English cricket team in Australia in 1965-66
Encyclopedia
M.J.K. Smith captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1965–66, playing as England in the 1965-66 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC
in their other matches on the tour
. Although they failed to reclaim the Ashes
this was not unexpected as the Australian press labelled them the weakest MCC team to arrive in Australia and the bookmakers were giving odds of 7/2 on their winning the series. These views rapidly changed as they set about winning their state matches with exciting, aggressive cricket and by the First Test the odds against them had been reduced to evens. Lindsay Hassett
said "other teams from England may have been better technically but none had tried so hard to make the game as interesting as possible". Financially the tour's receipts were much lower than in 1962-63 due to the number of rain-affected games in a wet Australian summer and the general doldrums of the sixties.
Billy Griffith was an amateur
wicket-keeper
for Cambridge University
and Sussex
and the first secretary of the MCC
to have been a Test player. He had been a glider pilot
for the 6th Airborne Division during the Second World War, fighting at D-Day
and Arnhem
and winning the Distinguished Flying Cross
. He became Secretary of Sussex
after the war (as well as captain in the 1946 season) and was the player-manager and reserve wicket-keeper on the tour of the West Indies in 1947-48. When used as a makeshift opener on his Test debut he made 140 in six hours and later played two Tests in South Africa, the only wicket-keeper to be used between 1946 and 1959 when the great Godfrey Evans
was available. The decline of amateur cricket
in English county cricket and the increasing professionalism of the game led to dull, lifeless cricket as teams were determined to avoid defeat and viewed games as a job rather than entertainment (ironically the keenest cricketer on the tour was Geoff Boycott, a noted stonewall
er). There had been a surge in gate receipts after the war, but this fell rapidly in the 1960s as other forms of entertainment became available to the public. Griffith had become Secretary in 1962 and oversaw the official merging of amateur and professional for the 1963 season, which prevented him from managing the MCC tour of Australia in 1962–63
, except for one month when he flew out to relieve the Duke of Norfolk
. Aware of M.J.K. Smith's natural caution the MCC gave Griffith extraordinary powers granting him overall control of cricket on the tour. Fortunately, he did not resort to these as he preferred more diplomatic means, but he urged attacking cricket in the tour games, notably against Western Australia
. Normally the MCC manager took care of the players and social side of the tour, as there were many functions to attend. The Assistant-Manager was Jack Ikin
who had toured Australia in 1946-47
, who oversaw the tour finances, collecting gate money on behalf of the MCC, booking hotels and making the travel arrangements.
Michael John Knight Smith, better known as M.J.K. Smith or Mike Smith, is remembered as one of England's most popular cricket captains and England's last double international, in cricket and rugby
. He was captain of Oxford University
(1956), Warwickshire
(1957–67) and England (1963–66) and unlike Len Hutton
, Peter May
or Ted Dexter
rode '...the side with a loose rein, believing it knew where it was going and need only an occasional tug to keep it on the right course. I think most players appreciated this and his openness as a person brought a better response on the field.' He thought that any bowler good enough to play for England knew what field suited him best and generally let his men play in their own style, though this resulted in slow over rates as he did not chivvy them along. Even the truculent fast bowler John Snow
'...thought he was very astute in his handling of players...' and recalled '...Mike Smith adding a few words of congratulations in his thoroughly open, absent-minded-professor sort of way'. E.W. Swanton reported that 'Smith, though outwardly unconventional and in manner casual to a degree, succeeds as a captain for the conventional reasons. He is thoughtful for his players, unselfish, does not 'fuss' them or panic, shows a grasp of the situation which they deem in general sensible and not least gives an inspiring personal lead in the field'. Despite wearing spectacles he was heavy run-maker in County cricket
and passed 2,000 runs a season each year from 1957 to 1962, including 3,245 runs (57.94) in 1959, but his fragility against fast bowling meant that he could not hold down a regular place in the Test team. It was not his only failing as 'Mike is widely remembered...as a very unreliable runner between the wickets. Warwickshire tales of woe in this respect are numerous and I can remember a call between them in 1964 going something like "No A.C.
" - Yes, Mike" - Wait A.C.
" - "Damn it, Mike" - "Sorry A.C.
