Australian cricket team in England in 1977
Encyclopedia
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1977 season
to play a five Test
matches for the 1977 Ashes series against England. The Australians also played 3 one day internationals and 19 other tour matches.
The Australian side had been quite strong in the early 1970s and had won the previous two Ashes series, 1974-75 at home and 1975 in England. Although it was not a contest for The Ashes
, Australia and England had also played in the Centenary Test
from 15 to 19 March 1977 to mark the 100th anniversary of the first ever test match
. Remarkably Australia won by exactly the same margin of 45 runs. However the tourists, led by new captain Greg Chappell
, were rocked prior to the start of the 1977 Ashes series by the conflict between the Australian Cricket Board and Kerry Packer
's Nine Network
that emerged following the Centenary Test regarding the rights to television broadcasts of cricket in Australia. Packer wanted to transfer the rights to televised cricket from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC) who had held the rights since 1956, to his own Nine Network
and was prepared to pay a much larger amount than the ABC was. Despite this, the Australian Cricket Board refused, and Packer set about creating a rebel World Series Cricket
league, successfully recruiting many star international players in the process.
Consequently, the Australian Cricket Board refused to select players who had signed up with the rebel league, and as many of the Australian test side had joined, the Australian side was left without most of its star players for the tour. Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson
had originally signed up for World Series Cricket, but an existing media contract prevented him from joining, and so he remained free to lead the Australian bowling attack. Eventually all but two of the squad would take part in WSC, the exceptions being Kim Hughes
and Craig Serjeant
. England was also affected, but not as badly. The English captain Tony Greig
was stood down from the captaincy as punishment, but retained his place in the side. Mike Brearley
replaced Greig as England captain. Despite reasonable returns the inexperienced Australians were outplayed, and England won the series 3-0 with two matches drawn. England therefore regained The Ashes
for the first time since 1972.
Australians (186/5) beat the Duchess of Norfolk's XI (166 all out) by 20 runs
Australia began their 1977 tour of England with the traditional warm-up game against the Duke or Duchess of Norfolk's XI at Arundel Castle
Cricket Ground. The match was a 45-over limited overs cricket match, and Australian captain Greg Chappell
won the toss and elected to bat. Although not scoring at a particularly fast rate, a solid second wicket partnership of 101 between Chappell (44) and Craig Serjeant
(65) was the backbone of a well made 186/5. Indian born Bob Woolmer
, who would later play a part in test series, was the best of the bowlers with 3/17 off 7 overs.
The Duchess of Norfolk's XI lost their first wicket in the second over, that of opener John Barclay caught and bowled by Mick Malone
for 7. However a 40 run partnership between Bob Woolmer and Peter Willey
, and a 44 run partnership between Derek Randall
(41), and Willey who made 50, steadied the ship. But the Australian bowlers lacked the penetration of the usual opening bowling partnership of Dennis Lillee
and Jeff Thomson
, who has caused so much discomfort on the previous tour. Despite this, once the partnership of Willey and Randell was broken, wickets began to fall at regular intervals, the only other notable contributions being 14 from Tony Greig
and 15 from Phil Edmonds
. Gary Cosier
was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 4/18 of 6.3 overs. The Duchess of Norfolk's XI were all out for 166 of 41.3 overs, with Australia winning by 20 runs.
Match Drawn
Surrey captain John Edrich
won the toss and decided to bat first. Openers Edrich, and Alan Butcher
got off to a solid start, taking them to 48 for the first wicket. Their partnership was broken when Butcher was caught be hind by Rod Marsh
off the bowling of Len Pascoe
for 23. Lonsdale Skinner contributed 17, but then Edrich was joined by Pakistan test batsman Younis Ahmed
, and the pair added 66 for the 3rd wicket. Their stand was broken by the medium bowling of Max Walker
who had Ahmed caught by Kim Hughes
for 40, and dismissed Edrich caught behind for 70 soon after. Walker then dismissed David Smith for a duck, and at 165-5 the tourists were in a commanding position. New batsman Graham Roope
had other ideas though, and was in commanding form. He formed lower order partnerships with Intikhab Alam
(16), Robin Jackman
(16), and Geoff Arnold
(11) who all supported him ably as he made his way to 107 not out, guiding Surrey to a respectable 327 for 8. Not for the first time in the match, play was abandoned early on the second day due to rain, and no play occurred on the third day, with the match ending in a draw.
Match Drawn
After the disappointing rain affected match at the Oval, the Australians headed to the St Lawrence Ground
in Canterbury to take on Kent
in a 3 day game. The result of the toss is not recorded, but the Australians batted first. The tourist's innings could not have gotten off to a worse start, with opener Ian Davis
clean bowled by Kevin Jarvis
for a first ball duck. The innings recorved though, with Craig Serjeant
and Kim Hughes
adding 79 for the second wicket, but once Serjeant had been removed for 55, Gary Cosier
followed him next over without adding to the score, leaving Australia on 79 for 3. The tourists ended day one on 119 for 3. Solid but unimpressive middle order efforts followed from Doug Walters
(23), Richie Robinson
(18), and Rod Marsh
(23) dragged Australia past 200, but with the weather again threatening to disrupt play, and wanting some bowling practice, the Australians declared on 240 for 7, Ray Bright
not out on 11, and Max Walker
not out on 16. Jeff Thomson
made his first appearance for the tourists, opening the bowling from the Pavilion End. However it was first change bowler Ray Bright
who got the breakthrough, having Graham Johnson
caught behind by Marsh for 17. Charles Rowe
went for a duck next over off the bowling of Mick Malone
, but rain soon interrupted play, and the rest of day two was washed out. The rain had set in, and no additional play was managed on day three, with the second game in a row ending in a draw.
Match Drawn
The Australian tourists moved onto Hove
the next day after the draw against Kent, but the poor weather continued there. Australian captain Greg Chappell
won the toss, and decided his side needed more batting practice with the one-day series and tests approaching. Very little play was possible on the first day as a result of the heavy rain, with the Australians managing to reach just 35/1 at the end of the day.
