Ashes History - 1946-1970
[1861-1914 |
1921-1938 |
1970-Present]
by Jeff Green
1946/47
Australia are in a much better shape for this series than England where little serious
cricket has taken place on which to select the touring party.
and many cricketers are still in uniform or of doubtful fitness.
Many, of course, on each side had lost much of their cricket career.
Even among survivors of the war, some are now too old to start or
will take too long to regain fitness.
Hedley Verity would surely have been on the tour but had died in action in 1943.
There was though a great determination that cricket should resume at all
levels as quickly as possible and some new players are on tour.
Hammond
retains the captaincy but his involvement is perhaps best forgotten.
Doubts had been expressed about
Bradman,
at 38, but these are soon dispelled and with the emergence of new bowlers
Australia are clearly the stronger side.
A novelty for Australia was that the tests were limited to 6 days,
so draws would be possible.
The last test of 1938 was
Australia's heaviest ever defeat in these matches.
The first of 1946-7 is their biggest ever victory.
Bradman
survives a nervous start and a very good looking
appeal for a catch at slip leads the way, with help from
Hassett
McCool and
Miller.
To give Australia a good looking score. England had no answer to
Miller in the first and
Toshack
in the second on a pitch made unplayable by 2 inches of rain.
Edrich
makes 16 in 105 minutes, an innings which reminded those who had seen it of
Hammond's
32 at Brisbane 10 years earlier. The effects of a still more extreme storm, with
gale force winds and hail during which the covers and stumps float away,
are somehow cleared away and the English have nowhere to hide.
The second test:- England's batsmen attempt to play the
flighted spin of
Johnson and
McCool
from the crease with disasterous effect.
Edrich
has a good game, his 71 in the 1st innings precedes 119 in the second.
In between however
Bradman and
Barnes
(234 each) take
Australia to another huge score. At 247/3 England look likely to hold on
for a draw but
Hammond
fails again and an innings defeat could not be avoided. In Australia' 659/8 dec
Evans
does not concede a bye.
England start the third test well, despite injuries to
Voce
and
Edrich,
and reduce Australia to 192/6, before
McCool's century
rallies the tail. A patchy England innings keeps them in touch.
Morris
is the hero of the first half of Australia's second innings and then
Lindwall's
century shows that he is not just a promising fast bowler.
Bradman
has yet to work out the subtleties of time limited cricket under
Australian conditions and 551 is much too large a target for England.
A century opening stand between
Washbrook (112) and
Hutton
makes the draw look the likeliest outcome but wickets fall steadily until
Bedser
and
Yardley,
with the help of a short rain delay, see out time.
Hammond
passes
Grace's
39 catches in Ashes tests in this Test.
The 4th Test - another test where the bat rules the ball.
Hutton
and
Washbrook
again start England off with a century stand, as they do again in the second innings.
Against some very fast and usually short pitched bowling from
Miller
and
Lindwall.
Compton
scores an imposing hundred and a good score was achieved (it would have been
more but
Lindwall
took the last 3 England wickets in 4 balls).
Hassett and
Morris
grind out the foundations of a strong reply which is completed by a
cavalier unbeaten century from
Miller,
picked largely for his bowling.
England's 2nd innings was less impressive although
Compton
scores another good, unusually defensive, century.
Evans
plays a remarkable innings defending for 95 minutes before scoring the
first of his 10 runs. After the declaration Australia do
not chase the target instead
Morris
makes his second hundred of the match, and third in a row, as he and
Bradman
play out a tame draw. This was
Hammond's
final test and he looks quite out of his depth.
A closely fought match on a difficult pitch marks
Yardley's
first test in charge.
Edrich and
Hutton
add 150 for the second wicket but the
second day is rained off.
Hutton
is stricken with tonsilitis on the rest day and cannot continue.
The remaining England batsmen are blown away by
Lindwall.
Although the pitch is not easy, Australia
start with a century stand between
Barnes and
Morris.