" He was, however, a mantis
-like close fielder who took a record 593 catches for Warwickshire and 53 catches in 50 Tests for England. His outwardly nonchalant captaincy hid a good cricketing brain and he took a rebuilt Warwickshire side to third, fourth and second place in the County Championship
in 1962-64. Smith was known as a good tourist and was made captain of the England tour of India in 1963-64 when Ted Dexter
and Colin Cowdrey
were unavailable and without England's top bowlers Brian Statham
and Fred Trueman
. He lost the toss five times in a row and had so many injuries and illnesses that in the Second Test at Madras Smith had to use three batsmen, two wicket-keepers and six bowlers. When Mickey Stewart was unable to play after the first day because of dysentery
he seriously considered calling up the cricket journalist Henry Blofeld
, but managed to survive with just 10 men. Smith became the first England captain to draw all fives Tests in a series (it was the third time India had done this) and was considered to have done well to avoid defeat. It was his best series with 306 runs (51.00) and when Ted Dexter
retired after losing 1-0 to Bobby Simpson’s
Australia in 1964
Smith was made captain for England's last tour of South Africa before the Basil d'Oliveira
Crisis. He won 1-0 against the talented Springboks, the last captain to defeat them in a Test series until 1996-97. He beat a weak New Zealand 3-0 and lost 1-0 to South Africa at home in 1965, but was appointed captain for the MCC tour of Australia in 1965-66 with Cowdrey as vice-captain, despite support for the Kent captain
at Lords. He drew with both Australia (1-1) and New Zealand (0-0) and after losing the First Test against the West Indies in 1966
by an innings he was replaced by Cowdrey and retired at the end of the following season. Smith returned to Warwickshire in 1970 and did well enough to be recalled against Australia in 1972 before finally retiring in 1975.
Unlike the previous three tours England arrived in Australia with some capable opening batsmen, Bob Barber
, Geoff Boycott and John Edrich
. Barber had been a simple push and run player for Lancashire
before transferring to M.J.K. Smith's Warwickshire
in 1963 and flowered into the most attacking opener in England. He was an excellent foil to Boycott's the more pedestrian run-making and they were the best opening pair England had had in years. Barber's 185 in five hours in the Third Test at Sydney
- adding 234 for the first wicket with Boycott (84) - was one of E.W. Swanton's most treasured moments. Like his captain the young Boycott still wore steel-rimmed spectacles and lacked the certainty of his later years with contact lenses, but E.W. Swanton clearly remembers his 'burning ardour for the game in an age wherein even cricket is tainted with 'work to rule'.' The Fifth Test saw the worst of him, as he scored slowly, hogged the strike and ran out Bob Barber. In 1965 John Edrich
had a First Class run of 139, 121 not out, 205 not out, 55, 96, 188, 92, 105 and 310 not out, the last innings against New Zealand in the Third Test at Headingley
, where he hit 52 fours and 5 sixes, but M.J.K. Smith declared before he could overtake Gary Sobers record 365. In the following Test he was hit on the head by a Peter Pollock
bouncer and thereafter was a tenacious left-hander who made solid rather than stylish innings. Eric Russell was a graceful Scottish opener whose career was limited by the dominance of Boycott and Edrich. He was injured in the only Test he played on the tour, where he came in last and held out for 10 minutes in an unbeaten duck. Ken Barrington
had made 582 runs (72.75) in the 1962-63 Ashes series and 531 runs (75.85) in 1964
- "batting with bulldog determination and awesome concentration". His 256 at Old Trafford remains England's highest post-war century against Australia and his Test batting average of 58.67 is easily the highest of any English batsman since Len Hutton
. Ian Chappell
wrote with feeling "Every so often you encounter a player whose bat seem about a yard wide. It's not, of course. It just seems that way. England's Ken Barrington
was one, our own Bill Lawry
another. Gee, they were hard to dislodge". In 1965 he had been controversially dropped from the England team for taking over seven hours to make 137 against a weak New Zealand attack, but when quick runs were needed in the Fifth Test at Melbourne
he surprised everyone by smashing a hundred off 122 balls and bringing up the century with a six into the stands. Colin Cowdrey
was the most experienced England batsmen - this was the fourth of his six tours in Australia - and was a classic strokemaker whose perfect timing was a great asset on hard Australian wickets. He was accused of overly careful batting on the tour, but like Barrington hit out in the Fifth Test. Peter Parfitt
was a pleasing young Middlesex
batsman who had toured in 1962-63, but who never really succeeded against Australia and did not play in any of the Tests. The captain M.J.K. Smith enjoyed playing against the state and country sides, but was the only batsmen who failed to cash in on a weak Australian attack and never passed 50 in the Tests. John Murray
and Jim Parks were both decent wicket-keeper-batsmen, and Parks played in all five Tests due to his superior batting, hitting 3 sixes and 4 fours in his 52 in the First Test. Barry Knight was a big-hitting all rounder who enjoyed thumping county sides and weak Test attacks like India and New Zealand, but struggled against Australia. Fred Titmus
had proved to be a real find in 1962-63, and improved upon his reputation, making three 50s in the series and averaging 64.50 even though he batted a number 9. He took guard outside the leg-stump, giving the bowler a clean view of the wicket, but moved over quickly and batted solidly. David Allen
was another spinning all-rounder and made an unbeaten 50 in the Tests, but otherwise failed.
