Australian cricket team in Australia in 1962–63
Encyclopedia
The 1962-63 Australians drew 1-1 with the touring England team in the 1962-63 Ashes series. Australia had beaten England 4-0 in 1958-59
and 2-1 in 1961
and it was thought unlikely that the tourists would beat Australia on their home ground. Richie Benaud
was a keen advocate of "go ahead" cricket and his attacking tactics and brilliant captaincy had won Australia five series in a row with what were seen as average teams. Ironically, now he had a better team he drew his first series and his negative play in the last two Tests tarnished his reputation, though he did retain the Ashes
. This was the last Test series of Neil Harvey
, Alan Davidson
and Ken Mackay
and Benaud himself played for only one more season. There was a feeling that this was an end of an era and commentators wondered where the new batsmen and bowlers would come from. Fears about the Australian batting proved short-lived as Bobby Simpson
and Bill Lawry
formed one of Australia's great opening partnerships and were supported by Peter Burge, Brian Booth
, Norm O'Neill
and Barry Shepherd
. But they would soon be short of a decent bowling attack, which would rest on the broad shoulders of the 21-year-old fast-bowler Graham McKenzie
until the emergence of Dennis Lillee
, Jeff Thomson
and Max Walker
in the 1970s.
Richie Benaud
was the captain of New South Wales
, who had just won the Sheffield Shield 10 times in a row, and had led Australia to victory in his five successive series. His reputation as a tactical genius reached such heights that a simple field change would torment the batsmen as he tried to work out what he was doing. Against Tom Graveney
he once "moved short leg round a couple of yards...there was no reason for the move other than to apply psychological pressure. He was a master at upsetting the concentration of batsmen" Usually aggressive and willing to take risks his reputation was tarnished when he went for a draw in the Fourth Test after Alan Davidson
was injured and in the Fifth to retain the Ashes
. A great believer of the saying "practice makes perfect" he trained himself and the team and honed their athletic advantage over the visitors. He was the first cricketer to make 2,000 runs and take 200 wickets in Tests and his 248 wickets was an Australian record until beaten by Dennis Lillee
.
was a powerful strokeplayer who made 109, 66 not out, 28, 122, 130, 9 and 110 in the four matches leading up to the First Test and passed 1,000 runs in am Australian season quicker than any other batsman, even Bradman. Famously he took 30 Tests to make his maiden hundred, 311 vs England at Old Trafford in 1964
. His opening partner Bill Lawry
was a "tall, lanky, dour, watchful left-hander, and a better player than he looked...a great fighter, and a splendid resister in a corner", who was once unfairly described as "a corpse with pads on". He failed to make a century - his top score was 98 - but still made 310 runs (34.44). John Snow
later wrote that 'He always had to be got out and even if you managed to knock all three stumps over he still stayed at the crease a moment looking round for some excuse to continue batting before reluctantly starting his walk back to the dressing room'. Norm O'Neill
also made 310 runs (34.44) in the series, but at a faster rate. A charismatic, attacking strokemaker, he had been lumbered with the "New Bradman" tag at an early age, had gained weight and a became a nervous starter. The left-handed Neil Harvey
was the last member of Don Bradman's great 1948 Australians "the Fred Astaire
of cricket, withy marvellous footwork ensuring that he was always in the right position at the right time" Brian Booth
a "modest, unobtrusive stylist" was almost 12th man in the First Test, but saved the game with a century and hit another in the Second. Peter Burge was a heavyset front-foot batsman who scored all four of his Test centuries against the England, he was dropped after the defeat at Melbourne
, but was recalled for the Fifth Test and made 103. He was replaced by the Western Australian
captain Barry Shepherd
, another strong batsman who made 71 not out at Sydney
when Titmus took 7/79. "Slasher Mackay"
was a dour, dull batsmen who never made a Test century and only averaged 33.48, but Mackay always made runs when Australia need them. In the lower order were Richie Benaud
and Alan Davidson
, both hard-hitting all-rounders who liked to attack the bowling, as did the wicket-keeper
Wally Grout
.