Bedser
takes both their wickets then
Wright bowling slower than his usual pace
presents his side with an unlikely first innings lead.
Lindwall has
Fishlock
out lbw with the first ball of England's second innings and only
Compton
seems to be able to play
McCool's
leg breaks and googlies.
England's bowlers fight well but
Bradman and
Hassett
make enough to allow
Miller
to bludgeon Australia to victory with a day and 5 wickets to spare.
Australia 3 England 0.
1948
One of the strongest ever teams to leave Australia goes undefeated throughout the tour.
Bradman
is feted everywhere on his final tour.
Lindwall and
Miller
are a fearsome as an opening attack with the not
inconsiderable skill of
Johnston
to follow. England have the nucleus of a good side.
Yardley
is a shrewd captain;
Compton and
Edrich have
displayed their great batting talents
the previous season.
Bedser
is the best fast medium bowler in the world, and in the right conditions almost
unplayable,
Hutton
is the best opening batsman since
Hobbs and
Washbrook
an ideal partner.
Laker
is yet to be become the force he will be in later years but shows great promise.
Some other selections are to say the least questionable.
It appeared unlikely that England can make anything of the first test when
Johnston
reduces them to 74/8 but
Bedser and
Laker
more than double the total. Australia have few problems amassing a huge lead led by
Bradman and
Hassett.
England's second knock is much better but frequent breaks for rain and bad
light do not help them.
Lindwall and
Miller
bowl too short and
Compton
masters the tricky conditions until he is out hit wicket avoiding a
Miller.
bouncer. The lead when England are finally all out
though is small and Australia easily negotiate an 8 wicket win.
England start better at Lord's but
Australia's depth of batting proves decisive.
An injury to
Miller
prevents him bowling, but
Lindwall's pace
Johnston's
swing and Johnson's
offspin all cause problems. Australia with
Barnes
sharing century stands with
Morris and
Bradman
declared with a lead of almost 600.
Toshack
ensured England fell over 400 short.
Old Trafford for the 3rd test.
Compton
top-edges a ball from
Lindwall
into his forehead and retires hurt.
He returns with the score 119/5 with the outer man stitched and the inner man "fortified".
From that point on he shines. A stand of 121 with
Bedser
and runs with all his other partners gives a personal 145* and 363 for his team.
Pollard
pull drives a ball at
Barnes
fielding at silly mid-on results in
Barnes
being unable to open the innings for Australia.
Bedser and
Pollard
exploit the lack of a regular opener and Australia do not recover.
Hutton
has been dropped and replaced by
Emmett
who looks out of his depth and fails in each innings so
Washbrook and
Edrich
are left to build the lead. With an advantage of over 300 England
dared to hope for a win, but Australia reach 94/1 when rain ended the match.
On to Headingley and one of the most remarkable games
in the whole Ashes history.
Hutton and
Washbrook
give England a great start with a century opening stand.
Washbrook is
joined by
Edrich for another.
When
Washbrook is out
Bedser
comes in as nightwatchman and is unbeaten until 3:30 in the afternoon of the next day.
423/2 should lead to an enormous score but it was
not to be and England are dismissed just shy of 500,
still a mountain for the Australians to climb. The first 2 Australian wickets go
cheaply, including
Bradman
failing at Headingley!
Harvey then joins
Miller
and they set about a recovery that
keeps England's lead to less than 40. First
Washbrook and
Hutton then
Compton and
Edrich contribute
rapid century stands to give England a lead of exactly 400 with a day to play.
So Australia are set 404 in just 15 minutes under a full day's play.
Such a score had never been made to win a test match and the pitch is taking spin.
England are not without problems, with
Evans missing stumping
Morris,
Crapp dropping
Bradman, the
lack of a second specialist spinner and
Laker's
troubles with his length.
When
Morris
is out after a remarkable partnership of 301
the result that had seemed impossible
a few hours before is now inevitable.