The retirement of England's great new-ball partnership of Fred Trueman
and Brian Statham
left a yawning gap in the England attack. The fast bowler John Snow
would take 31 wickets (22.83) in the 1970–71 Ashes series
, but he was not chosen for the tour and went to South Africa
to play club cricket. Brown was 6'4" tall and was noted for his steep bounce and was regarded as England's best new ball bowler, his 5/63 forced Australia to follow on in the Third Test at Sydney
. The Scottish seamer David Larter
was even taller at 6' 7" and had a ridiculously long run, but he lacked self-confidence, and an ankle injury on the tour ended his career. Jeff Jones
was a Welsh left-arm bowler of genuine pace and the father of Simon Jones
he took 6/118 in the Fourth Test, but troubled the umpires by running on the pitch and was not really of Test class. Ken Higgs
revived his career in 1965 as Brian Statham
's new ball partner for Lancashire
and took 4/47 and 4/96 against the powerful South African batting at the Oval
in 1965. Due to stomach cramps he was not used much in Australia, but took 17 wickets (9.23) in New Zealand, then 24 wickets (25.45) back home against the West Indies. With England's bowlers laid low, the all-rounder
Barry Knight was called up. A veteran of the 1962–63 Ashes series
, he liked to drop the ball short, but lacked the pace to worry the Australians. Even so he took 4/84 in the Second Test when the hosts were out for 358 on a flat wicket. Geoff Boycott was a useful medium-paced bowler in his youth, known to wear his cap backwards as he bowled, and was used as the third new ball bowler in the Third and Fourth Tests. David Allen
and Fred Titmus
returned after their successful tour in 1962–63, but were only useful on the famous spinning wicket at Sydney
, taking 4/47 and 4/40 in the second innings of England's victory. Elsewhere they were expensive and could only be used for containment. Ken Barrington
had started life as a leg-spinner and was a good bowler at club level, as was Bob Barber
, and commentators thought they should have been used more widely considering England's poor attack, but Smith only tried them when a draw was a foregone conclusion.
was an old friend of Fred Titmus
and kept wicket to him for Middlesex
. He was recognised as the best glovesman in England, but was kept out of the Test team because he was not as good a batsman as his rivals. Jim Parks was the son of the all-rounder
Jim Parks and father of the wicketkeeper Bobby Parks
. A veteran who had been kept out of the England team by Godfrey Evans
Parks was a fair batsman, but missed a vital stumping off Peter Burge that cost England a chance of winning the Second Test. In the slips there was Colin Cowdrey
, who would take a record 120 Test match catches, M.J.K. Smith was a noted close fielder who rarely missed a chance and Ken Barrington
took 58 catches for England. Peter Parfitt
was regarded as one of the best first slips in England, but did not play in the Tests and Fred Titmus
was a famous chatterbox with a habit of taking catches in mid-conversation. Geoff Boycott was a sluggish outfielder in his younger days, but worked on this aspect of his game until he could throw the ball in with accuracy from the boundary.
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...
in their other matches on the tour
MCC tour of Australia in 1965–66
The Marylebone Cricket Club tour of Australia in 1965-66 under the captaincy of M.J.K. Smith was its thirteenth since it took official control of overseas tours in 1907-1908. The touring team played as England in the 1965-66 Ashes series against Australia, but as the MCC in all other games...
. Although they failed to reclaim 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...
this was not unexpected as the Australian press labelled them the weakest MCC team to arrive in Australia and the bookmakers were giving odds of 7/2 on their winning the series. These views rapidly changed as they set about winning their state matches with exciting, aggressive cricket and by the First Test the odds against them had been reduced to evens. 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 "other teams from England may have been better technically but none had tried so hard to make the game as interesting as possible". Financially the tour's receipts were much lower than in 1962-63 due to the number of rain-affected games in a wet Australian summer and the general doldrums of the sixties.
The manager
They had made no promised on arrival about 'brighter cricket' - that tiresome phase - but they had aimed to play better cricket, and by and large events had shown that taking the initiative brought the best results. Everyone knew who was behind this philosophy; it was Doug InsoleDoug InsoleDoug Insole CBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Cambridge University, Essex and in nine Test matches for England, five of them on the 1956-57 tour of South Africa, where he was vice-captain to Peter May...
, chairman of the selectors, and, of course, Billy Griffith, the tour manager.
- E.W. Swanton
Billy Griffith was an amateur
Amateur status in first-class cricket
Amateur status in first-class cricket had a special meaning, especially in England, in that the amateur in this context was not merely someone who played cricket in his spare time but a particular type of first-class cricketer who existed officially until 1962, when the distinction between amateurs...
wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
for Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
and Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex 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...
and the first secretary of the 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...
to have been a Test player. He had been a glider pilot
Glider Pilot Regiment
The Glider Pilot Regiment was a British airborne forces unit of the Second World War which was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders and saw action in the European Theatre of World War II in support of Allied airborne operations...
for the 6th Airborne Division during the Second World War, fighting at D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
and Arnhem
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
and winning the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. He became Secretary of Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex 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...
after the war (as well as captain in the 1946 season) and was the player-manager and reserve wicket-keeper on the tour of the West Indies in 1947-48. When used as a makeshift opener on his Test debut he made 140 in six hours and later played two Tests in South Africa, the only wicket-keeper to be used between 1946 and 1959 when the great 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...
