The Ashes

by John Miller

  Greig was made captain for the Lord’s Test in which England showed more resilience but were unable to press home the advantage in the fourth innings as Australia played out a draw. The Test marked the debut of Michael Angelow, who became England’s first Test match streaker. The third Test at Leeds was abandoned with the match interestingly poised going into the final day. England set up a big lead with 288 and 291. Australia scored 135 in its first innings but Rick McCosker (95 not out) and Ian Chappell showed the way as they made it to 3–220 at the end of the fourth day. That night vandals gouged the pitch and poured crude oil over it in an attempt to draw attention to an alleged judicial injustice.

  Australia made certain of holding their lead by finishing the first day in the fourth and final Test of the series at the Oval at 1–280. Captain Ian Chappell made 192, and McCosker 127 as the tourists declared at 9–532. There was a change in the weather on the third day and in poor light and drizzle England laboured to 8–169, making just 22 more the next morning. Following on 341 behind and in better conditions England made a better fist of it. Showing plenty of patience, England made 538 by the sixth day. Bob Woolmer’s drive to the boundary on the sixth morning brought up his century in 396 minutes.

  The Centenary Test

  A one-off Test in Melbourne in March 1977, to celebrate the centenary of Test cricket, resulted in a fairytale result with Australia beating England by exactly the same margin, 45 runs, as the first Test in Melbourne. The Test was celebrated in grand style and enjoyed by the 247,873 spectators. The presence of almost 200 former Test cricketers might have reduced the match to exhibition status and after two days with Australia 3–104 batting a second time, there were doubts it would last beyond three days. An exhibition match was mooted to fill the time and to welcome Queen Elizabeth II on the fifth day, but the pitch and players settled and the match lasted until a thrilling final day.

  After Australian captain Greg Chappell tossed, Greig called correctly by sending in the hosts. Their destruction for 138 was made certain by wild stroke play and brilliant catching. The captain hit 40 while McCosker was bowled off his jaw by Willis, the resulting fracture rendering him an unlikely starter in the second innings.

  On the second day Lillee (6–26) and Walker demolished England for 95. Wicket-keeper Marsh passed Wally Grout’s all Tests Australian total of 187 dismissals while Knott passed the English keeping record of 84 Australian wickets. By the end of day three the Australian batsmen had put their side 430 ahead with two wickets left. On Test debut, David Hookes stroked five fours in an over from Greig while Marsh was within five of the first Ashes century by an Australian keeper. The following day he went on to 110 not out while a bandaged McCosker came in at number ten and made 25. Chappell declared at 9–419 an hour before lunch with England needing 463. By the end of the day they were some way towards the improbable target at 2–191 with Ashes debutante Derek Randall on 87 and Amiss 34.

  On the final day the third wicket stand reached 166 before Amiss fell, Randall having reached his century. Soon after he was felled by a lifting delivery from Lillee only to spring back upright with a grin and a rub of the head. With his departure for 174 the end was predictable, and when Lillee (5–139) trapped Knott lbw, England had lost but given an admirable effort.

  World Series Cricket

  The euphoria was soon forgotten, as within weeks it transpired that while the Centenary Test was being played moves were afoot to set up a ‘commercial cricket circus’ involving almost all the Australians, key English players and dozens from other countries. In the 1970s many players believed they were grossly underpaid and wanted to see changes made to a game they believed was becoming set in its ways. Their rumblings about keeping jobs and making ends meet while playing Test cricket coincided with Australian media baron Kerry Packer’s irritation at the intransigent behaviour of the Australian Cricket Board, which would not let him buy exclusive television rights to Tests. Packer and many players formed a breakaway system called World Series Cricket (WSC) that saw players paid more and the game commercialised for television purposes.

  The WSC ‘revolution’ disjointed international cricket with separate international competitions played and most of the best players contracted to WSC. Despite the scepticism of many experts, who believed WSC and its focus on the one-day game could be the death of Test cricket, the traditions associated with Tests overcame the setbacks; today—thanks also to the increased flow of money, the influence of one-day cricket and the influx of new supporters it has brought—Test cricket has never been stronger. England’s dynamic Ian Botham also helped refocus attention on Tests.