Day two proved to be little better, and although opener Craig Serjeant
managed to pass fifty, on his way to 55 not out, the game was called off after 34 overs, with the third day abandoned.
Match Abandoned
The Australian schedule would have seen them play three games in row, without any rest days in between. However the weather conspired to prevent this occurrence, and the Australians travelled from Hove to Southampton to discover the foul weather was even worse there. The tourists arrived at the ground, but after a pitch inspection was made by the umpires, the game was abandoned without a ball bowled. No coin toss was made either.
Match Drawn
Following the abandonment of the two previous games, the Australian touring party were keen to get some match practice, with the two international series rapidly approaching. They traveled from Southampton onto Swansea, in Wales to take on Glamorgan
in another three-day game. The first day was again washed out, but the rain had cleared by the morning of the second. With the weather finally favouring play after a long week of rain, Glamorgan captain Alan Jones
won the toss, and confidently decided to bat first. The captain opened alongside John Hopkins
, and the pair began aggressively, but Max Walker
had Hopkins clean bowled in the fifth over. From there, Jones batted with a steady procession of partners, holding up the innings by himself as wickets continued to fall at the other end at regular intervals. Only the captain's namesake Alan Lewis Jones made a serious contribution with 46. Jones (captain and opener) was top-scorer with 59. Shortly before lunch Glamorgan were all out for 172 off 54.3 overs. Walker and Geoff Dymock
sharing the spoils with three wickets apiece.
The Australians still looked rusty, having spent most of the tour so far hiding from the rain in the dressing room. They too failed to settle and build partnerships, with regular wickets falling. By the end of day two, the Australian tourists found themselves 153 for 6 after 36 overs, with only Gary Cosier
making a serious contribution of 56.
Day three began with the weather again threatening, and Chappell declared the Australian innings closed without returning to the crease in order to try and make a game of it. However Glamorgan openers Jones and Hopkins made much better work of it the second time around, pushing the score past 100 without loss. With Australia's frontline bowlers struggling to make a breakthrough, spinner Ray Bright
was brought on, and made an immediate impact, having the advancing Hopkins stumped brilliantly by replacement wicket-keeper Richie Robinson
for 66. Bright troubled the Glamorgan batsmen with his left-arm orthodox spinners, and soon claimed another, Arthur Francis for 2, leaving Glamorgan on 119-2. Gwyn Richards arrived as his replacement and tried to lift the scoring, but Bright soon claimed Jones for 47, and Mike Llewellyn for 9. Glamorgan had reached 164 for 4 off 43 overs and decided to end their innings and give the Australian's a competitive target. Bright finished with 4 for 53.
The Australians began their chase of the target of 183 disastrously. Veteran bowler Malcolm Nash
had opener Richie Robinson
lbw for a second ball duck, and had Kim Hughes
caught behind two balls later for a golden duck. Australia ended the first over on 2 for 0. Ian Davis
and David Hookes
tried to rebuild their innings, but both had also soon departed. Doug Walters
also went cheaply, and it was left to spinners Ray Bright
and Kerry O'Keeffe
to offer the only resistance, putting on a partnership of over 40. The only highlight in an otherwise disastrous innings was Bright bringing up his 1000th first-class run. Australia survived a torrid attack from Nash to reach stumps on 86 for 6 off 29 overs, Nash claiming 5 for 32.
Somerset (340/5d & 182/3) beat the Australians (232 all out & 289 all out) by 7 wickets
The Australians moved onto Bath to take on Somerset, and the weather finally began to look favourable. Australia won the toss and decided to bat on a decent batting wicket. Rick McCosker
went cheaply and was soon followed by Craig Serjeant
, but captain Greg Chappell
looked to be in commanding touch. He set about building a strong partnership with Gary Cosier
, which saw the tourists pass 150 for 2. Soon after though, Cosier misread a straight one on off-stump from West Indian paceman Joel Garner
, and was clean-bowled for 44. Doug Walters made a useful but disappointing 23, but David Hookes
and Rod Marsh
both failed with 3 apiece. Kerry O'Keeffe
added a useful 11 to help see Australia past 200, but a collapsing tail saw Australia all out for 232 off 67.3 overs, with Chappell top-scorer with 113. The Australian captain hit three 6s in his innings, including one into the nearby River Avon. Garner finished with 4 for 66, but local medium-pacer Graham Burgess
was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 25.
In contrast to the Australians poor start, the Somerset openers eased past 50, before Peter Denning
was caught behind off Geoff Dymock
for 39. Viv Richards
surprising could only manage 18, and Somerset captain Brian Close
was removed for a duck. Somerset finishing day one on 130 for 3.
Day two began well for the Australians, with O'Keffee removing Dennis Breakwell
for 23, however strong innings by Ian Botham
(59) and Phil Slocombe
(55) supported opener Brian Rose
to 110 not out. Somerset declared their innings closed at 340 for 5 off 94 overs, a lead of 108.
Australia (154 all out & 251 all out) beat Gloucestershire (63 all out & 169 all out) by 173 runs
Australia moved onto Bristol looking for their first win since the opening match of the tour against the Duchess of Norfolk's XI
. With only three tour matches to go before the stat of the One day international series, the tourists were hoping to build some momentum going into those matches. Greg Chappell
won the toss, and elected to bat first, but the Australia innings was poor. McCosker fell for 2 with the score on 3. Kim Hughes
fell a few overs last for 7. The wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals, with the only real resistance coming from Doug Walters
(32), and Ray Bright
(53). The Australians were all out for 154 in 47.5 overs.
Thankfully for the tourists Gloucestershire were even poorer. After an opening stand of 36 from Sadiq Mohammad
and Andy Stovold, Max Walker
and Mick Malone
made short work of their batting line-up. It took the Australian opening pair just 22.5 overs to have Gloucestershire all out for a paltry 63. Walker took an impressive 7/19 off 11.5, and Malone, 3/43 off 11 overs.