was available. The decline of amateur cricket
Amateur status in first-class cricket
Amateur status in first-class cricket had a special meaning, especially in England, in that the amateur in this context was not merely someone who played cricket in his spare time but a particular type of first-class cricketer who existed officially until 1962, when the distinction between amateurs...
in English county cricket and the increasing professionalism of the game led to dull, lifeless cricket as teams were determined to avoid defeat and viewed games as a job rather than entertainment (ironically the keenest cricketer on the tour was Geoff Boycott, a noted stonewall
Stonewall
The word Stonewall may refer to* a stone wall* a verb meaning "to refuse to cooperate, especially in supplying information" -Games and entertainment:* "Stonewall structure" of pawns in the chess opening theory:** Stonewall Attack...
er). There had been a surge in gate receipts after the war, but this fell rapidly in the 1960s as other forms of entertainment became available to the public. Griffith had become Secretary in 1962 and oversaw the official merging of amateur and professional for the 1963 season, which prevented him from managing the MCC tour of Australia in 1962–63
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...
, except for one month when he flew out to relieve the Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, who died when Bernard was only 9 years old...
. Aware of M.J.K. Smith's natural caution the MCC gave Griffith extraordinary powers granting him overall control of cricket on the tour. Fortunately, he did not resort to these as he preferred more diplomatic means, but he urged attacking cricket in the tour games, notably against Western Australia
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
. Normally the MCC manager took care of the players and social side of the tour, as there were many functions to attend. The Assistant-Manager was Jack Ikin
Jack Ikin
John Thomas Ikin, known as Jack Ikin was an English cricketer, who played in eighteen Tests from 1946 to 1955...
who had toured Australia in 1946-47
English cricket team in Australia in 1946-47
The English cricket team in Australia in 1946–47 was captained by Wally Hammond, with Norman Yardley as his vice-captain and Bill Edrich as the senior professional. It played as England in the 1946-47 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour...
, who oversaw the tour finances, collecting gate money on behalf of the MCC, booking hotels and making the travel arrangements.
The captain
...he strolled in with an open-necked shirt, a white linen jacket which appeared to have been slept in for a week and a carry-cot containing a slumbering junior member of the Smith dynasty. Apparently Mrs Smith had gone shopping and M.J.K. was left holding the baby. Despite an Oxford education his accent was utterly classless and between questions to which he appeared to be paying no attention whatever, he applied himself to solving the crossword in the latest TimesTimesThe Times is a UK daily newspaper, the original English language newspaper titled "Times". Times may also refer to:In newspapers:*The Times , went defunct in 2005*The Times *The Times of Northwest Indiana...
to arrive from Britain. "Good heavens", growled one of Australia's senior cricket correspondents, "what have we here?" What we all had on that tour was the affable companionship of one of the most popular England captains ever to tour anywhere. It never occurred to him to leave the baby, let alone his wife, at home while he led the fight for the AshesThe AshesThe 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...
.
- Ian Wooldridge
Michael John Knight Smith, better known as M.J.K. Smith or Mike Smith, is remembered as one of England's most popular cricket captains and England's last double international, in cricket and rugby
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. He was captain of Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
(1956), Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire 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...
(1957–67) and England (1963–66) and unlike 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...
, Peter May
Peter May
-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...
or Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
rode '...the side with a loose rein, believing it knew where it was going and need only an occasional tug to keep it on the right course. I think most players appreciated this and his openness as a person brought a better response on the field.' He thought that any bowler good enough to play for England knew what field suited him best and generally let his men play in their own style, though this resulted in slow over rates as he did not chivvy them along. Even the truculent fast 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...
'...thought he was very astute in his handling of players...' and recalled '...Mike Smith adding a few words of congratulations in his thoroughly open, absent-minded-professor sort of way'. E.W. Swanton reported that 'Smith, though outwardly unconventional and in manner casual to a degree, succeeds as a captain for the conventional reasons. He is thoughtful for his players, unselfish, does not 'fuss' them or panic, shows a grasp of the situation which they deem in general sensible and not least gives an inspiring personal lead in the field'. Despite wearing spectacles he was heavy run-maker in County cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
and passed 2,000 runs a season each year from 1957 to 1962, including 3,245 runs (57.94) in 1959, but his fragility against fast bowling meant that he could not hold down a regular place in the Test team. It was not his only failing as 'Mike is widely remembered...as a very unreliable runner between the wickets. Warwickshire tales of woe in this respect are numerous and I can remember a call between them in 1964 going something like "No A.C.
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...
" - Yes, Mike" - Wait A.C.
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...
" - "Damn it, Mike" - "Sorry A.C.
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...
" He was, however, a mantis
Mantis
Mantis is the common name of any insect in the order Mantodea, also commonly known as praying mantises. The word itself means "prophet" in Latin and Greek...
