England batting, a good Lillee bowling performance and a lack of penetration in the depleted touring attack.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Australia beat England by 163 runs to take a 4-0 lead in the series. Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

had taken a then record 14 catches in a Test series and Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

33 wickets (17.93), a record for an Australian fast bowler.

Sixth Test – Melbourne

Preliminaries

The North Melbourne Cricket Club, inspired by their president, the form test 'keeper, Len Maddocks
Len Maddocks
Leonard Victor Maddocks is a former Australian cricketer and cricket administrator who played in 7 Tests from 1954 to 1956...

, launched the first morning of the game with a champagne breakfast in the sumptuous ballroom of the Melbourne Hilton Hotel. The five hundred breakfasters were a motley crew. They included state and federal parliamentarians such as Dick Hamer and Bill Snedden, trade union leaders of the calibre of Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....

, former players like Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...

, Bob Cowper
Bob Cowper
Robert Maskew Cowper was an Australian Test match cricketer in the 1960s, who also played for Victorian and Western Australia....

, Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

and Sam Loxton
Sam Loxton
Samuel John Everett "Sam" Loxton OBE is a former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951...

and members of the cricket and business communities. The proceedings were compeered in humorous vein by football commentator Lou Richards
Lou Richards
Lewis Thomas Charles "Lou" Richards is a retired Australian rules footballer, who played 250 games with the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1941 and 1955...

and the programme was televised live in colour with the proceeds going to charity. Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...

and Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...

each received awards as the main personalities of the series...

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Injuries affected the selection of the two sides for the final Test. Mike Hendrick

Mike Hendrick

Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...

was still suffering from his hamstring, Bob Willis

Bob Willis

Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...

from his troubled knees, so Peter Lever

Peter Lever

was brought in for Willis and Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

's good form was finally rewarded with a Test place instead of the veteran Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

. David Lloyd

David Lloyd (cricketer)

had an old football injury to his neck flare up and Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

took his place as makeshift opener. John Edrich

John Edrich

had now recovered from his broken ribs and was recalled to the team in place rather than the out of form Brian Luckhurst

Brian Luckhurst

. Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson

was out with his tennis shoulder and Australia brought in Geoff Dymock

Geoff Dymock

, a fast-medium left-arm bowler who had taken a wicket with his second ball the previous year at Adelaide. After top-scoring at Sydney the leg-spinner Terry Jenner

Terry Jenner

was dropped for the return of batsman Ross Edwards

Ross Edwards

. Despite the hot weather a thunderstorm wetted the covers before the match and the groundsmen spilled water on the wicket when removing them in the morning, which would drastically affect play. Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell

won the toss for the fifth time in the series and chosen to bat, probably as he underestimated the amount of water on the wicket which was otherwise excellent for batting.

Australia – First Innings

Walker stole a single to mid-off and with his eye fixed exclusively on the swooping fieldsman, Denness, hurtled blindly towards the bowler's wicket. Umpire Brooks, too, was concentrating on the ball and fieldsman whilst moving towards the off side and was skittled by the batsman who flung himself in the direction of safety with little or no consideration for the safety of others. Walker beat Denness's return to the wicket, but at the cost of a collision between the immovable mass and the irresistible force. Umpire Brooks, having been a first class bowler in his day was a man of some substance, and pound for pound was a good match for the burly Walker. Umpire and bowler toppled slowly to the ground and...resumed their upright position slowly...

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

Ian Redpath

Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...

and Rick McCosker

Rick McCosker

came out to open for Australia on another wet wicket, but this time failed to make the stand that saved Australia at Adelaide. They were not even able to claim that their wickets fell because of the damp patch on a fast bowler's length. Lever had increased his pace with age and was thought to be fast than Willis, but had dropped the ball short at Brisbane for figures of 0/111. Back in the England team he pitched the ball up and moved it in the heavy atmosphere to have both men caught by Greig at second slip. The English fielding perked up, Mike Denness

Mike Denness

set aggressive fields and it took 25 minutes for Australia to score their first run. In the Melbourne heat Geoff Arnold

Geoff Arnold

was replaced by Old after four overs, but Lever stayed on for seven overs and was rewarded with figures of 4/13 as Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

was caught in the covers by Denness, Ross Edwards was taken by Dennis Amiss at leg-slip for 0 and Australia were 23/4. The ball was now leaping dangerously, Ian Chappell had to fend a ball off his head and Greg had been hit on the chin. The captain decided that attack was the best form of defence and made 43 of his team's 66/5 by lunch, with Doug Walters

Doug Walters

Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...

popping the ball off Old to Edrich in gully with a frightful stroke. The exhausted Lever only managed two overs after lunch and Chappell and Rod Marsh

Rod Marsh

hit 54 runs for the sixth wicket. Chris Old

Chris Old

Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....