Australia again started with a wobble, losing McCosker for 4 in the third over, but a 42 run partnership between Chappell and Ian Davis
got them back on track. Davis eventually went for 18, but that brought Kim Hughes to the crease. Although scoring less prolifically, Hughes capably supported Chappell as he moved towards a well-deserved century, falling on 102. It was enough to prop up the Australian second innings, and solid contributions from Hughes (27), Doug Walters
(24), Richie Robinson
(26), and Max Walker
(22) took Australia to 251 all out. Gloucestershire required an unlikely 343 for victory, and never looked like they would reach the target. Andy Stovold made 27, and Jim Foat and David Shepherd
both chipped in with 26 each, but Gloucentershire were all out for 169. Len Pascoe
(4/36) and Ray Bright
(4/63) were the pick of the Australian bowlers, as the wrapped up a deserved victory by 173 runs in two days.
Australia (196/4) beat Gloucestershire (195 all out) by 6 wickets
Owing to the completion of their tour match in two days instead of the scheduled three, an additional 45-overs a side match was agreed to be played. No toss was made, but Gloucestershire batted first by a Gentlemen's agreement
. The County side again struggled with the tourist's bowling, Pascoe clean-bowling Mohammed for 4, and dismissing Zaheer Abbas
for 5.Stovold made a solid 25, and Mike Procter
made a well-deserved 52. Pascoe, Malone, Walker, O'Keefe and Bright all took two wickets each in what was a good workout for Australia's bowling attack, and their County hosts only managed to scramble to 195 all out off 44.5 overs.
The total never looked like enough, and with the first one-day international
only eight days away, the Australian's took the opportunity to play themselves into a bit of form. Davis and McCosker again made solid starts, scoring 26 and 46 respectively, but it was Kim Hughes (51), and Doug Walters (52 not out) that took the game away from Gloucestershire. Hughes fell as the target approached, but Rod Marsh came in with only four runs required for victory, and over eight overs still spare. Only Robinson out for 10, really disappointed, as Australia won comfortably by 6 wickets.
1977 English cricket season
The 1977 English cricket season was played out in the aftermath of the Kerry Packer affair. Geoffrey Boycott returned to Test cricket and managed to time things so that he scored his 100th career century in the Headingley Test...
to play a five Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
matches for the 1977 Ashes series against England. The Australians also played 3 one day internationals and 19 other tour matches.
The Australian side had been quite strong in the early 1970s and had won the previous two Ashes series, 1974-75 at home and 1975 in England. Although it was not a contest for 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...
, Australia and England had also played in the Centenary Test
Centenary Test
Centenary Test refers to two matches of Test cricket played between the English cricket team and the Australian cricket team, the first in 1977 and the second in 1980. These matches were played to mark the 100th anniversaries of the first Test cricket matches played in Australia and in England ...
from 15 to 19 March 1977 to mark the 100th anniversary of the first ever test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
. Remarkably Australia won by exactly the same margin of 45 runs. However the tourists, led by new captain 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...
, were rocked prior to the start of the 1977 Ashes series by the conflict between the Australian Cricket Board and Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
's Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
that emerged following the Centenary Test regarding the rights to television broadcasts of cricket in Australia. Packer wanted to transfer the rights to televised cricket from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC) who had held the rights since 1956, to his own Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and was prepared to pay a much larger amount than the ABC was. Despite this, the Australian Cricket Board refused, and Packer set about creating a rebel World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
league, successfully recruiting many star international players in the process.
Consequently, the Australian Cricket Board refused to select players who had signed up with the rebel league, and as many of the Australian test side had joined, the Australian side was left without most of its star players for the tour. Australian fast bowler 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...
had originally signed up for World Series Cricket, but an existing media contract prevented him from joining, and so he remained free to lead the Australian bowling attack. Eventually all but two of the squad would take part in WSC, the exceptions being Kim Hughes
Kim Hughes
Kimberley John Hughes is a former cricketer who played for Western Australia, Natal and Australia. He captained Australia in 28 Tests between 1979 and 1984 before captaining a "rebel" Australian team in a tour of South Africa, who at the time were subject to a sporting boycott.A right-handed...
and Craig Serjeant
Craig Serjeant
Craig Stanton Serjeant is a former Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests and 3 ODIs from 1977 to 1978....
. England was also affected, but not as badly. The English captain 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...
was stood down from the captaincy as punishment, but retained his place in the side. Mike Brearley
Mike Brearley
John Michael Brearley OBE is a former cricketer who captained the England cricket team in 31 of his 39 Test matches, winning 17 and losing only 4. He was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2007–08.-Early life:...
replaced Greig as England captain. Despite reasonable returns the inexperienced Australians were outplayed, and England won the series 3-0 with two matches drawn. England therefore regained 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...
for the first time since 1972.
Test series
- 1st Test at Lord'sLord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, 16-21 Jun 1977 – match drawn - 2nd Test at Old Trafford, 7-12 Jul 1977 – England won by 9 wickets
- 3rd Test at Trent BridgeTrent BridgeTrent 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...
, 28 Jul-2 Aug 1977 – England won by 7 wickets - 4th Test at HeadingleyHeadingley StadiumHeadingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
, 11-15 Aug 1977 – England won by an innings and 85 runs - 5th Test at The OvalThe OvalThe Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, 25-30 Aug 1977 – match drawn
One-day international series
- 1st ODI: England v Australia at Manchester, 2 Jun 1977
- 2nd ODI: England v Australia at Birmingham, 4 Jun 1977
- 3rd ODI: England v Australia at Kennington Oval, 6 Jun 1977
Other tour matches
- Duchess of Norfolk's XIDuke of Norfolk's XIThe Duke of Norfolk's XI is a scratch cricket team. It was originally named for the 16th Duke, but following his death in 1975 the team played on in his widow's name as Lavinia, Duchess of Norfolk's XI...
v Australians at Arundel Castle Cricket GroundArundel Castle Cricket GroundArundel Castle CC is a cricket ground in Arundel, England. The ground was first used by the Sussex 1st XI in 1972 for limited-over matches and in 1990 for County Championship matches...
, ArundelArundelArundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
, 27 Apr, 1977
Australians (186/5) beat the Duchess of Norfolk's XI (166 all out) by 20 runs
Australia began their 1977 tour of England with the traditional warm-up game against the Duke or Duchess of Norfolk's XI at Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
Cricket Ground. The match was a 45-over limited overs cricket match, and Australian captain 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...
won the toss and elected to bat. Although not scoring at a particularly fast rate, a solid second wicket partnership of 101 between Chappell (44) and Craig Serjeant
Craig Serjeant
Craig Stanton Serjeant is a former Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests and 3 ODIs from 1977 to 1978....
(65) was the backbone of a well made 186/5. Indian born Bob Woolmer
Bob Woolmer
Robert Andrew Woolmer was an international cricketer, professional cricket coach and also a professional commentator...
, who would later play a part in test series, was the best of the bowlers with 3/17 off 7 overs.
The Duchess of Norfolk's XI lost their first wicket in the second over, that of opener John Barclay caught and bowled by Mick Malone
Mick Malone
Michael Francis Malone is a former Australian cricketer who played in one Test and 10 ODIs from 1977 to 1982. Malone played in only one Test prior to joining World Series Cricket. In English county cricket he had a period with Lancashire...
for 7. However a 40 run partnership between Bob Woolmer and Peter Willey
Peter Willey
Peter Willey is a former English cricketer, who played as a right-handed batsman and right-arm offbreak bowler. In and out of the England team, he interrupted his international career for three years by taking part in the first of the England players' South African rebel tours in 1982...
, and a 44 run partnership between Derek Randall
Derek Randall
Derek William Randall is an English former cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire, and Tests and ODIs for England in the late 1970s and early 1980s....
(41), and Willey who made 50, steadied the ship. But the Australian bowlers lacked the penetration of the usual opening bowling partnership of 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
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...
, who has caused so much discomfort on the previous tour. Despite this, once the partnership of Willey and Randell was broken, wickets began to fall at regular intervals, the only other notable contributions being 14 from 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 15 from Phil Edmonds
Phil Edmonds
Phil Edmonds is a former English cricketer and a successful, albeit controversial, corporate executive....
. Gary Cosier
Gary Cosier
Gary John Cosier is a former Australian test cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 9 ODIs from 1975 to 1979. Cosier's star shone very briefly following a sensational test debut, when he became only the ninth Australian to post a century in his first Test.-Cricket career:The stocky, redheaded Cosier...
was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 4/18 of 6.3 overs. The Duchess of Norfolk's XI were all out for 166 of 41.3 overs, with Australia winning by 20 runs.
- Surrey County Cricket ClubSurrey County Cricket ClubSurrey 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...
v Australians at Kennington Oval, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 30 Apr-3 May 1977
Match Drawn
Surrey captain 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...
won the toss and decided to bat first. Openers Edrich, and Alan Butcher
Alan Butcher
Alan Raymond Butcher is a former English cricketer who is part of a family known for its strong cricketing connections. Although only selected to play for England on one occasion, he was lauded for his skills in first-class cricket and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1991...
got off to a solid start, taking them to 48 for the first wicket. Their partnership was broken when Butcher was caught be hind by 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...
off the bowling of Len Pascoe
Len Pascoe
Leonard Stephen Pascoe is a former Australian Test and ODI cricketer. He attended Punchbowl Boys' High School in New South Wales....
for 23. Lonsdale Skinner contributed 17, but then Edrich was joined by Pakistan test batsman Younis Ahmed
Younis Ahmed
Mohammad Younis Ahmed is a Pakistani former cricketer who played in 4 Tests and 2 ODIs from 1969 to 1987...
, and the pair added 66 for the 3rd wicket. Their stand was broken by the medium bowling of 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 :...
who had Ahmed caught by Kim Hughes
Kim Hughes
Kimberley John Hughes is a former cricketer who played for Western Australia, Natal and Australia. He captained Australia in 28 Tests between 1979 and 1984 before captaining a "rebel" Australian team in a tour of South Africa, who at the time were subject to a sporting boycott.A right-handed...
for 40, and dismissed Edrich caught behind for 70 soon after. Walker then dismissed David Smith for a duck, and at 165-5 the tourists were in a commanding position. New batsman Graham Roope
Graham Roope
Graham Richard James Roope was an English cricketer, who appeared in twenty one Tests and eight ODIs for England between 1973 and 1978....
had other ideas though, and was in commanding form. He formed lower order partnerships with Intikhab Alam
Intikhab Alam
Intikhab Alam Khan is a retired Pakistani cricketer who played in 47 Tests and 4 ODIs from 1959 to 1977. He also played in English county cricket for Surrey between 1969 and 1981....
(16), Robin Jackman
Robin Jackman
Robin Jackman is a former English cricketer, who played in four Tests and fifteen ODIs for England from 1974 to 1983. He was a seam bowler and useful tail-end batsman. During a first-class career lasting from 1966 to 1982, he took 1,402 wickets...
(16), and 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...
(11) who all supported him ably as he made his way to 107 not out, guiding Surrey to a respectable 327 for 8. Not for the first time in the match, play was abandoned early on the second day due to rain, and no play occurred on the third day, with the match ending in a draw.
- Kent County Cricket ClubKent County Cricket ClubKent 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...
v Australians at St Lawrence GroundSt Lawrence GroundThe St Lawrence Ground is a cricket ground in Canterbury, Kent and is the home of Kent County Cricket Club. It is one of the oldest grounds on which first-class cricket is played, having been in use since 1847...
, CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, 4–6 May 1977
Match Drawn
After the disappointing rain affected match at the Oval, the Australians headed to the St Lawrence Ground
St Lawrence Ground
The St Lawrence Ground is a cricket ground in Canterbury, Kent and is the home of Kent County Cricket Club. It is one of the oldest grounds on which first-class cricket is played, having been in use since 1847...
in Canterbury to take on 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 a 3 day game. The result of the toss is not recorded, but the Australians batted first. The tourist's innings could not have gotten off to a worse start, with opener Ian Davis
Ian Davis
Ian Davis was a longtime top senior partner and director at management consultancy McKinsey & Company, serving as managing director from 2003 to 2009. He succeeded Rajat Gupta on July 1, 2003. He joined McKinsey in 1979, retired in 2010 and currently serves as a senior partner emeritus.Davis was...
clean bowled by Kevin Jarvis
Kevin Jarvis
Kevin Thomas Jarvis is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently a scout for the San Diego Padres....
for a first ball duck. The innings recorved though, with Craig Serjeant
Craig Serjeant
Craig Stanton Serjeant is a former Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests and 3 ODIs from 1977 to 1978....
and Kim Hughes
Kim Hughes
Kimberley John Hughes is a former cricketer who played for Western Australia, Natal and Australia. He captained Australia in 28 Tests between 1979 and 1984 before captaining a "rebel" Australian team in a tour of South Africa, who at the time were subject to a sporting boycott.A right-handed...
adding 79 for the second wicket, but once Serjeant had been removed for 55, Gary Cosier
Gary Cosier
Gary John Cosier is a former Australian test cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 9 ODIs from 1975 to 1979. Cosier's star shone very briefly following a sensational test debut, when he became only the ninth Australian to post a century in his first Test.-Cricket career:The stocky, redheaded Cosier...
followed him next over without adding to the score, leaving Australia on 79 for 3. The tourists ended day one on 119 for 3. Solid but unimpressive middle order efforts followed from 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:...
(23), Richie Robinson
Richie Robinson
Richard Daryl Robinson is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and 2 ODIs in 1977. Robinson was widely recognised as the second best wicketkeeper in Australia during his career, behind the formidable Rod Marsh and would no doubt have played more tests had Marsh not been around...
(18), and 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...
(23) dragged Australia past 200, but with the weather again threatening to disrupt play, and wanting some bowling practice, the Australians declared on 240 for 7, Ray Bright
Ray Bright
Raymond James Bright is a former Australian Test and One Day International cricketer.A left-arm orthodox spin bowler and useful lower order right-handed batsman, Bright made his first-class debut for Victoria at eighteen years of age, against New South Wales in Sydney in the 1972–1973 domestic...
not out on 11, and 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 :...
not out on 16. 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...
made his first appearance for the tourists, opening the bowling from the Pavilion End. However it was first change bowler Ray Bright
Ray Bright
Raymond James Bright is a former Australian Test and One Day International cricketer.A left-arm orthodox spin bowler and useful lower order right-handed batsman, Bright made his first-class debut for Victoria at eighteen years of age, against New South Wales in Sydney in the 1972–1973 domestic...
who got the breakthrough, having Graham Johnson
Graham Johnson (cricketer)
Graham William Johnson was a cricketer with Kent.He made his debut in 1965 and won his county cap in 1970. He was an opening batsman and off spin bowler.Graham attended the London School of Economics....
caught behind by Marsh for 17. Charles Rowe
Charles Rowe
Charles James Castell Rowe was a first-class cricketer with Kent and Glamorgan between 1974 and 1984. He was educated at the King's School, Canterbury...
went for a duck next over off the bowling of Mick Malone
Mick Malone
Michael Francis Malone is a former Australian cricketer who played in one Test and 10 ODIs from 1977 to 1982. Malone played in only one Test prior to joining World Series Cricket. In English county cricket he had a period with Lancashire...
, but rain soon interrupted play, and the rest of day two was washed out. The rain had set in, and no additional play was managed on day three, with the second game in a row ending in a draw.
- Sussex County Cricket ClubSussex County Cricket ClubSussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
v Australians at County GroundCounty Cricket Ground, HoveThe County Cricket Ground, also known as the Probiz County Ground for sponsorship reasons, is a cricket venue in Hove, England. It is home to Sussex County Cricket Club. It is one of the few county grounds to have deckchairs for spectators - which are in the colours of Sussex CCC - blue and white....
, HoveHoveHove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, 7–10 May 1977
Match Drawn
The Australian tourists moved onto Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
the next day after the draw against Kent, but the poor weather continued there. Australian captain 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...
won the toss, and decided his side needed more batting practice with the one-day series and tests approaching. Very little play was possible on the first day as a result of the heavy rain, with the Australians managing to reach just 35/1 at the end of the day.
Day two proved to be little better, and although opener Craig Serjeant
Craig Serjeant
Craig Stanton Serjeant is a former Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests and 3 ODIs from 1977 to 1978....
managed to pass fifty, on his way to 55 not out, the game was called off after 34 overs, with the third day abandoned.
- Hampshire County Cricket ClubHampshire County Cricket ClubHampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
v Australians at County GroundCounty Ground, SouthamptonThe County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
, SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, 11–13 May 1977
Match Abandoned
The Australian schedule would have seen them play three games in row, without any rest days in between. However the weather conspired to prevent this occurrence, and the Australians travelled from Hove to Southampton to discover the foul weather was even worse there. The tourists arrived at the ground, but after a pitch inspection was made by the umpires, the game was abandoned without a ball bowled. No coin toss was made either.
- Glamorgan County Cricket ClubGlamorgan County Cricket ClubGlamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
v Australians at St Helens Rugby and Cricket GroundSt Helens Rugby and Cricket GroundSt. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby and cricket.It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display.-History:Since the ground opened in...
, SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, 14–16 May 1977
Match Drawn
Following the abandonment of the two previous games, the Australian touring party were keen to get some match practice, with the two international series rapidly approaching. They traveled from Southampton onto Swansea, in Wales to take on Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in another three-day game. The first day was again washed out, but the rain had cleared by the morning of the second. With the weather finally favouring play after a long week of rain, Glamorgan captain Alan Jones
Alan Jones (cricketer)
Alan Jones was a Welsh cricketer, who played for Glamorgan for almost a quarter of a century. He also played, for a single season each, with Western Australia, Natal and Northern Transvaal.-Career:...
won the toss, and confidently decided to bat first. The captain opened alongside John Hopkins
John Hopkins (cricketer)
John Anthony Hopkins is a former Welsh cricketer who played for Glamorgan.Hopkins was a right-handed batsman and part time wicket-keeper. He first kept for Glamorgan at the age of 17 years and 68 days which was a record for the county and the Sunday League competition...
, and the pair began aggressively, but 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 :...
had Hopkins clean bowled in the fifth over. From there, Jones batted with a steady procession of partners, holding up the innings by himself as wickets continued to fall at the other end at regular intervals. Only the captain's namesake Alan Lewis Jones made a serious contribution with 46. Jones (captain and opener) was top-scorer with 59. Shortly before lunch Glamorgan were all out for 172 off 54.3 overs. Walker and 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...
sharing the spoils with three wickets apiece.
The Australians still looked rusty, having spent most of the tour so far hiding from the rain in the dressing room. They too failed to settle and build partnerships, with regular wickets falling. By the end of day two, the Australian tourists found themselves 153 for 6 after 36 overs, with only Gary Cosier
Gary Cosier
Gary John Cosier is a former Australian test cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 9 ODIs from 1975 to 1979. Cosier's star shone very briefly following a sensational test debut, when he became only the ninth Australian to post a century in his first Test.-Cricket career:The stocky, redheaded Cosier...
making a serious contribution of 56.
Day three began with the weather again threatening, and Chappell declared the Australian innings closed without returning to the crease in order to try and make a game of it. However Glamorgan openers Jones and Hopkins made much better work of it the second time around, pushing the score past 100 without loss. With Australia's frontline bowlers struggling to make a breakthrough, spinner Ray Bright
Ray Bright
Raymond James Bright is a former Australian Test and One Day International cricketer.A left-arm orthodox spin bowler and useful lower order right-handed batsman, Bright made his first-class debut for Victoria at eighteen years of age, against New South Wales in Sydney in the 1972–1973 domestic...
was brought on, and made an immediate impact, having the advancing Hopkins stumped brilliantly by replacement wicket-keeper Richie Robinson
Richie Robinson
Richard Daryl Robinson is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and 2 ODIs in 1977. Robinson was widely recognised as the second best wicketkeeper in Australia during his career, behind the formidable Rod Marsh and would no doubt have played more tests had Marsh not been around...
for 66. Bright troubled the Glamorgan batsmen with his left-arm orthodox spinners, and soon claimed another, Arthur Francis for 2, leaving Glamorgan on 119-2. Gwyn Richards arrived as his replacement and tried to lift the scoring, but Bright soon claimed Jones for 47, and Mike Llewellyn for 9. Glamorgan had reached 164 for 4 off 43 overs and decided to end their innings and give the Australian's a competitive target. Bright finished with 4 for 53.
The Australians began their chase of the target of 183 disastrously. Veteran bowler Malcolm Nash
Malcolm Nash
Malcolm Nash, is a Welsh cricket coach and former first-class cricketer.- Glamorgan Cricketer :Born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Nash was a left arm medium pace bowler who played largely for Glamorgan....
had opener Richie Robinson
Richie Robinson
Richard Daryl Robinson is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and 2 ODIs in 1977. Robinson was widely recognised as the second best wicketkeeper in Australia during his career, behind the formidable Rod Marsh and would no doubt have played more tests had Marsh not been around...
lbw for a second ball duck, and had Kim Hughes
Kim Hughes
Kimberley John Hughes is a former cricketer who played for Western Australia, Natal and Australia. He captained Australia in 28 Tests between 1979 and 1984 before captaining a "rebel" Australian team in a tour of South Africa, who at the time were subject to a sporting boycott.A right-handed...
caught behind two balls later for a golden duck. Australia ended the first over on 2 for 0. Ian Davis
Ian Davis
Ian Davis was a longtime top senior partner and director at management consultancy McKinsey & Company, serving as managing director from 2003 to 2009. He succeeded Rajat Gupta on July 1, 2003. He joined McKinsey in 1979, retired in 2010 and currently serves as a senior partner emeritus.Davis was...
and David Hookes
David Hookes
David William Hookes was an Australian cricketer, broadcaster and coach of the Victorian cricket team. An aggressive left-handed batsman, Hookes usually batted in the middle order...
tried to rebuild their innings, but both had also soon departed. 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:...
also went cheaply, and it was left to spinners Ray Bright
Ray Bright
Raymond James Bright is a former Australian Test and One Day International cricketer.A left-arm orthodox spin bowler and useful lower order right-handed batsman, Bright made his first-class debut for Victoria at eighteen years of age, against New South Wales in Sydney in the 1972–1973 domestic...
and 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...
to offer the only resistance, putting on a partnership of over 40. The only highlight in an otherwise disastrous innings was Bright bringing up his 1000th first-class run. Australia survived a torrid attack from Nash to reach stumps on 86 for 6 off 29 overs, Nash claiming 5 for 32.
- Somerset County Cricket ClubSomerset County Cricket ClubSomerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
v Australians at Recreation GroundRecreation Ground (Bath)The Recreation Ground is a large open space in the centre of Bath, England, next to the River Avon, used for recreational purposes by Bath residents and the public generally....