-like close fielder who took a record 593 catches for Warwickshire and 53 catches in 50 Tests for England. His outwardly nonchalant captaincy hid a good cricketing brain and he took a rebuilt Warwickshire side to third, fourth and second place in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in 1962-64. Smith was known as a good tourist and was made captain of the England tour of India in 1963-64 when Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
and 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...
were unavailable and without England's top bowlers Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
and Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
. He lost the toss five times in a row and had so many injuries and illnesses that in the Second Test at Madras Smith had to use three batsmen, two wicket-keepers and six bowlers. When Mickey Stewart was unable to play after the first day because of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
he seriously considered calling up the cricket journalist Henry Blofeld
Henry Blofeld
Henry Calthorpe Blofeld is a sports journalist. He is best known as a cricket commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.Blofeld had an exceptional career as a schoolboy cricketer, cut short by injury...
, but managed to survive with just 10 men. Smith became the first England captain to draw all fives Tests in a series (it was the third time India had done this) and was considered to have done well to avoid defeat. It was his best series with 306 runs (51.00) and when Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
retired after losing 1-0 to Bobby Simpson’s
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...
Australia in 1964
Australian cricket team in England in 1964
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1964 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.Australia won the series 1-0 with 4 matches drawn and therefore retained The Ashes.-Test series summary:...
Smith was made captain for England's last tour of South Africa before the Basil d'Oliveira
Basil D'Oliveira
Basil Lewis D'Oliveira CBE , known affectionately around the world as "Dolly", was a South African-born English cricketer. D'Oliveira was classified as 'coloured' under the apartheid regime, and hence barred from first-class cricket, resulting in his emigration to England...
Crisis. He won 1-0 against the talented Springboks, the last captain to defeat them in a Test series until 1996-97. He beat a weak New Zealand 3-0 and lost 1-0 to South Africa at home in 1965, but was appointed captain for the MCC tour of Australia in 1965-66 with Cowdrey as vice-captain, despite support for the Kent captain
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...
at Lords. He drew with both Australia (1-1) and New Zealand (0-0) and after losing the First Test against the West Indies in 1966
West Indian cricket team in England in 1966
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1966 season to play a five-match Test series against England. West Indies won the series 3-1 with one match drawn....
by an innings he was replaced by Cowdrey and retired at the end of the following season. Smith returned to Warwickshire in 1970 and did well enough to be recalled against Australia in 1972 before finally retiring in 1975.
Batting
England always had enough runs in the bank - this was the only MCCMarylebone 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...
tour to Australia wherein seven men had an average over 40. True, the captain's was only 17. Yet in contrast to events nine years later no one agitated for his removal.
- E.W. Swanton
Unlike the previous three tours England arrived in Australia with some capable opening batsmen, Bob Barber
Bob Barber
Robert William Barber is a former English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, Lancashire and Warwickshire from 1954 to 1969. He also played 28 Test matches for England...
, Geoff Boycott 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...
. Barber had been a simple push and run player for 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...
before transferring to M.J.K. Smith's Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire 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...
in 1963 and flowered into the most attacking opener in England. He was an excellent foil to Boycott's the more pedestrian run-making and they were the best opening pair England had had in years. Barber's 185 in five hours in the Third Test at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
- adding 234 for the first wicket with Boycott (84) - was one of E.W. Swanton's most treasured moments. Like his captain the young Boycott still wore steel-rimmed spectacles and lacked the certainty of his later years with contact lenses, but E.W. Swanton clearly remembers his 'burning ardour for the game in an age wherein even cricket is tainted with 'work to rule'.' The Fifth Test saw the worst of him, as he scored slowly, hogged the strike and ran out Bob Barber. In 1965 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...
had a First Class run of 139, 121 not out, 205 not out, 55, 96, 188, 92, 105 and 310 not out, the last innings against New Zealand in the Third Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley 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 ....
, where he hit 52 fours and 5 sixes, but M.J.K. Smith declared before he could overtake Gary Sobers record 365. In the following Test he was hit on the head by a Peter Pollock
Peter Pollock
Peter Maclean Pollock, has played a continuing role in the South Africa cricket team as a player, selector, and father of a future captain. He was voted a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1966...
bouncer and thereafter was a tenacious left-hander who made solid rather than stylish innings. Eric Russell was a graceful Scottish opener whose career was limited by the dominance of Boycott and Edrich. He was injured in the only Test he played on the tour, where he came in last and held out for 10 minutes in an unbeaten duck. 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...
had made 582 runs (72.75) in the 1962-63 Ashes series and 531 runs (75.85) in 1964
Australian cricket team in England in 1964
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1964 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.Australia won the series 1-0 with 4 matches drawn and therefore retained The Ashes.-Test series summary:...
- "batting with bulldog determination and awesome concentration". His 256 at Old Trafford remains England's highest post-war century against Australia and his Test batting average of 58.67 is easily the highest of any English batsman since 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...