  Chapter 8

  SWASHBUCKLING BOTHAM

  In 1977, a few months after the World Series Cricket ‘revolution’, the Australian team, including thirteen with WSC contracts, toured England. The drawn first Test at Lord’s, staged to commemorate the 25-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II, saw Mike Brearley as England captain, replacing Tony Greig who was stood down for his WSC involvement. Bob Willis took his Test best of 7–78 in Australia’s first innings while Bob Woolmer scored 120.

  Woolmer was again to the fore in England’s nine-wicket win at Old Trafford, scoring 137. They repeated the dose in the third Test by seven wickets. The match featured the comeback of Geoff Boycott after three years of self-imposed exile and the Test debut of Ian Botham, who took 5–74 in Australia’s first innings of 243. Knott’s score of 135 in England’s first innings was the highest by an English wicketkeeper against Australia while Boycott was the first player to bat on each day of a five-day Ashes Test. At Leeds England confidently regained the Ashes, and the Oval Test was drawn thanks mainly to the weather.

  Australian fears that the 1978–79 team, depleted by the WSC exodus, would be no match for England without Knott, Underwood, Greig and Woolmer, were borne out in the opening session in Brisbane, when captain Graham Yallop won the toss and batted. Australia was 6–26 before the lower order dragged them to 126. England also struggled against new paceman Rodney Hogg (6–74) but the effort of Derek Randall with 75 took them to 286. When three second-innings wickets were lost for 49 Australia seemed doomed, but then came the sturdy resistance of Kim Hughes (129) and Yallop (102), whose century marked a unique feat in that it was by a player not only in his first Ashes Test, but captaining his side. England’s target was 170 and at 3–74 it looked tricky but Randall (74 not out) and David Gower (48 not out) saw them home.

  England went two up in Perth and Gower went even better with 102 in a first innings of 309 in which Hogg took 5–65. Australia’s batting was abysmal as Willis took 5–44. Hogg’s 5–57 restricted England to 208 in its second innings but the lead of 327 proved too much. The victory that gave Australia new hope was secured in Melbourne and inspired by a painstaking century to opener Graeme Wood as well as Hogg, who took ten for the match. Alan Border, on debut, made 29 and a duck. England returned to its winning ways in Sydney, despite Boycott being dismissed first ball for the only time in his Test career. This was the first Ashes series to feature protective helmets and it was probably just as well for Botham, who was struck while fielding close to the wicket, chipping his helmet.

  In Adelaide Yallop sent England in and his fast bowlers reduced them to 5–27 before Botham (74) saw them to 169. Australia was stunned when the fifth ball of the innings from Willis struck Rick Darling just above the heart and he collapsed. He was taken to hospital but later returned to the field. Botham took 4–42 as Australia trailed by five and when England had slid to 6–132 it seemed a thriller was developing, but a seventh wicket stand of 135 by Geoff Miller and wicket-keeper Bob Taylor took them to 360. England’s all-round superiority was again shown as Australia was dismissed for 160.

  England completed its biggest ever series win over Australia, 5–1, with ease in the Sydney Test. For the eighth and ninth times in the series Australia failed to score 200 while opening bowlers Hogg and Alan Hurst both set records: Hogg completed his first series with 41 wickets, an Ashes record, while
Hurst made six ducks, the most by a batsman in a single Test series. The cry across Australia was in favour of unifying the game and sending the best eleven cricketers into the field.

  Back together

  WSC and the Australian Cricket Board reached a truce in May 1979 with the board agreeing to increase players’ payments, grant exclusive television rights and introduce more one-day cricket. The game then needed to restore its credibility. A three-way series of one-day matches involving Australia, England and the West Indies was scheduled and three Tests each against England and the West Indies were to be played by Australia. The six-ball over was restored after 46 years of eight-ball overs.

  Australia won this home series 3–0 but authorities at Lord’s regarded it as makeshift and declared that the Ashes were not at stake. Lillee hit the headlines in Perth when he scored Test cricket’s only runs with an aluminium bat, which was thereafter banned. At the MCG Graham Gooch (99) became the fifth player in the series to finish in the nineties, while Botham (119 not out) hit his maiden Test century against Australia.