and Gordon Rorke
who had routed the English batsmen in the 1958-59 Ashes series
. Both had suffered from illness and injuries, and Meckiff still played for Victoria
and took 10 wickets (23.00) for them against the MCC. The Australian attack was dominated by the all-rounders Alan Davidson
and Richie Benaud
. "Davo"
was a left-handed fast-medium swing bowler who came round the wicket and could move the ball either way off the pitch or through the air. His injury in the Fourth Test ruined Australia's chances of winning the match and his 24 wickets (20.00) in the series were taken in only four Tests. Tom Graveney
thought he was "possibly the greatest left-arm new-ball bowler in the history of cricket" and with the exceptionally low Test average of 20.53 it is difficult to argue with him. The captain Richie Benaud
took his best first-class figures of 7/18 to beat the MCC by an innings in the tour match against New South Wales
. He has 219 Test wickets at the start of the series and took 6/115 in his first innings in his bid to overtake Ray Lindwall
's Australian record of 228 Test wickets and Alec Bedser
's record of 236 Test wickets. He failed to maintain his pace and it was England's Brian Statham
who broke the record. No great spinner of the ball "his control was admirable, and when Benaud gets a batsman in trouble he rarely if ever gives him a loose one. He keeps him pinned down, probing and probing until the victim is well and truly enmeshed." The 21-year-old Garth McKenzie was due to take over as Australia's premier fast bowler, a 6'2" gentle giant he had a knack of taking wickets on flat batting tracks and rose to fame by wrapping up the English second innings with 5/37 at Lords in 1961
to leave Australia only 71 runs to win. To help these three bowlers Benaud relied on Bobby Simpson
's leg-spin, which took 5/57 i the Second Test at Sydney, but did little else, and the shambling medium pace of Ken Mackay
, who had once dismissed Ken Barrington
, M.J.K. Smith and Raman Subba Row
in four balls. Colin Guest
and Neil Hawke
were two fast-medium paced bowlers who played one Test each, but failed to make an impression. Guest failed to take a wicket in his only Test, but Hawke became a useful support bowler.
experience Australia were traditionally a stronger fielding side than England and as Richie Benaud
emphasised this area of the game their already athletic skills rose to an extraordinary level. Wally Grout
was an exceptional wicket-keeper
, but had his jaw broken while keeping to Queensland's
West Indian fast-bowler Wes Hall
in their match against the MCC a week before the Test. He was replaced by South Australia's
Barry Jarman
, who played only seven Tests until Grout retired in 1966, when he became Australia's first-choice keeper and vice-captain on their 1968 tour of England
. Neil Harvey
and Norm O'Neill
were electric in the covers
, and Harvey took six catches in his last Test. Bobby Simpson
held 110 catches in 62 Tests and was "one the of greatest slip-fielders of all time. He had lightning-quick reflexes and it was rare indeed for a chance to go begging if the ball was anything like catchable." Alan Davidson
's spectacular catching close to the wicket earned him the nickname of "The Claw" and Benaud himself was an expert gully
.
English cricket team in Australia in 1958-59
Peter May captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1958–59, playing as England in the 1958-59 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour. It was widely regarded as one of the strongest teams to depart English shores, comparable with the great...
and 2-1 in 1961
Australian cricket team in England in 1961
The 1961 Australian cricket tour of England began with a three day match versus Worcestershire CCC at the County Ground, New Road, Worcester on Sat 29 April, play continuing on Mon 1 May and Tues 2 May. This match was rain-affected and ended in a draw...
and it was thought unlikely that the tourists would beat Australia on their home ground. Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
was a keen advocate of "go ahead" cricket and his attacking tactics and brilliant captaincy had won Australia five series in a row with what were seen as average teams. Ironically, now he had a better team he drew his first series and his negative play in the last two Tests tarnished his reputation, though he did retain 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 the last Test series of Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
, Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
and Ken Mackay
Ken Mackay
Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....
and Benaud himself played for only one more season. There was a feeling that this was an end of an era and commentators wondered where the new batsmen and bowlers would come from. Fears about the Australian batting proved short-lived as Bobby Simpson
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...
and 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...
formed one of Australia's great opening partnerships and were supported by Peter Burge, Brian Booth
Brian Booth
Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests from 1961 to 1966. He captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series while regular captain Bob Simpson was absent due to illness and injury. Booth was a graceful right-handed middle order batsman...