. 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...
wrote with feeling "Every so often you encounter a player whose bat seem about a yard wide. It's not, of course. It just seems that way. England's 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...
was one, our own 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...
another. Gee, they were hard to dislodge". In 1965 he had been controversially dropped from the England team for taking over seven hours to make 137 against a weak New Zealand attack, but when quick runs were needed in the Fifth Test at 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...
he surprised everyone by smashing a hundred off 122 balls and bringing up the century with a six into the stands. 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...
was the most experienced England batsmen - this was the fourth of his six tours in Australia - and was a classic strokemaker whose perfect timing was a great asset on hard Australian wickets. He was accused of overly careful batting on the tour, but like Barrington hit out in the Fifth Test. Peter Parfitt
Peter Parfitt
Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....
was a pleasing young Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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...
batsman who had toured in 1962-63, but who never really succeeded against Australia and did not play in any of the Tests. The captain M.J.K. Smith enjoyed playing against the state and country sides, but was the only batsmen who failed to cash in on a weak Australian attack and never passed 50 in the Tests. John Murray
John Murray (cricketer)
John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...
and Jim Parks were both decent wicket-keeper-batsmen, and Parks played in all five Tests due to his superior batting, hitting 3 sixes and 4 fours in his 52 in the First Test. Barry Knight was a big-hitting all rounder who enjoyed thumping county sides and weak Test attacks like India and New Zealand, but struggled against Australia. 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...
had proved to be a real find in 1962-63, and improved upon his reputation, making three 50s in the series and averaging 64.50 even though he batted a number 9. He took guard outside the leg-stump, giving the bowler a clean view of the wicket, but moved over quickly and batted solidly. David Allen
David Allen (cricketer)
David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...
was another spinning all-rounder and made an unbeaten 50 in the Tests, but otherwise failed.
Bowling
Of MCC'sMarylebone 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...
cluster of fastish bowlers Brown was laid low with bursitisBursitisBursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae of synovial fluid in the body. The bursae rest at the points where internal functionaries, such as muscles and tendons, slide across bone. Healthy bursae create a smooth, almost frictionless functional gliding surface making normal movement painless...
, or a sort of house-maid's knee of the elbow, David LarterDavid LarterJohn Larter is a former Scottish cricketer, who played in ten Tests for England from 1962 to 1965....
, that tall, pleasant if somewhat remote young man who enjoys the unique distinction of having toured Australia twice with the MCC without being chosen for a Test Match, could only bowl half-pace because of a strained side, while Ken HiggsKen HiggsFor the American basketball player, see Kenny Higgs.Ken Higgs was an English fast-medium bowler, who was most successful as the opening partner to Brian Statham with Lancashire in the 1960s...
, faithful trier if ever there was one but who looked a little plain on Australian pitches, had picked up a chill...so the England fast attack consisted perforce of JonesJeff Jones (cricketer)Jeff Jones is a former Welsh cricketer, who took forty-four wickets in fifteen Tests for England from 1964 to 1968....
and Knight, the latter until a few weeks previously having been vegetating quietly down in EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Thank goodness Boycott was fit again, it was seriously said, as his bowling might well be useful!
- E.W. Swanton
The retirement of England's great new-ball partnership of Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
and Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
left a yawning gap in the England attack. The fast 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...
would take 31 wickets (22.83) in the 1970–71 Ashes series
1970–71 Ashes series
-Preliminaries:Ray and Bill dragged dedication around Australia for 103 days last summer...they dragged it from Brisbane to Perth and back across the Nullabor to the eastern capitals as if it was their last dollar...
, but he was not chosen for the tour and went to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to play club cricket. Brown was 6'4" tall and was noted for his steep bounce and was regarded as England's best new ball bowler, his 5/63 forced Australia to follow on in the Third Test at Sydney
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...
. The Scottish seamer David Larter
David Larter
John Larter is a former Scottish cricketer, who played in ten Tests for England from 1962 to 1965....
was even taller at 6' 7" and had a ridiculously long run, but he lacked self-confidence, and an ankle injury on the tour ended his career. Jeff Jones
Jeff Jones (cricketer)
Jeff Jones is a former Welsh cricketer, who took forty-four wickets in fifteen Tests for England from 1964 to 1968....
was a Welsh left-arm bowler of genuine pace and the father of Simon Jones
Simon Jones (cricketer)
Simon Philip Jones MBE is a Welsh cricketer, who played internationally for England. Formerly playing his county cricket for Glamorgan County Cricket Club and then Worcestershire before moving in September 2009 to Hampshire. He is currently on a month's loan with his first county, Glamorgan...
he took 6/118 in the Fourth Test, but troubled the umpires by running on the pitch and was not really of Test class. Ken Higgs
Ken Higgs
For the American basketball player, see Kenny Higgs.Ken Higgs was an English fast-medium bowler, who was most successful as the opening partner to Brian Statham with Lancashire in the 1960s...
revived his career in 1965 as Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
's new ball partner for 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...
and took 4/47 and 4/96 against the powerful South African batting at the Oval
The Oval
The 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...
in 1965. Due to stomach cramps he was not used much in Australia, but took 17 wickets (9.23) in New Zealand, then 24 wickets (25.45) back home against the West Indies. With England's bowlers laid low, the all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
Barry Knight was called up. A veteran of the 1962–63 Ashes series
1962–63 Ashes series
-Preliminaries:Predictions that the batting would prove superior to the bowling and that the first Test might well be left unfinished were certainly justified; and yet there were three times when one side or the other might have gained a winning advantage...there was some very brilliant batting,...