, Bath, 18–20 May 1977
Somerset (340/5d & 182/3) beat the Australians (232 all out & 289 all out) by 7 wickets
The Australians moved onto Bath to take on Somerset, and the weather finally began to look favourable. Australia won the toss and decided to bat on a decent batting wicket. 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....
went cheaply and was soon followed by Craig Serjeant
Craig Serjeant
Craig Stanton Serjeant is a former Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests and 3 ODIs from 1977 to 1978....
, but captain 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...
looked to be in commanding touch. He set about building a strong partnership with Gary Cosier
Gary Cosier
Gary John Cosier is a former Australian test cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 9 ODIs from 1975 to 1979. Cosier's star shone very briefly following a sensational test debut, when he became only the ninth Australian to post a century in his first Test.-Cricket career:The stocky, redheaded Cosier...
, which saw the tourists pass 150 for 2. Soon after though, Cosier misread a straight one on off-stump from West Indian paceman Joel Garner
Joel Garner
Joel Garner , also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird", is a former West Indian cricketer, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams....
, and was clean-bowled for 44. Doug Walters made a useful but disappointing 23, but David Hookes
David Hookes
David William Hookes was an Australian cricketer, broadcaster and coach of the Victorian cricket team. An aggressive left-handed batsman, Hookes usually batted in the middle order...
and 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...
both failed with 3 apiece. 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...
added a useful 11 to help see Australia past 200, but a collapsing tail saw Australia all out for 232 off 67.3 overs, with Chappell top-scorer with 113. The Australian captain hit three 6s in his innings, including one into the nearby River Avon. Garner finished with 4 for 66, but local medium-pacer Graham Burgess
Graham Burgess
Graham K. Burgess is an English FIDE Master of chess and a noted writer and trainer. He became a FIDE Master at the age of twenty. He attended Birkdale High School in Southport, Merseyside. In 1989 he graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in mathematics...
was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 25.
In contrast to the Australians poor start, the Somerset openers eased past 50, before Peter Denning
Peter Denning (cricketer)
Peter William Denning was an English first-class cricketer who played for Somerset from 1969 to 1984. He was known to Somerset cricket fans as 'Dasher' due to his "pace over the ground", and he was also known for an unorthodox stroke called the 'Chewton carve' or 'Chewton chop', a stroke that cut...
was caught behind off 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...
for 39. Viv Richards
Viv Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, OBE is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv or King Viv Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald...
surprising could only manage 18, and Somerset captain Brian Close
Brian Close
Dennis Brian Close , usually known as Brian Close, is a former cricketer who is the youngest man ever to play Test cricket for England. He was picked for the Test team to play against New Zealand, in July 1949, when he was 18 years old. Close went on to play 22 Test matches for England,...
was removed for a duck. Somerset finishing day one on 130 for 3.
Day two began well for the Australians, with O'Keffee removing Dennis Breakwell
Dennis Breakwell
Dennis Breakwell is a former English first-class cricketer who made over 400 appearances between 1969 and 1984 playing for Northamptonshire and Somerset. A left-handed batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Breakwell developed into an all-rounder as his career progressed.-External links:...
for 23, however strong innings by Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
(59) and Phil Slocombe
Phil Slocombe
Philip Anthony Slocombe was an English cricketer who played for Somerset throughout his career. He was a right-handed opening batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler. He was part of the NatWest Trophy winning team of 1983.-Career:Educated at Millfield School, Slocombe was part of the Somerset...
(55) supported opener Brian Rose
Brian Rose (cricketer)
Brian Charles Rose is an English former cricketer, who played in nine Tests and two ODIs for England from 1977 to 1981.-Life and career:...
to 110 not out. Somerset declared their innings closed at 340 for 5 off 94 overs, a lead of 108.
- Gloucestershire County Cricket ClubGloucestershire County Cricket ClubGloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
v Australians at Phoenix GroundCounty Cricket Ground, BristolThe County Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in Bristol, England. It is in the district of Ashley Down. The ground is home to the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club....
, BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, 21–23 May 1977
Australia (154 all out & 251 all out) beat Gloucestershire (63 all out & 169 all out) by 173 runs
Australia moved onto Bristol looking for their first win since the opening match of the tour against the Duchess of Norfolk's XI
Duke of Norfolk's XI
The Duke of Norfolk's XI is a scratch cricket team. It was originally named for the 16th Duke, but following his death in 1975 the team played on in his widow's name as Lavinia, Duchess of Norfolk's XI...
. With only three tour matches to go before the stat of the One day international series, the tourists were hoping to build some momentum going into those matches. 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...
won the toss, and elected to bat first, but the Australia innings was poor. McCosker fell for 2 with the score on 3. Kim Hughes
Kim Hughes
Kimberley John Hughes is a former cricketer who played for Western Australia, Natal and Australia. He captained Australia in 28 Tests between 1979 and 1984 before captaining a "rebel" Australian team in a tour of South Africa, who at the time were subject to a sporting boycott.A right-handed...
fell a few overs last for 7. The wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals, with the only real resistance coming from 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 Ray Bright
Ray Bright
Raymond James Bright is a former Australian Test and One Day International cricketer.A left-arm orthodox spin bowler and useful lower order right-handed batsman, Bright made his first-class debut for Victoria at eighteen years of age, against New South Wales in Sydney in the 1972–1973 domestic...
(53). The Australians were all out for 154 in 47.5 overs.
Thankfully for the tourists Gloucestershire were even poorer. After an opening stand of 36 from Sadiq Mohammad
Sadiq Mohammad
Sadiq Mohammad is a former Pakistani cricketer and younger brother of the great Pakistani batsmen Hanif and Mushtaq. His Test debut was the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in 1969, and he played his final Test in the 4th Test against the West Indies in 1981. He played county cricket...
and Andy Stovold, 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 Mick Malone
Mick Malone
Michael Francis Malone is a former Australian cricketer who played in one Test and 10 ODIs from 1977 to 1982. Malone played in only one Test prior to joining World Series Cricket. In English county cricket he had a period with Lancashire...
made short work of their batting line-up. It took the Australian opening pair just 22.5 overs to have Gloucestershire all out for a paltry 63. Walker took an impressive 7/19 off 11.5, and Malone, 3/43 off 11 overs.