Bradman's 173*
gives him 963 runs in 4 matches at Headingley at an average of 192.
He scored a century in every test he played on the ground.
This is his 29th test century and he needs just 4 more runs for
7000 in tests at an average of over 100.
The weather intervenes in the final Test.
A sodden pitch proves unplayable and England are
humiliatingly dismissed for 52
(Lindwall 6 wickets).
The pitch is easier and the bowling less deadly when Australia bat.
They have a lead of 65 when
Bradman comes
in to a standing ovation
for his final test innings.
An aggressive field sees
Bradman push his first ball, bowled by
Hollies,
to silly mid off. His second he misses.
No one before or since has received a standing ovation of such intensity
after a 2 ball innings for 0.
Morris
leads Australia to a commanding lead, and on a poor wicket, ultimately a winning one.
Only
Hutton
(last out in the first innings), looks like scoring runs although
Compton
stays for a while. With over a day to spare
the "best of all touring teams" had wins by an innings to take the series 4-0.
Australia 4 England 0.
1950/51
But for Compton's
terrible form and a couple of questionable pieces
of captaincy this should have been a close series. The England team were not
the underprepared team of 4 years earlier and the Australians not quite so
strong. The first two games were close but went Australia's way. In the third
Injuries wrecked England's bowling attack. Overall though England's bowling was too dependant on
Bedser
in magnificent form and Hutton
who hardly failed
even in the very worst conditions. Iverson, a large 35 year old with just 1
year's first class experience who held the ball between middle finger and
thumb and could spin it either way with no visible change, took 21 wickets at
under 16 each.
The first test, at Brisbane, started with Australia dismissed on a good pitch
for what seemed an inadequate score with
Bedser
taking 4/45. After rain washed
out the second day the pitch was completely different. Johnson taking 5/35
before England declared at 68/7 Hutton
having been held back for the pitch to
improve was 8 not out. Australia were in still worse trouble Bailey (4/22) and
Bedser were unplayable and Australia declared at 32/7 to try to beat the
tourists before conditions changed. At the close England were 30/6 with Hutton
still to bat. Hutton
was soon in on the 4th morning and though the pitch had
improved and it was clear he only needed one partner to take England to the
win their were just to few wickets left and Australia duly won by 70 runs.
At Melbourne
Bedser
and Bailey again proved difficult for the home sides
batsman who were dismissed on the first day. England though seemed to have
failed miserably in reponse at 61/6. The all rounders pulled it round and the
Australian's score was just bettered. Brown this time lead the bowling
as Australia's second attempt was slightly less successful than their first.
England's reply needing only 179 again relied almost solely on Hutton
and
with Johnston taking 4/26 that wasn't enough, Australia winning by 28 runs.
At Sydney England's innings was perhaps more important for the injuries to 2
bowlers than for the total, which looked below par on a good pitch. Miller
bowled superbly to take 4/37. With only 3 main line bowlers it was almost
bound to be a struggle to contain the Australian line up, and a struggle it
was with the home team making the highest total of the series, Miller making
an uncharacteristically careful 145*. Iverson now bemused England with figures
of 6-27 and Australia had won the series with an easy win after 2 close
contests.
On to Adelaide. Statham had flown out to prop up the injury ravaged MCC
bowling. It made little difference
Morris
batting for nearly 8 hours to score
206 as Australia made a good total. The reply was almost a solo effort as
Hutton carried his bat for 156 out of 272 the next highest score being 29.
Australia then piled on the runs to set an impossible target Burke making 101*
and Miller being out for 99, bowled by Wright more or less at the same time as
(familiar phrase) led them from 171-1 to 246-9 Reg Simpson, still there 8
short of a fine century. Tattersall the number 11 was made of sterner stuff
and made 10 of a stand of 74 which took to Simpson to 156*, and gave England
a reasonable lead. Australia were 4 down before they got the lead and after
some resistance from the middle order
Bedser
, (5/59) wrapped up the innings to
complete 10 wickets in the match. With few problems Hutton
then steered
England to an 8 wicket win, their first since the Oval over 12 years earlier.