, Norm O'Neill
Norm O'Neill
Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...
and Barry Shepherd
Barry Shepherd
Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....
. But they would soon be short of a decent bowling attack, which would rest on the broad shoulders of the 21-year-old fast-bowler Graham McKenzie
Graham McKenzie
Graham Douglas "Garth" McKenzie is a former Australian and Western Australian cricketer. He was a fast bowler. First selected to play for Australia at age of 19, he toured England in 1961 under Richie Benaud...
until the emergence of Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...
and Max Walker
Max Walker
Maxwell Henry Norman Walker AM is a former Australian cricketer and VFL/AFL footballer. Formerly an architect, he currently works as a media commentator and motivational speaker and has diverse business interests.- Football career :...
in the 1970s.
The Captain
This was a coldly realistic Benaud, not the Benaud whose image had been built up as the "gallant adventurer". I have no doubt that he would have closed before lunchtime on the last day had Australia been playing the West Indies. But, then as has been emphasised, Anglo-Australian Tests are "different"...Benaud in this summer was not in the mood for generous gestures to the enemy. this was partly because he was conscious of hisn own end-of-an-era team, of the tremendous importance of DavidsonAlan Davidson (cricketer)Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
to his attack, and of the sudden deterioration of his own bowling. Linked with this was his immense respect, which he sometimes voiced, for Dexter'sTed DexterEdward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
ability to take over an attack and rip it apart.
- Tom Goodman
Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
was the captain of New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
, who had just won the Sheffield Shield 10 times in a row, and had led Australia to victory in his five successive series. His reputation as a tactical genius reached such heights that a simple field change would torment the batsmen as he tried to work out what he was doing. Against Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...
he once "moved short leg round a couple of yards...there was no reason for the move other than to apply psychological pressure. He was a master at upsetting the concentration of batsmen" Usually aggressive and willing to take risks his reputation was tarnished when he went for a draw in the Fourth Test after Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
was injured and in the Fifth to retain 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...
. A great believer of the saying "practice makes perfect" he trained himself and the team and honed their athletic advantage over the visitors. He was the first cricketer to make 2,000 runs and take 200 wickets in Tests and his 248 wickets was an Australian record until beaten by Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
.
The Batting
Australia had one of their most famous opening partnerships in the early 1960s; and a long line of talents batsmen. Bobby SimpsonBob 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...
was a powerful strokeplayer who made 109, 66 not out, 28, 122, 130, 9 and 110 in the four matches leading up to the First Test and passed 1,000 runs in am Australian season quicker than any other batsman, even Bradman. Famously he took 30 Tests to make his maiden hundred, 311 vs England at Old Trafford 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:...
. His opening partner 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...
was a "tall, lanky, dour, watchful left-hander, and a better player than he looked...a great fighter, and a splendid resister in a corner", who was once unfairly described as "a corpse with pads on". He failed to make a century - his top score was 98 - but still made 310 runs (34.44). 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...
later wrote that 'He always had to be got out and even if you managed to knock all three stumps over he still stayed at the crease a moment looking round for some excuse to continue batting before reluctantly starting his walk back to the dressing room'. Norm O'Neill
Norm O'Neill
Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...
also made 310 runs (34.44) in the series, but at a faster rate. A charismatic, attacking strokemaker, he had been lumbered with the "New Bradman" tag at an early age, had gained weight and a became a nervous starter. The left-handed Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
was the last member of Don Bradman's great 1948 Australians "the Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
of cricket, withy marvellous footwork ensuring that he was always in the right position at the right time" Brian Booth
Brian Booth
Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests from 1961 to 1966. He captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series while regular captain Bob Simpson was absent due to illness and injury. Booth was a graceful right-handed middle order batsman...
a "modest, unobtrusive stylist" was almost 12th man in the First Test, but saved the game with a century and hit another in the Second. Peter Burge was a heavyset front-foot batsman who scored all four of his Test centuries against the England, he was dropped after the defeat at Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, but was recalled for the Fifth Test and made 103. He was replaced by the Western Australian
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
captain Barry Shepherd
Barry Shepherd
Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....