  The only Test of the 1980 tour to England was at Lord’s to celebrate the centenary of Test cricket in England. Ten hours were lost to rain and the Test was drawn. Wood scored 112 while Hughes (117) became the first Australian to bat on all five days of a Test. Needing 370 in 350 minutes, England was content to see the match through to a chorus of slow handclaps. There were some ugly scenes in the Lord’s Long Room when umpires and captains were jostled by members frustrated at the long delay caused by poor covering of the wicket square.

  While Botham captured the imagination of the cricket world with his all-round displays and had earned the appreciation of selectors by being made Test captain, it was his Herculean efforts in the 1981 series that gave him legendary status. Single-handedly he turned around a series which Australia appeared to have won after three of the six Tests, and in the history of the Ashes only Don Bradman’s performances in the 1936–37 series would rank higher.

  The first Test at Nottingham was the first in England with play on a Sunday and the first without a rest day. Terry Alderman took nine wickets on his Australian Test debut while the inclusion of Trevor Chappell represented the first instance of three brothers having played Test cricket for Australia. Hughes won his first Test as captain against England by four wickets. The Lord’s Test was drawn and was Botham’s final match as captain as he was replaced by Brearley after an unhappy reign of four defeats and eight draws.

  All-round hero

  The Leeds Test saw Botham at his best, giving England an 18-run win. Australia made 9–401 (Botham 6–95) and then bundled England out for 174 (Botham 50). Following on and with the side at 5–105, Botham blasted his way to 149 not out with his century coming off 87 balls. He took England to 356 and became the first England player to score a century and take five wickets in an innings of an Ashes match. After holding a 227-run lead on the first innings, Australia faced a target of 130 for victory. Willis, motivated by Botham, took 8–43 as Australia was all out for 111.

  After being criticised for his weight, his form, his apparent lack of leadership and his attitude, Botham was suddenly a national hero; he was just the sort of player the English loved to see beat the Aussies. Botham was six years old when he told his parents he was going to be a professional sportsman. At nine he was playing with adults in Somerset and at twelve made the Yeovil Second XI. A year later he captained the under-sixteen team at Buckler’s Mead Secondary School and was soon picked for the Somerset schools team. At fifteen he was just as keen on soccer and Crystal Palace wanted to sign him, but his ultimate desire lay with cricket.

  Botham spent two seasons as a Lord’s ground staff boy and continued to develop but without recognition, particularly of his bowling. His determination was strong and his attitude was that he would ‘show them’. Botham was blooded in two Sunday league games for Somerset at the end of 1973 and made the step up to first-class cricket in 1974 at age eighteen. His effort in a one-day quarter-final against Hampshire typified his career: he bowled the best batsman in county cricket at the time, South African Barry Richards, and then came in at 7–113 with fifteen overs to go and 70 to win. West Indian Andy Roberts, the fastest bowler in England that year, hit him in the mouth with a bouncer and the helmet-less Botham spat out blood and teeth, continued and dominated the final overs, hitting the winning runs. In 102 Tests he scored 5200 runs at 33.54, took 383 wickets at 28.40 and made 120 catches.

  Following the Leeds miracle, a demoralised Australian team ran into a spirited England in Birmingham and lost by 29, as Botham demolished them in the second innings, taking 5–1. In Manchester, Border made an unbeaten 123 batting with an injured finger but his efforts were not enough to save Australia, who lost by 103. Botham’s 118 included six sixes.

  Australia regained the Ashes 2–1 in the 1982–83 series at home. After capturing a record 42 wickets in the 1981 series, Alderman claimed one in this as he was forced out of the first Test in Perth after dislocating his shoulder when he tackled a spectator who had run onto the ground. Australia took the lead with a seven-wicket win in Brisbane. On debut the South African-born Kepler Wessels scored 162 and Marsh took an Ashes record of six catches in the second innings. Greg Chappell made his ninth and final hundred against England in Adelaide as Australia won by eight wickets. The visitors won a thriller in Melbourne by three runs.