(3/50) has Chappell (65) caught behind after making a too fine a glance and bowled Marsh (29) for 115/7. Max Walker

Max Walker

and Lillee hit out a few more runs, even turning down bad light so that they could continue play and get England in. The burly Tasmanian ran straight into Umpire Brooks

Tom Brooks

Thomas Francis Brooks OAM was an Australian Test cricket match umpire who was born in Paddington, New South Wales...

trying to avoid a run out they were both sent to the ground. Lever returned to remove Lillee and Mallett and Greig ended the innings by having Dymock out for a duck, with Walker 20 not out. Lever's 6/38 was his best bowling in Tests and Australia were out four minutes before tea for 152, easily their lowest score of the series.

England – First Innings

Denness's 188 beat by 15 runs the next best score by an England captain in Australia. A.E. Stoddart's great innings on this ground just eighty years before. It was also the highest Test score made by an English batsmen in Australia since the war - a fact which escaped general notice at the time.

E.W. Swanton

The gloom increased during tea and play was delayed regardless of the vocal protests of the 32,000 strong crowd, with some being arrested as they tried to invade the ground. When play resumed Amiss and Cowdrey - his 114th and final Test - came out to open. They stayed out long enough for Amiss to be out lbw to a Lillee swinger for his third successive duck and stumps were drawn at 15/1. In the morning Walker had Cowdrey caught behind off a ball that bounced surprisingly, but Lillee pulled up with a trapped nerve in his foot and was unable to play for the rest of the Test. With their two strike bowlers removed and the damp spot drying out Australia struggled and Denness and Edrich took full advantage, taking the score from 18/2 to 167/3 with a third wicket stand of 149 and overtaking the home side's total with ease. There were some difficult chances off the England captain, but it was the otherwise impeccable Edrich who was out for 70 edging Walker to Ian Chappell at first slip. The vice-captain was replaced by Keith Fletcher

Keith Fletcher

who had suffered so much in the series with Denness, but now proved that they were attractive batsmen when not faced by blistering pace and England were 273/3 by the end of the day. Walker bowled manfully and Mallett tried to stop the flow of runs, but when Walters and Chappell were brought on for long spells the game was up. Denness was almost run out on 94 and bought up his hundred with a leg-glance that just missed Marsh's gloves, but rode his luck well. He was only the fourth England captain to make a Test hundred in Australia after Andrew Stoddart

Andrew Stoddart

Andrew Ernest Stoddart was an English cricketer and rugby union player. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1893.-Cricket career:...

's 173 in 1894-95

English cricket team in Australia in 1894-95

The England cricket team toured Australia and Ceylon in 1894-95.The team, captained by Andrew Stoddart, played 24 matches in total, of which it won 10, drew 10 and lost 4...

, Archie MacLaren's 116 in 1901-02 and Peter May

Peter May

-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...

's 113 in 1958-59. When Walker finally had him out caught and bowled the next day he had made 188 in 492 minutes with 17 fours, still the highest Test century by an England captain in Australia. Denness and Fletcher had added 192 for the fourth wicket took take the score to 359/4, the first time England had passed 300 in the series. Fletcher made his first Ashes century in 333 minutes with only seven fours, though he and Greig added 100 runs in 71 minutes as the big South African started thumping the tired bowlers around the deserted ground. By tea the third new ball had been seen off and England were 496/4, a lead of 344. Discussion of when Denness would declare were rendered null and void when the bullish Walker ran through the England batting as the tourists lost 6 wickets for 33 runs after tea. The tall Tasmanian had alrady taken 3/131, but produced a spell of 5/12 as Greig was caught off a mistimed drive for 89 off 94 balls, followed later in the over by Fletcher for 146. Old was bowled by a shooter from Dymock, who bowled just as long and as well, but with no luck. Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

and Geoff Arnold were caught behind glancing the ball and Underwood was bowled to dismiss England for 529, only their second score over 500 in Australia since Bodyline

Bodyline

in 1932-33. Walker returned to the pavilion with figures of 8/143 off 42.2 overs, his best analysis in Tests.

Australia – Second Innings

Every Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell
Gregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...

score is compiled with the maximum of timing, a straight elegance of backlift and an unassuming mastery of the bowlers. it makes the observer wonder whether the bowlers pose any problems of flight, spin and swerve to the younger Chappell. Throughout the series it was maintained that Chappell was never fully fit because of a tonsil
Tonsil
Palatine tonsils, occasionally called the faucial tonsils, are the tonsils that can be seen on the left and right sides at the back of the throat....

infection. if that were the case one can only feel sorry for the bowlers when he returns to full health.

Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...

With Australia needing 377 runs to avoid an innings defeat Denness could afford to set an aggressive field, but to no avail as Redpath and McCosker made 32/0 when bad light stopped play. Peter Lever had caught a fever on the rest day and retired after three overs, to be replaced by Old and Greig. Though much of the pitch was flat the area around the damp patch of the first day was pock-marked and made the odd ball fly up and hit the hands of the batsmen, who were surrounded by slips, gullies and short-legs. McCosker took to hooking the ball over their heads and outscored Redpath so that when he edged Arnold (3/83) to Cowdrey for his 120th and last Test catch he mad made 76 of their 111 in 108 minutes. Redpath (83) added another century stand with Ian Chappell (50) until the captain glanced another catch to Knott off Grieg (4/88), but was unsatisfied with the decision and stayed to argue with the bowler and losing his temper in the process before leaving at 215/2. Greig caught Redpath at close short-leg, but the England appeals were turned down and in his next over the South African saw 12 runs scored while Greg Chappell gave three half-chances. After 335 minutes Redpath was out for 83, hitting the ball to Amiss at short-leg, who took a 'golden catch'. Soon after Ross Edwards appeared to be lbw, but much to the surprise of the commentary box was given not out, having caught a tiny edge as he moved across the ball. Denness delayed the taking of the new ball as he hoped to use it in the morning when Lever was better, but was forced to take it in the evening to no avail as Australia reach 273/3 with the local press proclaimed "WE SAVED IT". Lever was back on the field, but it was Arnold who made the breakthrough, feeding Edwards his favourite leg-glance until he edged it behind his to Knott. The Surrey bowler then made the ball cut from leg to hit Walter's off stump. When Denness caught Marsh off a Lever out-swinger Australia were 306/6 and struggling, but Chappell made his seventh half-century of the series and with Walker took Australia to 360/6 by lunch. After the break the tail collapsed, Walker got above himself and drove the ball into the hands of the bowler Greig, Lever moved the ball back nine inches to bowl Chappell (102) just after he reach his second century of the series and Mallett, Dymock and the injured Lillee failed to make any runs and Australia were suddenly out for 373 with three hours to spare.

Result

My last sight of Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...

was an impromptu little gathering on the outfield in front of the banner reading 'M.C.C.
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...

Fans Thank Colin - six Tours.' The central figure, wearing a large straw sun-hat, was signing endless autographs, posing for photographs and exchanging friendly talk with young and old in the way that has made him as popular a cricketer as has ever visited Australia.

E.W. Swanton

England beat Australia by an innings and 4 runs, but still lost the series 4-1 and with it the Ashes

The Ashes

. It was the first time that Australia had beaten England since the 1964 Ashes series and at home since the 1958-59. Mike Denness

Mike Denness

's 188 was the highest Test century by an England captain in Australia and, until Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook

Alastair Nathan Cook, MBE is an English international cricket player. He is a left-handed opening batsman who plays county cricket for Essex and International cricket for England, where he is their ODI captain. Cook played for Essex's Academy and made his debut for the first XI in 2003...

made 235 not out in 2010-11, the highest century by an England batsman in Australia since Wally Hammond

Wally Hammond

's 231 not out in 1936-37

English cricket team in Australia in 1936-37

The England cricket team toured Australia in the 1936-37 season to play a five-match Test series against Australia for The Ashes. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and matches outside the Tests were played under the MCC name....

. Alan Knott

Alan Knott

Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....

took six catches in the match and made his 200th dismissal in Tests, only the second wicketkeeper to achieve this feat after Godfrey Evans

Godfrey Evans

(219).