, another strong batsman who made 71 not out 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...
when Titmus took 7/79. "Slasher Mackay"
Ken Mackay
Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....
was a dour, dull batsmen who never made a Test century and only averaged 33.48, but Mackay always made runs when Australia need them. In the lower order were Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
and Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
, both hard-hitting all-rounders who liked to attack the bowling, as did the 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...
Wally Grout
Wally Grout
Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...
.
The Bowling
In the 1961 and 1962-63 Ashes series Australia dropped the controversial "chuckers" Ian MeckiffIan Meckiff
Ian Meckiff is a former cricketer who represented Australia in 18 Tests between 1957 and 1963...
and Gordon Rorke
Gordon Rorke
Gordon Frederick Rorke is a former Australian cricketer who played in 4 Tests in 1959.Rorke made his Test debut in January 1959 in the Fourth Test of The Ashes series against England in Adelaide...
who had routed the English batsmen in the 1958-59 Ashes series
Umpiring in the 1958–59 Ashes series
The England team were very unhappy with the umpiring of the 1958–59 Ashes series, in particular the questionable actions of some bowlers in the Australian team. The televising of Test cricket was in its infancy and the notion of Test umpires using slow-motion replays or other modern techniques was...
. Both had suffered from illness and injuries, and Meckiff still played for Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
and took 10 wickets (23.00) for them against the MCC. The Australian attack was dominated by the all-rounders Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
and Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
. "Davo"
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
was a left-handed fast-medium swing bowler who came round the wicket and could move the ball either way off the pitch or through the air. His injury in the Fourth Test ruined Australia's chances of winning the match and his 24 wickets (20.00) in the series were taken in only four Tests. Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...
thought he was "possibly the greatest left-arm new-ball bowler in the history of cricket" and with the exceptionally low Test average of 20.53 it is difficult to argue with him. The captain Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
took his best first-class figures of 7/18 to beat the MCC by an innings in the tour match against New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
. He has 219 Test wickets at the start of the series and took 6/115 in his first innings in his bid to overtake Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
's Australian record of 228 Test wickets and Alec Bedser
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
's record of 236 Test wickets. He failed to maintain his pace and it was England's 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...
who broke the record. No great spinner of the ball "his control was admirable, and when Benaud gets a batsman in trouble he rarely if ever gives him a loose one. He keeps him pinned down, probing and probing until the victim is well and truly enmeshed." The 21-year-old Garth McKenzie was due to take over as Australia's premier fast bowler, a 6'2" gentle giant he had a knack of taking wickets on flat batting tracks and rose to fame by wrapping up the English second innings with 5/37 at Lords in 1961
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:...
to leave Australia only 71 runs to win. To help these three bowlers Benaud relied on Bobby Simpson
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...
's leg-spin, which took 5/57 i the Second Test at Sydney, but did little else, and the shambling medium pace of Ken Mackay
Ken Mackay
Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....
, who had once dismissed 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...
, M.J.K. Smith and Raman Subba Row
Raman Subba Row
Raman Subba Row is an English former cricketer who played for England, Cambridge University, Surrey and Northamptonshire.-Life and career:...
in four balls. Colin Guest
Colin Guest
Colin Ernest John Guest is a former Australian cricketer who played in the Third Test at Sydney in the 1962-63 Ashes series. He was brought in to replace Ken Mackay whose slow batting was disliked by the crowds and who was unfairly blamed for the defeat in the Second Test at Melbourne...
and Neil Hawke
Neil Hawke
Neil James Napier Hawke was an Australian Test cricketer and leading Australian rules footballer.Born in Cheltenham, South Australia, Hawke quickly developed as a natural all-round sportsman who excelled in cricket, football and golf and made his senior Australian rules football debut for South...
were two fast-medium paced bowlers who played one Test each, but failed to make an impression. Guest failed to take a wicket in his only Test, but Hawke became a useful support bowler.