Australia 4 England 1.
1953
1953 in England was above all a year for celebrations, with the coronation
of both nation's Queen. Indeed either team could have been celebrating the
victory in a close fought contest. Lindwall and Miller were a great opening
attack though England had
Bedser
, not as frightening but at the peak of his
powers. In batting if Compton
could regain form to back up Hutton
the Home
side had perhaps the advantage though Hassett and Harvey were not far behind.
As the series unfolded Lindwall was magnificent but
Bedser
was at times
unplayable. Hutton
was in fine form but no other player on either side could
average over 40. The weather played no small part in the series indeed every
game was in some way rain affected save for one of the most famous draws in
Ashes history.
The first test at Trent Bridge would probably be known as
Bedser
's match had
England won. In poor light and damp conditions Hassett fought his way to a
fine century.
Bedser
and Bailey wrapped up the last six wickets for 5
runs. Lindwall, Hill and Davison dismissed England very cheaply before
Bedser returned the compliment with interest. Rain then spoiled what
could have been a thrilling finish and England batted out time with little
trouble.
On to Lord's. Another
Hassett
century, another
Bedser
5 wicket haul,
another Hutton
hundred and another
Lindwall
"5fer" left the
match more or less level after the first two innings. Miller (109) and
Morris
gave the Australian 2nd innings a good start after Hassett went very early.
Others then chipped in and the third good total of the match was posted.
Lindwall
and Johnston had England at 12/3 and then 73/4 before Bailey joined
Watson with over 5 hours to go. They were parted over 4 hours later after
Watson had completed a century in his first Ashes test. Bailey soon followed
but the match had been saved, Brown, (the chairman of selectors, called into
the team on Hutton
's insistence) among those batting well enough to see out
time.
Manchester rain spoiled a third test notable for yet another 5 wickets in an
innings for
Bedser
, a century for Harvey and an extrordinary Australian
collapse in the 2nd innings, the match ending with Australia 35/8 a lead of
just 77.
Bailey prevented Australia taking a win at Headingley. Lindwall (5/54) ripped
the life out of England's first innings,
Bedser
(6/95) could not prevent the
visitors getting a 99 run lead. A much better knock by England was long
extended by another dour Bailey performance (38 in 262 minutes) His bowling
was even more frustrating for the Australian's needing 177 in 115 minutes when
they looked like succeeding he bowled down the leg side to a defensive field
that he changed almost every ball.
On then to the Oval with the series still at 0-0. Whilst Lord's has always
been a good ground for Australia the other London test has favoured England.
So it proved in 1953 and in a manner which foreshadowed future ashes battles.
England's most effective bowler in a reasonable Australian first innings was
Trueman in his first Ashes test. England just past them. Australia started
well enough 2nd time around but Lock (5/45) and Laker (4/75) changed 59/1 to
first 85/6 then 162 all out. Hutton
was run out early but May and then Compton
joined
Edrich
to win the game.
England 1 Australia 0.
1954/55
England left for Australia after a first ever loss to Pakistan at the
Oval. This loss, though hardly an ideal omen, was occassioned in part by the
selector's and captain experimenting with the side for the Ashes tour. Hutton
was convinced the way to win in Australia was pace pace and more pace. The tour
party included Tyson, Bailey, Loader,
Bedser
and Statham, no place could be
found for Trueman. The tour started badly with only Hutton
amongst the batsmen
finding any form. Godfrey
Evans
was struggling for fitness and Appleyard and
Wardle the spinners seemingly unable to adjust to Australian pitches. Hutton
got
almost everthing wrong in the first test but from then on the tide turned with a
vengance.