, he liked to drop the ball short, but lacked the pace to worry the Australians. Even so he took 4/84 in the Second Test when the hosts were out for 358 on a flat wicket. Geoff Boycott was a useful medium-paced bowler in his youth, known to wear his cap backwards as he bowled, and was used as the third new ball bowler in the Third and Fourth Tests. David Allen
David Allen (cricketer)
David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...
and 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...
returned after their successful tour in 1962–63, but were only useful on the famous spinning wicket at Sydney
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...
, taking 4/47 and 4/40 in the second innings of England's victory. Elsewhere they were expensive and could only be used for containment. 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...
had started life as a leg-spinner and was a good bowler at club level, as was Bob Barber
Bob Barber
Robert William Barber is a former English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, Lancashire and Warwickshire from 1954 to 1969. He also played 28 Test matches for England...
, and commentators thought they should have been used more widely considering England's poor attack, but Smith only tried them when a draw was a foregone conclusion.
Fielding
England rarely matched Australia in the sharpness of their fielding, but they were not noted for being slack either. John MurrayJohn Murray (cricketer)
John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...
was an old friend of 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...
and kept wicket to him for Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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...
. He was recognised as the best glovesman in England, but was kept out of the Test team because he was not as good a batsman as his rivals. Jim Parks was the son of the all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
Jim Parks and father of the wicketkeeper Bobby Parks
Bobby Parks
Bobby Ray Parks is an American professional basketball player from Grand Junction, Tennessee. He played for Memphis State University during the 1980s and played internationally in France and the Philippines...
. A veteran who had been kept out of the England team by 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...
Parks was a fair batsman, but missed a vital stumping off Peter Burge that cost England a chance of winning the Second Test. In the slips there was 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...
, who would take a record 120 Test match catches, M.J.K. Smith was a noted close fielder who rarely missed a chance 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...
took 58 catches for England. Peter Parfitt
Peter Parfitt
Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....
was regarded as one of the best first slips in England, but did not play in the Tests and 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...
was a famous chatterbox with a habit of taking catches in mid-conversation. Geoff Boycott was a sluggish outfielder in his younger days, but worked on this aspect of his game until he could throw the ball in with accuracy from the boundary.
Touring team
| Test Statistics of England Team in 1965-66 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | County | Age | Role | Tests | Runs | Highest | Average | 100s | 50s | Ct | St | Wickets | Best | Average | 5 Wt | 10 Wt |
| S.C Griffith | Kent Sussex County Cricket Club Sussex 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... |
51 | Manager | 3 | 157 | 140 | 31.40 | 1 | 5 | |||||||
| J.T. Ikin Jack Ikin John Thomas Ikin, known as Jack Ikin was an English cricketer, who played in eighteen Tests from 1946 to 1955... |
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... |
47 | Assistant Manager | 16 | 606 | 60 | 20.89 | 3 | 31 | 3 | 1/38 | 118.00 | ||||
| Unknown | Scorer Scorer A scorer in the sport of cricket is someone appointed to record all runs scored, all wickets taken and, where appropriate, number of overs bowled. In professional games, in compliance with the Laws of Cricket, two scorers are appointed, most often one provided by each team.The scorers have no say... and Baggageman |
|||||||||||||||
| J. Jennings | Psychotherapist | |||||||||||||||
| R.W. Barber Bob Barber Robert William Barber is a former English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, Lancashire and Warwickshire from 1954 to 1969. He also played 28 Test matches for England... |
Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire 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... |
33 | 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... |
28 | 1495 | 185 | 35.59 | 1 | 9 | 21 | 42 | 4/132 | 43.00 | |||
| 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... |
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... |
28 | 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... |
77 | 5138 | 310* 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... |
43.54 | 12 | 24 | 43 | 0/6 | |||||
| G. Boycott | Yorkshire Yorkshire County Cricket Club Yorkshire 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.... |
25 | 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... |
108 | 8114 | 246* 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... |
47.72 | 22 | 42 | 33 | 7 | 3/47 | 54.57 | |||
| W.E. Russell | Middlesex Middlesex County Cricket Club Middlesex 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... |
29 | 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... |
10 | 362 | 70 | 21.29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0/19 | |||||
| P.H. Parfitt Peter Parfitt Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk.... |