Fielding
With their baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
experience Australia were traditionally a stronger fielding side than England and as Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
emphasised this area of the game their already athletic skills rose to an extraordinary level. Wally Grout
Wally Grout
Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...
was an exceptional 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...
, but had his jaw broken while keeping to Queensland's
Queensland Bulls
The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
West Indian fast-bowler Wes Hall
Wes Hall
Wesley Winfield Hall is a Barbadian former cricketer and politician. A tall, strong and powerfully built man, Hall was a genuine fast bowler and despite his very long run up, he was renowned for his ability to bowl long spells. Hall played 48 Test matches for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969...
in their match against the MCC a week before the Test. He was replaced by South Australia's
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
Barry Jarman
Barry Jarman
Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....
, who played only seven Tests until Grout retired in 1966, when he became Australia's first-choice keeper and vice-captain on their 1968 tour of England
Australian cricket team in England in 1968
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1968 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.Australia retained The Ashes after the series was drawn 1-1.-Test series summary:* at Old Trafford – Australia won by 159 runs...
. Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
and Norm O'Neill
Norm O'Neill
Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...
were electric in the covers
Fielding (cricket)
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out.Cricket fielding position...
, and Harvey took six catches in his last Test. Bobby Simpson
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...
held 110 catches in 62 Tests and was "one the of greatest slip-fielders of all time. He had lightning-quick reflexes and it was rare indeed for a chance to go begging if the ball was anything like catchable." Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
's spectacular catching close to the wicket earned him the nickname of "The Claw" and Benaud himself was an expert gully
Slip (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a slip fielder is placed behind the batsman on the off side of the field. They are placed with the aim of catching an edged ball which is beyond the wicket-keeper's reach. Many teams employ two or three slips...
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Test Statistics
Below are the Test statistics of the Australian squad.| Test Statistics of Australian Team 1962-63 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | State | Age | Role | Tests | Runs | Highest | Average | 100s | 50s | Ct | St | Wickets | Best | Average | 5 Wt | 10 Wt |
| W.M. 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... |
Victoria Victorian Bushrangers The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition... |
25 | 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... |
67 | 5234 | 235 | 47.15 | 13 | 27 | 30 | 0/0 | |||||
| R.B. Simpson Bobby Simpson Roberta "Bobby" Marshall is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Nicolle Dickson. She was introduced in the pilot episode by executive producer Alan Bateman. Nearly four hundred actresses auditioned to play Bobby, with Dickson taking the role... |
Western Australia Western Warriors The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia... |
26 | 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... |
62 | 4869 | 311 | 46.81 | 10 | 27 | 110 | 71 | 5/57 | 42.24 | 2 | ||
| R.N. Harvey Neil Harvey Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement... (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... |
New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales... |
34 | 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... |
79 | 6145 | 205 | 48.41 | 21 | 24 | 64 | 3 | 1/8 | 40.00 | |||
| K.D. Mackay Ken Mackay Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963.... |
Queensland Queensland Bulls The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season... |
37 | 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 | 1507 | 89 | 33.48 | 13 | 16 | 50 | 6/42 | 34.42 | 2 | |||
| B.K. Shepherd Barry Shepherd Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965.... |
Western Australia Western Warriors The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia... |
25 | 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... |
9 | 502 | 96 | 41.83 | 5 | 2 | 0/3 | ||||||
| B.C. Booth Brian Booth Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests from 1961 to 1966. He captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series while regular captain Bob Simpson was absent due to illness and injury. Booth was a graceful right-handed middle order batsman... |
New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales... |
29 | 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... |
29 | 1773 | 169 | 42.21 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 2/33 | 48.66 | |||
| P.J.P. Burge | Queensland Queensland Bulls The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season... |