Brisbane. Hutton
became the first visiting captain in Australia to disobey
Grace's dictum and to ask his opponents to bat. Grace was not proved wrong.
The pitch was dead, he had selected no spinner and Australia amassed the small
matter of 601/8 (Harvey 162,
Morris
153) all the England bowlers conceding
centuries save
Edrich
who had 28 taken off just 3 overs. England could not
match them, 4 wickets went down for 25 before Cowdrey and Bailey restored a
small amount of pride. It was a small amount though and they were asked to
follow on over 400 behind. Compton
batted at number 11 after breaking a finger
on the fence while fielding. A century stand between
Edrich
and May offered
some encouragement but with
Compton
still only going to bat at the end it was
not nearly enough and Australia won by an innings and 154 runs.
Sydney and at 111/9 England looked due for another pasting. Australia did
better but not by enough to have justified putting England in, and in
England's second innings Cowdrey and May (104) led a recovery from 55/3.
Lindwall knocked Tyson out with a bouncer (perhaps the most ill advised ball
in test cricket until de Villiers took the title by hitting Malcolm at the
Oval in 1994). At the end of the 4th day Australia were 72/2. An the 5th day -
Tyson. Now comfortable with the shorter run he had tried in the first innings
and in the state match before the test and inspired by the indignity of being
hit by a fellow fast bowler, the typhoon blew away all resistance. He took
6/89, 10/144 in the match. The revival had started.
At lunch on the first day at Melbourne Miller had figures of 9 overs 8 maidens
5 runs 3 wickets. Cowdrey (109) lead a recovery with his first test century
helped by first Bailey then
Evans.
Archer's medium pace (4/33) then wrapped up
the tail. Australia were fairing no better on a cracked and untrustworthy
pitch. They went into the rest day 40 behind. When the teams returned on the
Monday morning the pitch was smooth and reliable, having been illegally
watered. The tail were able to add 80 runs to give the home side the lead.
Statham still finished with 5/60. Now it was England's turn to benefit from
the changed pitch. May playing a powerful innings and Bailey, in typical vein,
holding things up while the pitch again dried. As a Sydney, the Australian
innings was starting well on the fourth evening. The final day though started
with the pitch back to its unpredictable worst. Tyson (7/27) was unplayable
and Statham at the other end offered little respite.
Adelaide for the fourth test where Australia, batting first posted their first
300+ total since the first test. England bettered them but there the batsmens
dominance ended. First Appleyard then Tyson and Statham ripped the home side
out for 111. 94 to retain the Ashes seemed simple enough but Miller had
England 18/3 and then took a fine catch to make it 49/4 one more wicket fell
but England did finally make it.
Rain should have completely spoiled the final test. No play was possible until
after lunch on the 4th day. Hutton
then ended his Ashes career on the fourth
ball he faced. Graveney (111) though became the 100th century maker in Ashes
tests. Compton
, May and Bailey (who, believing this to be
Lindwall's final
Ashes match,deliberately gave the great bowler a 100th Ashes wicket) all
contributed to England's 371/7 dec. The 5th day ended with Australia 82/2 and
a draw seeming certain. Wardle then seemed to mesmerise the batsmen and
Australia were asked to follow on. More wickets followed but their was not
enough time left to force a win and when Hutton
bowled Benaud with the last
ball of the match only 6 wickets were down.
England 3 Australia 1.
1956
If England selection panels should last 1000 years men may still say,
"this was their finest hour". Washbrook (41 years old), Shepherd (after
giving up full time cricket for the cloth and having played just 4 innings in
the season) and Compton
(after having a kneecap removed) all recieved surprise
recalls and all had decisive influences on the contest. More than this though
1956 will be remembered as a wet summer with play often interrupted and pitch
preparation more so. Above all else this was Laker's year. The Australian's
lost their first County match since before the first world war when Surridge's
all conquering Surrey team beat them very easily with two bowlers who had not
been selected for the last Ashes tour. Laker took all ten wickets in the first
innings and Lock seven in the second. Only McDonald looking to know how to play
the turning ball on a dry wicket.