Australia again started with a wobble, losing McCosker for 4 in the third over, but a 42 run partnership between Chappell and Ian Davis
Ian Davis
Ian Davis was a longtime top senior partner and director at management consultancy McKinsey & Company, serving as managing director from 2003 to 2009. He succeeded Rajat Gupta on July 1, 2003. He joined McKinsey in 1979, retired in 2010 and currently serves as a senior partner emeritus.Davis was...
got them back on track. Davis eventually went for 18, but that brought Kim Hughes to the crease. Although scoring less prolifically, Hughes capably supported Chappell as he moved towards a well-deserved century, falling on 102. It was enough to prop up the Australian second innings, and solid contributions from Hughes (27), 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:...
(24), Richie Robinson
Richie Robinson
Richard Daryl Robinson is a former Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests and 2 ODIs in 1977. Robinson was widely recognised as the second best wicketkeeper in Australia during his career, behind the formidable Rod Marsh and would no doubt have played more tests had Marsh not been around...
(26), and 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 :...
(22) took Australia to 251 all out. Gloucestershire required an unlikely 343 for victory, and never looked like they would reach the target. Andy Stovold made 27, and Jim Foat and David Shepherd
David Shepherd (umpire)
David Robert Shepherd MBE was one of the cricket world's best-known umpires. He stood in 92 Test matches, the last of them in June 2005, and officiated in three World Cup finals.- Playing career :...
both chipped in with 26 each, but Gloucentershire were all out for 169. Len Pascoe
Len Pascoe
Leonard Stephen Pascoe is a former Australian Test and ODI cricketer. He attended Punchbowl Boys' High School in New South Wales....
(4/36) and Ray Bright
Ray Bright
Raymond James Bright is a former Australian Test and One Day International cricketer.A left-arm orthodox spin bowler and useful lower order right-handed batsman, Bright made his first-class debut for Victoria at eighteen years of age, against New South Wales in Sydney in the 1972–1973 domestic...
(4/63) were the pick of the Australian bowlers, as the wrapped up a deserved victory by 173 runs in two days.
- Gloucestershire County Cricket ClubGloucestershire County Cricket ClubGloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
v Australians at Phoenix GroundCounty Cricket Ground, BristolThe County Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in Bristol, England. It is in the district of Ashley Down. The ground is home to the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club....
, BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, 24 May 1977
Australia (196/4) beat Gloucestershire (195 all out) by 6 wickets
Owing to the completion of their tour match in two days instead of the scheduled three, an additional 45-overs a side match was agreed to be played. No toss was made, but Gloucestershire batted first by a Gentlemen's agreement
Gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
. The County side again struggled with the tourist's bowling, Pascoe clean-bowling Mohammed for 4, and dismissing Zaheer Abbas
Zaheer Abbas
Syed Zaheer Abbas Kirmani , popularly known as Zaheer Abbas, is a former Pakistani cricketer, regarded as one of the finest batsman produced by that country. He is widely known as the "Asian Bradman", a reference to former Australian great Sir Donald Bradman...
for 5.Stovold made a solid 25, and Mike Procter
Mike Procter
Michael John Procter is a former South African cricketer. A fast bowler and hard hitting batsman, his chances for a long and productive test career were wrecked by South Africa's banishment from world cricket in the 1970s and 1980s...
made a well-deserved 52. Pascoe, Malone, Walker, O'Keefe and Bright all took two wickets each in what was a good workout for Australia's bowling attack, and their County hosts only managed to scramble to 195 all out off 44.5 overs.
The total never looked like enough, and with the first one-day international
One-day International
A One Day International is a form of limited overs cricket, in which a fixed number of overs, usually 50, but in the past 40, 45 or 60 overs, are played between two teams with international status. The Cricket World Cup is played in this format...
only eight days away, the Australian's took the opportunity to play themselves into a bit of form. Davis and McCosker again made solid starts, scoring 26 and 46 respectively, but it was Kim Hughes (51), and Doug Walters (52 not out) that took the game away from Gloucestershire. Hughes fell as the target approached, but Rod Marsh came in with only four runs required for victory, and over eight overs still spare. Only Robinson out for 10, really disappointed, as Australia won comfortably by 6 wickets.
- Marylebone Cricket ClubMarylebone Cricket ClubMarylebone 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...
v Australians at Lord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 25–27 May 1977
- Worcestershire County Cricket ClubWorcestershire County Cricket ClubWorcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
v Australians at Worcester, 28–30 May 1977
- Essex County Cricket ClubEssex County Cricket ClubEssex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
v Australians at Chelmsford, 11-13 Jun 1977
- Nottinghamshire County Cricket ClubNottinghamshire County Cricket ClubNottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
v Australians at Nottingham, 25-27 Jun 1977
- Derbyshire County Cricket ClubDerbyshire County Cricket ClubDerbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
v Australians at Chesterfield, 29 Jun-1 Jul 1977
- Yorkshire County Cricket ClubYorkshire County Cricket ClubYorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
v Australians at Scarborough, 2-4 Jul 1977
- Northamptonshire County Cricket ClubNorthamptonshire County Cricket ClubNorthamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
v Australians at Northampton, 16-19 Jul 1977
- Warwickshire County Cricket ClubWarwickshire County Cricket ClubWarwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
v Australians at Birmingham, 20-22 Jul 1977
- Leicestershire County Cricket ClubLeicestershire County Cricket ClubLeicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
v Australians at Leicester, 23-25 Jul 1977
- Lancashire County Cricket ClubLancashire County Cricket ClubLancashire 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...
v Australians at Manchester, 6-8 Aug 1977
- Middlesex County Cricket ClubMiddlesex County Cricket ClubMiddlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
v Australians at Lord's, 20-22 Aug 1977