30 | 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... |
42 | 2290 | 181 | 38.16 | 4 | 12 | 23 | ||||||
| N.C.L. O'Neill Norm O'Neill Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958... |
New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales... |
25 | 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... |
42 | 2779 | 181 | 45.55 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 4/41 | 39.23 | |||
| A.T.W. Grout Wally Grout Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966... |
Queensland Queensland Bulls The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season... |
35 | 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... |
51 | 890 | 74 | 15.08 | 3 | 163 | 24 | ||||||
| B.N. Jarman Barry Jarman Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee.... |
South Australia Southern Redbacks The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia... |
26 | 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... |
19 | 400 | 78 | 14.81 | 2 | 50 | 4 | ||||||
| G.D. McKenzie | Western Australia Western Warriors The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia... |
21 | Right Arm Fast Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling... |
60 | 945 | 76 | 12.27 | 2 | 34 | 246 | 8/71 | 29.78 | 16 | 3 | ||
| A.K. Davidson Alan Davidson (cricketer) Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler... |
New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales... |
33 | Left-Arm Fast-Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling... |
44 | 1328 | 80 | 24.59 | 5 | 42 | 186 | 7/93 | 20.53 | 14 | 2 | ||
| C.E.J. Guest Colin Guest Colin Ernest John Guest is a former Australian cricketer who played in the Third Test at Sydney in the 1962-63 Ashes series. He was brought in to replace Ken Mackay whose slow batting was disliked by the crowds and who was unfairly blamed for the defeat in the Second Test at Melbourne... |
Western Australia Western Warriors The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia... |
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... |
1 | 11 | 11 | 11.00 | 0/8 | ||||||||
| N.J.N. Hawke Neil Hawke Neil James Napier Hawke was an Australian Test cricketer and leading Australian rules footballer.Born in Cheltenham, South Australia, Hawke quickly developed as a natural all-round sportsman who excelled in cricket, football and golf and made his senior Australian rules football debut for South... |
South Australia Southern Redbacks The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia... |
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... |
27 | 365 | 45* 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... |
16.59 | 9 | 91 | 7/105 | 29.41 | 6 | 1 | |||
| R.Benaud Richie Benaud Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game.... (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... |
New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales... |
32 | Leg-Spin Bowler Wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball... |
63 | 2201 | 122 | 24.45 | 3 | 9 | 65 | 248 | 7/72 | 27.03 | 16 | 1 |
First Test – Brisbane
See Main Article - 1962-63 Ashes seriesSecond Test – Melbourne
See Main Article - 1962-63 Ashes seriesThird Test – Sydney
See Main Article - 1962-63 Ashes seriesFourth Test – Adelaide
See Main Article - 1962-63 Ashes seriesFifth Test – Sydney
See Main Article - 1962-63 Ashes seriesFurther reading
- Peter Arnold, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Cricket, W.H. Smith, 1986
- Trevor BaileyTrevor BaileyTrevor Edward Bailey CBE was an England Test cricketer, cricket writer and broadcaster.An all-rounder, Bailey was known for his skilful but unspectacular batting...
, Richie BenaudRichie BenaudRichard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
, 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...
and Jim LakerJim LakerJames "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
The Lord's Taverners Fifty Greatest, Heinemann-Quixote, 1983 - Richie BenaudRichie BenaudRichard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
, A tale of two Tests: With some thoughts on captaincy, Hodder & Stoughton, 1962 - Ashley Brown, The Pictorial History of Cricket, Bison Books, 1988
- Mark Browning, Richie BenaudRichie BenaudRichard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
: Cricketer, Captain, Guru, Kangaroo Press, 1996 - 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 - David Frith, Pageant of Cricket, The MacMillian Company of Australia, 1987
- David Frith, England Versus Australia: An Illustrated History of Every Test Match Since 1877, Viking, 2007
- Chris Harte, A History of Australian Cricket, André Deutsch, 1993
- Ken Kelly and David Lemmon, Cricket Reflections: Five Decades of Cricket Photographs, Heinemann, 1985
- Ray Robinson, On Top Down Under, Cassell, 1975
- E.W. Swanton (ed), The Barclays World of Cricket, Collins, 1986
- Fred TitmusFred TitmusFrederick 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...
with Stafford Hildred, My Life in Cricket, John Blake Publishing Ltd, 2005 - Fred TruemanFred TruemanFrederick 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...
, As It Was, The Memoirs of Fred Trueman, Pan Books, 2004* E.M. Wellings, Dexter v Benaud (MCC tour, Australia 1962-63), Bailey Brothers & Swinfen, 1963