1974–75 Test Series Averages

source

Test Series Combined Batting Averages
Player	Team	Type	Matches !! Innings !! Not Out !! Runs !! Highest Score !! Average !! 100s !! 50s !!Ct Caught Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. Being caught out is the most common method of dismissal at higher levels of competition... !! St
G.S. Chappell Greg Chappell Gregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983... (vc) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Right-Handed Top Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	11		608	144	55.27	2	5	14
T.J. Jenner Terry Jenner Terrence James Jenner was an Australian cricketer who played nine Tests and one ODI from 1970 to 1975. He was primarily a leg-spin bowler and was known for his attacking, loopy style of bowling, but he was also a handy lower-order batsman...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	2	3	1	100	74	50.00		1	3
M.H.N. Walker Max Walker Maxwell Henry Norman Walker AM is a former Australian cricketer and VFL/AFL footballer. Formerly an architect, he currently works as a media commentator and motivational speaker and has diverse business interests.- Football career :...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	8	3	221	41* Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...	44.20			5
J.H. Edrich John Edrich John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation... (vc) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Left-Handed Opening Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	4	7	1	260	70	43.33		2	2
I.R. Redpath Ian Redpath Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...		Right-Handed Opening Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	12	1	472	105	42.95	1	3	11
K.D. Walters Doug Walters Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...		Right-Handed Top Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	11	2	383	103	42.55	1	3	5
A.W. Greig Tony Greig Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...		Right-Handed Middle Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	11		446	110	40.54	1	3	12
R.B. McCosker Rick McCosker Richard Bede McCosker is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer.McCosker played in 25 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals in a career spanning 1975 to 1982 playing as a right hand batsman....		Left-Handed Opening Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	3	5	2	202	80	40.40		1	1
A.P.E. Knott Alan Knott Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman.... (wk)		Right-Handed Middle Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	11	1	364	106* Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...	36.40	1	3	22	1
K.W.R. Fletcher Keith Fletcher Keith Fletcher is a former English cricketer, who played for Essex and England. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex team-mate, Ray East, because Fletcher's winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear...		Right-Handed Top Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	9		324	146	36.00	1	1	3
M.H. Denness Mike Denness Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England... (c) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Right-Handed Top Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	9		318	188	35.33	1	1	6
I.M. Chappell Ian Chappell Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation... (c) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Right-Handed Top Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	12	1	387	90	35.18		4	11
R.W. Marsh Rod Marsh Rodney William Marsh MBE is a former Australian wicketkeeper.A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western... (wk)		Left-Handed Middle Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	11	2	313	55	34.77		1	18	1
R. Edwards Ross Edwards Ross Edwards is a former Western Australian and Australian cricketer.Edwards played in 20 Tests for Australia, playing against England, West Indies and Pakistan. He also played in nine One Day Internationals including the 1975 Cricket World Cup series...		Right-Handed Top Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	9	1	261	115	32.62	1	1
D. Lloyd David Lloyd (cricketer) David Lloyd is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire and Test and One Day International cricket for England. He also played semi-professional football for Accrington Stanley...		Right-Handed Opening Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	4	8		196	49	24.50			6
J.R. Thomson Jeff Thomson Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	5	2	65	24* Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...	21.66			3
D.L. Amiss Dennis Amiss Dennis Leslie Amiss MBE was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.Amiss suffered a serious back injury whilst playing soccer in his teenage years, which entailed him starting each day of his sporting life undergoing stretching routines to loosen up.He played cricket for both Warwickshire...		Right-Handed Opening Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	9		175	90	19.44		1	3
M.C. Cowdrey Colin Cowdrey Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...		Right-Handed Top Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	9		165	41	18.33			3
F.J. Titmus Fred Titmus Frederick John Titmus MBE was an English cricketer, whose first-class career spanned five decades. Although he was best known for his off spin , he was an accomplished lower-order batsman who deserved to be called an all-rounder, even opening the batting for England on six occasions...		Right-Handed Middle Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	4	8		138	61	17.25		1
C.M. Old Chris Old Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....		Lieft-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	2	3		50	43	16.66
R.G.D. Willis Bob Willis Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	10	5	76	15	15.20			`
D.K. Lillee Dennis Lillee Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	6	8	2	88	26	14.66			2
B.W. Luckhurst Brian Luckhurst Brian William Luckhurst was an English cricketer, who played his entire county career for Kent County Cricket Club. He played for Kent from 1958 to 1976, usually opening the batting, then in 1985, in an emergency, played in one more match against the Australians. He was cricket manager from 1981...		Right-Handed Opening Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	2	4		54	27	13.50
D.L. Underwood Derek Underwood Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	9		111	30	12.33
A.A. Mallett Ashley Mallett Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	5	7	2	61	31	12.20			9
P. Lever Peter Lever Peter Lever is a former English cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and ten ODIs for England from 1970 to 1975. He was a successful wicket taker, taking 41 victims from those seventeen Tests, and a handy batsman with a top score of 88 not out...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	2	3	1	24	14	12.00			2
W.J. Edwards Wally Edwards Walter John Edwards is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI from 1974 to 1975....		Left-Handed Opening Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	3	6		68	30	11.33
M. Hendrick Mike Hendrick Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	2	4	2	12	8* Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...	6.00
G.G. Arnold Geoff Arnold Geoff Arnold is an English cricketer who played 34 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals for England. His nickname of "Horse" was based on his initials of GG. He was a seam and swing bowler, who finished his first-class cricket career, which lasted from 1963 to 1982, with 1130 wickets at an average...		Right-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	4	7	1	22	14	3.66
G. Dymock Geoff Dymock Geoffrey Dymock is a former Australian and Queensland cricketer. He played in 21 Tests and 15 One Day Internationals between 1974 and 1980. He was the third bowler to dismiss all eleven opposition players in a test match, and remains one of only six players to have achieved this unusual...		Left-Handed Lower Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...	1	2		0	0	0.00