Middlesex Middlesex County Cricket Club Middlesex 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... |
24 | Left-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... |
37 | 1882 | 131* 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... |
40.91 | 7 | 6 | 42 | 12 | 2/5 | 47.83 | |||
| K.F. 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... |
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... |
34 | 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... |
82 | 6806 | 256 | 58.67 | 20 | 35 | 58 | 29 | 3/4 | 44.82 | |||
| 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... (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... |
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... |
32 | 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... |
114 | 7624 | 182 | 44.06 | 22 | 38 | 120 | ||||||
| M.J.K. Smith (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... |
Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire 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... |
32 | 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... |
50 | 2278 | 121 | 31.63 | 3 | 11 | 53 | 1 | 1/10 | 128.00 | |||
| J.T. Murray John Murray (cricketer) John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:... |
Middlesex Middlesex County Cricket Club Middlesex 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... |
30 | Wicket-Keeper Wicket-keeper The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike... |
21 | 506 | 112 | 22.00 | 1 | 2 | 52 | 3 | |||||
| J.M. Parks | Sussex Sussex County Cricket Club Sussex 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... |
34 | Wicket-Keeper Wicket-keeper The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike... |
46 | 1962 | 108* 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... |
32.16 | 2 | 9 | 103 | 11 | 1 | 1/43 | 51.00 | ||
| I.J. Jones Jeff Jones (cricketer) Jeff Jones is a former Welsh cricketer, who took forty-four wickets in fifteen Tests for England from 1964 to 1968.... |
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... |
23 | Left-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... |
15 | 38 | 16 | 4.75 | 4 | 44 | 6/118 | 40.20 | 1 | ||||
| D.J. Brown | Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire 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... |
23 | 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... |
26 | 342 | 44* 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... |
11.79 | 7 | 79 | 5/42 | 28.31 | 2 | ||||
| K. Higgs Ken Higgs For the American basketball player, see Kenny Higgs.Ken Higgs was an English fast-medium bowler, who was most successful as the opening partner to Brian Statham with Lancashire in the 1960s... |
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... |
28 | 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... |
15 | 185 | 63 | 11.56 | 4 | 71 | 6/91 | 20.74 | 2 | ||||
| B.R. Knight | Essex Essex County Cricket Club Essex 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... |
27 | 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... |
29 | 812 | 127 | 26.19 | 2 | 14 | 70 | 4/38 | 31.75 | ||||
| J.D.F. Larter David Larter John Larter is a former Scottish cricketer, who played in ten Tests for England from 1962 to 1965.... |
Northants Northamptonshire County Cricket Club Northamptonshire 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... |
25 | 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... |
10 | 16 | 10 | 3.20 | 5 | 37 | 5/57 | 25.43 | 2 | ||||
| D.A. Allen David Allen (cricketer) David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:... |
Glos Gloucestershire County Cricket Club Gloucestershire 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.... |
30 | 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... |
39 | 918 | 88 | 25.50 | 5 | 10 | 122 | 5/30 | 30.97 | 4 | |||
| 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... |
Middlesex Middlesex County Cricket Club Middlesex 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... |
32 | 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... |
53 | 1449 | 84* 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... |
22.29 | 10 | 35 | 153 | 7/79 | 32.22 | 7 |
First Test - Brisbane
See Main Article - 1965-66 Ashes seriesSecond Test - Melbourne
See Main Article - 1965-66 Ashes seriesThird Test - Sydney
See Main Article - 1965-66 Ashes seriesFourth Test - Adelaide
See Main Article - 1965-66 Ashes seriesFifth Test - Melbourne
See Main Article - 1965-66 Ashes seriesExternal sources
Further reading
- Geoffrey BoycottGeoffrey BoycottGeoffrey Boycott OBE is a former Yorkshire and England cricketer. In a prolific and sometimes controversial playing career from 1962 to 1986, Boycott established himself as one of England's most successful opening batsmen...
, Boycott: The Autobiography, Pan Books, 2006 - Colin CowdreyColin CowdreyMichael 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...
, M. C. C. The Autobiography of a Cricketer, Coronet Books, 1977 - Bill FrindallBill FrindallWilliam Howard Frindall, MBE was an English cricket scorer and statistician. He was familiar to cricket followers from his appearances on the BBC Radio 4 programme Test Match Special, nicknamed the Bearded Wonder by Brian Johnston for his ability to research the most obscure cricketing facts in...
, The Wisden Book of Test Cricket 1877-1978, Wisden, 1979 - Chris Harte, A History of Australian Cricket, Andre Deutsch, 1993
- Ken Kelly and David Lemmon, Cricket Reflections: Five Decades of Cricket Photographs, Heinemann, 1985
- Mark Peel, The Last Roman: A Biography of Colin CowdreyColin CowdreyMichael 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...
, Andre Deutsch Ltd, 1999 - Ray Robinson, On Top Down Under, Cassell, 1975
- E.W. Swanton(ed), The Barclays World of Cricket, Collins, 1986