At Trent Bridge Rain spoiled the contest between two injury hit sides,
Australia had Lindwall and Davidson injured, England, Compton
, Statham,
Trueman and Tyson. England had the best of the first three innings (Laker
taking 4 wickets in Australia's first) and Australia's assault upon a testing
target of 258 in 4 hours was curtailed when they lost 3 wickets scoring 41,
Burke and Burge played out the last 2 hours with little trouble. Never again
said pundits in more than one newspaper column would a bowler take all ten
wickets against an Australian XI.
Lord's as usual proved a difficult venue for the home team. McDonald and Burke
started with a big stand so a total of 285 must have disappointed Australian
supporters. It was though more than 100 better than England's. Only May with
two fifties was a Match for Miller (5/72 and 5/80) Trueman also had 5 (for
90) in Australia's second innings. Langley had a record haul of 9 (8 ct 1 st)
and with Evan's getting 7, 16 wickets fell to the keepers in an easy Aussie win.
Headingley saw the first inspired England recall with Washbrook helping his
captain May (101) pull England's first innings together after a disasterous
start. Trueman took McDonald's wicket in each innings but Laker (5/58 and 6/55)
Lock had the other 18 as Australia collapsed twice and lost by an innings
after following on.
Old Trafford, a Lancashire stage for a Yorkshireman who played for a southern
county. David Shepherd was the selectorial surprise this time and he obliged
with a century (113) as did Richardson (104) the pitch appeared full of runs
and England amassed 459 in only 491 minutes, although Benaud got some turn.
Indeed Australia started well, the spin twins were on early but the opening
stand was approaching fifty before Laker and Lock changed ends. From the
Stretford end Laker had McDonald caught by his partner and bowled Harvey for
a duck. After tea Lock spoiled the set by having Burke caught by Cowdrey. On
a wicket almost unchanged since England had made over 400 the rest of the
visiting batsmen surrendered to Laker. Lock became more and more frustrated as
his county colleague put the Australians to the sword. In his frustration he
bowled faster and faster and so less dangerously. In doing so he made an
historic event possible. Laker had taken 9 for 37. Following on that eveving
McDonald retired hurt and Harvey was caught off a Laker full toss. Rain on
Saturday meant only 45 minutes play, time enough for Burke to fall in Laker's
leg trap. At 84/2 overnight with McDonald now restored saving the game seemed
very possible, particularly with more rain forecast. Not much play was
possible on Monday so England needed 8 wickets in 3 sessions. Lunch on Tuesday
was reached without further mishap but then out came the sun. Craig went for
38 and was followed by Miller, Mackay and Archer; all for ducks. Benaud and
McDonald steadied things again and at tea Australia were 181/6. The interval
disturbed McDonald's concentration though and a great innings was ended on
the resumption. 3 hours left for 3 wickets, with rain all around the ground
the tail attempted resistance but in vain. Laker took them all and finished
the most remarkable piece of spin bowling in top class cricket history with
10/53, 19/90 in the match. Lock on a pitch made for his bowling and in a
summer in which he himself had a clean sweep had match figures of 1/106.
On to the Oval and another gamble for the selectors.
Compton
again proved
worth their faith. Archer snuffed out what was looking to be a good England
score and after Tyson had inspired Laker and Lock to reduce Australia to 47/5
Miller lead a recovery and the scores were close. England batted well around
the rain a second time and May set a target of 248 to level the series in 2
hours. The target was not remotely achievable as Laker took more wickets to
take his total for the series to 46. Australia finishing on 27/5.
England 2 Australia 1.
1958/59
Australia 4 England 0.
1961
Australia 2 England 1.
1962/63
Australia 1 England 1.
1964
Australia 1 England 0.
1965/66
Australia 1 England 1.
1968
Australia 1 England 1.
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