Test Series Combined Bowling Averages
Player	Team	Type	8 Ball Overs	8 Ball Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Best Bowling	Average	5 Wt Wicket In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...	10 Wt
J.R. Thomson Jeff Thomson Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...		Right-Arm Fast Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	175.1	34	592	33	6/46	17.93	2
A.A. Mallett Ashley Mallett Ashley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...		Off-Spin Bowler Finger spin Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...	140.6	47	339	17	4/21	19.94
P. Lever Peter Lever Peter Lever is a former English cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and ten ODIs for England from 1970 to 1975. He was a successful wicket taker, taking 41 victims from those seventeen Tests, and a handy batsman with a top score of 88 not out...		Right-Arm Fast-Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	61	8	214	9	6/38	23.77	1
D.K. Lillee Dennis Lillee Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...		Right-Arm Fast Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	182.6	36	596	25	4/49	23.84
M.H.N. Walker Max Walker Maxwell Henry Norman Walker AM is a former Australian cricketer and VFL/AFL footballer. Formerly an architect, he currently works as a media commentator and motivational speaker and has diverse business interests.- Football career :...		Right-Arm Fast-Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	218.7	46	684	23	8/143	29.73	1
R.G.D. Willis Bob Willis Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...		Right-Arm Fast Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	140.4	15	522	17	5/61	30.70	1
C.M. Old Chris Old Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....		Right-Arm Fast-Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	51.6	4	210	6	3/50	35.00
D.L. Underwood Derek Underwood Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....		Slow Left Arm Bowler Left-arm orthodox spin Left-arm orthodox spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket.Left-arm orthodox spin is bowled by a left arm bowler using the fingers to spin the ball from right to left of the cricket pitch...	185	42	595	17	7/113	35.00	1	1
K.D. Walters Doug Walters Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...		Right-Arm Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	56.3	14	175	5	2/13	35.00
G.G. Arnold Geoff Arnold Geoff Arnold is an English cricketer who played 34 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals for England. His nickname of "Horse" was based on his initials of GG. He was a seam and swing bowler, who finished his first-class cricket career, which lasted from 1963 to 1982, with 1130 wickets at an average...		Right-Arm Fast-Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	141.1	23	528	14	5/86	37.71
A.W. Greig Tony Greig Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...		Right-Arm Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling... Off-Spin Bowler Finger spin Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...	167.5	19	681	17	4/56	40.05
T.J. Jenner Terry Jenner Terrence James Jenner was an Australian cricketer who played nine Tests and one ODI from 1970 to 1975. He was primarily a leg-spin bowler and was known for his attacking, loopy style of bowling, but he was also a handy lower-order batsman...		Leg-Spin Bowler Wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball...	42	10	136	3	2/45	45.33
F.J. Titmus Fred Titmus Frederick John Titmus MBE was an English cricketer, whose first-class career spanned five decades. Although he was best known for his off spin , he was an accomplished lower-order batsman who deserved to be called an all-rounder, even opening the batting for England on six occasions...		Off-Spin Bowler Finger spin Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...	122.3	30	360	7	2/43	51.42
M. Hendrick Mike Hendrick Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...		Right-Arm Fast-Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	34.6	6	119	2	2/64	59.50
I.M. Chappell Ian Chappell Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation... (c) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Leg-Spin Bowler Wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball...	22	3	83	1	1/10	83.00
G. Dymock Geoff Dymock Geoffrey Dymock is a former Australian and Queensland cricketer. He played in 21 Tests and 15 One Day Internationals between 1974 and 1980. He was the third bowler to dismiss all eleven opposition players in a test match, and remains one of only six players to have achieved this unusual...		Left-Arm Fast-Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	39	6	130	1	1/130	131.00

Video

Allan Border
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...

and David Gower
David Gower
David Ivon Gower OBE is a former English cricketer who became a commentator for Sky Sports. Although he eventually rose to the captaincy of the England cricket team during the 1980s, he is best known for being one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the modern era. Gower played 117 Test...

, The Best Of The Ashes – 1970–1987, 2 Entertain Video, 1991

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