  Alan Border’s touring side of 1985 lost the Ashes as England won three Tests and Australia one. England won at Headingley, with Tim Robinson scoring 175 in his first Ashes Test. Australia levelled the series with a four-wicket win at Lord’s, Border scoring 43 per cent of the side’s runs. The Nottingham Test was drawn with English captain Gower (166), Wood (172) and Greg Ritchie (146) scoring centuries. The Manchester Test was also drawn with Mike Gatting (160) scoring his first Test century at home. Gower helped secure an innings victory in Birmingham, making 215, assisted by swing bowler Richard Ellison, who took ten wickets. Gower continued in the sixth Test, taking part in his second successive triple-century partnership and steering England to another innings victory. Gooch (196) hit his maiden Ashes century and Gower made 157.

  England retained the Ashes by winning the 1986–87 series in Australia 2–1. Another Botham assault, in his final series, helped England to a seven-wicket win in Brisbane; in the first innings he belted 138, including 22 runs in one over. The Perth Test was drawn with some big scores tallied, including Chris Broad (162), Bill Athey (96) Gower (136) and keeper Jack Richards (133) for England and Border (125) for the hosts. The series then moved on to Adelaide where spectators were treated to a unique sight—a woman had taken her ironing board to the ground and took the time to iron her clothes in between deliveries. After a draw in Adelaide, England retained the Ashes with an innings victory in Melbourne with Broad (112) scoring his third hundred in successive Tests. Australia saved face with a 55-run win in Sydney, a Test which marked the surprise selection of New South Wales off-spinner Peter Taylor after six first-class appearances. He justified the headlines ‘Peter who?’ by taking 6–78. It was Australia’s first victory in fifteen Tests and marked the start of a long period of Australian domination. A one-off Test was played at the SCG in 1988 to commemorate Australia’s Bicentenary. Broad scored 139 in the drawn match while David Boon hit 184 not out.

  Australia dominant

  Border’s team toured England in 1989 and won four Tests, the first of eight successive Ashes series victories. Australia won in Leeds by 210, highlighted by an effortless display from Steve Waugh. His 177 not out was his maiden Test century, while Mark Taylor scored 136 and Alderman took ten wickets. Australia won by six wickets at Lord’s as Waugh scored 152 and 21, both not out, taking his series aggregate to 350 without being dismissed. The Birmingham Test, in which Angus Fraser became the first English bowler to dismiss Waugh, was drawn. Australia regained the Ashes in Manchester with a nine-wicket win. They pushed home the advantage in Nottingham by an innings and 180 runs with Geoff Marsh making 138 an
d Taylor 219. The sixth Test at the Oval was drawn but not before Australia had made 468 in its first innings, passing 400 in the first innings of all six Tests.

  England again failed to win a match in the 1990–91 series. Brisbane was a low-scoring Test, England making 194 and 114 and Australia 152 and 0–157. The home side, captained by Border for a record twentieth time, went two up in Melbourne in a match that belonged to Australia’s Bruce Reid for his hauls of 6–97 and 7–51. Gower made a century in the first innings and a duck in the second, his first in 119 innings against all countries. The drawn third Test was not helped by slow scoring; English opener Mike Atherton’s first Test century against Australia took 424 minutes, the slowest in Ashes history, while Australian bowler Carl Rackemann took 72 minutes to score his first run. Steve Waugh’s twin brother Mark was finally given a chance at Test level in the drawn Adelaide match at the expense of Steve and did not disappoint, scoring 138. They were the first twins to play Test cricket. Australia made it three wins in Perth as Craig McDermott took 8–97.

  Chapter 9

  THE SPIN MAGICIAN

  Australia won the 1993 Ashes series in England 4–1 in a series best remembered as the debut of Australian leg spinner Shane Warne. He delivered the most famous delivery in cricket history with his first ball in an Ashes Test. That ball curled with a left-to-right drift and landed well outside former captain Mike Gatting’s leg stump. Gatting lunged forward to block it but the ball gripped, spun and darted behind him, clipping the off stump. It had spun about 58 centimetres back and Gatting stood frozen for what seemed an eternity, before finally walking. Since then Warne has taken more than 700 Test wickets and bowled thousands of amazing deliveries, though none as famous as the first.