Australian cricket team in England in 1997
Encyclopedia
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1997 season
to play a six-match Ashes
Test
series against England. Australia, under Mark Taylor
, won the series 3-2 with strong batting performances from Matthew Elliott supporting the strong attack of Shane Warne
, Glenn McGrath
and Jason Gillespie
.
England had enjoyed good form leading up to the series, with a 3-0 One Day International victory, and success in New Zealand
, however after winning convincingly in the first Test the host team struggled. Graham Thorpe
and Nasser Hussain
both managed to score over 400 runs for England, with Andrew Caddick
the leading wicket-taker.
, saw the host nation win 3-1. Australia, however, entered the 1997 series with a number of injuries and poor form. Mark Taylor
had also suffered what Wisden
referred to as "personal purgatory", involving a pay dispute with the Australian Cricket Board. His captaincy was itself in question until April 1997. Matthew Elliott's selection and the reshuffle of Michael Bevan
's position in the batting order also attracted media speculation.
England, in contrast, were enjoying strong form. Alec Stewart
had been named player of the year, and experienced Michael Atherton reselected as captain. In the media, the Daily Telegraph heralded a "new England". John Crawley
's surprise selection for the ODI series was seen as a wise decision by Christopher Martin-Jenkins
, while Australia lost warm-up practice at Durham
due to rain.
Australia were whitewash
ed during the ODI Texaco series. Australian cricketer Ian Chappell
in particular voiced his concerns over Taylor's responsibility. England, on the other hand, gained a sense of optimism about the coming Test series. Qamar Ahmed, of the Daily Telegraph, wrote that "I have rarely seen Australia bowl so badly and field so poorly. They were guilty of exactly that in the last three matches and their batting with their out-of-form captain Mark Taylor makes them even a lot fractious than they should be with the abundance of talent that they have on tour." Christopher Martin-Jenkins echoed such sentiments, stating that England's "hopes of winning the Ashes are growing." Atherton himself wrote in the media of his pride regarding "England's young lions" during the ODI series.
Australia were not without their own confidence. Chappell highlighted the role of Shane Warne
in the media, while England bowler Dean Headley
was ruled out of the opening Test with an injury. Nick Knight
and Phil Tufnell
were both left out of the final eleven, and Dominic Cork
also picked up an injury. Nevertheless, Australia entered the first Test under pressure.
combined to bring Australia to 110 before the latter fell. Warne fell to Caddick three short of a half century, giving the England bowler a five-wicket haul, with Darren Gough
and Devon Malcolm
picking up three and two respectively. When England collapsed fell to 16/2, the pitch was initially blamed in the media, however Hussain and Thorpe scored a career-best 207 and 138 respectively in a 288-run partnership which became a record 4th-wicket partnership for England against Australia. Warne eventually dismissed Hussain, and Thorpe was removed by McGrath, however a late order career-best 53*
from Mark Ealham
saw England to 478 for nine declared.
Australia fared better in their second innings, reaching 477 all out thanks to "a heroic century" by Taylor – who scored 129 along with Greg Blewett
who scored 125. Eliott scored 66, however no other Australian batsman passed 50. Three wickets were shared each between Gough, Robert Croft
and Ealham, leaving England a target of 118 runs. Mark Butcher
, on debut, was dismissed by Kasprowicz for 14, however Atherton reached 57 and Stewart reached 40 before hitting the winning runs. Stewart also passed 5,000 Test runs during his knock, and Wisden record that "Victory brought an outpouring of elation, in front of the pavilion and across the country; people suddenly felt the little urn could, indeed, be recaptured." Hussain received the Man of the Match
award for his double century.
took the two other wickets, and Australia quickly surpassed the low target with only two wickets down. Thanks to a knock of 112 from Elliott, Australia declared at 213/7. Stewart had left the field for part of the innings due to back spasms, and Crawley had kept wicket.
England replied with a more solid 266 for four, declaring quickly to have a chance at Australia. Butcher and Atherton constructed the majority of the innings, with 87 and 77 respectively, and some quick scoring by Thorpre and Crawley – who both remained not out – allowed England to reach their score at 3.36 runs an over. The declaration came after Butcher fell, and the game safely batted out to a draw.
to replace Kasprowicz. Australia, batting first having won the toss, reached 235 runs thanks largely to a century by Steve Waugh, while Headley took four wickets and Gough three. Headley bowled an intimidating spell – coming "straight into the action, striking Taylor on the helmet as he ducked into a bouncer in his opening over." Dropped catches, however, hampered England's bowling performance. Butcher hit 51 and Stewart 30 as England responded with 162, largely hemmed back by a six wicket haul from Warne, and three for McGrath. Butcher, dismissed by a stumping, provided Healey with his 100th Test dismissal.
Australia increased their lead with a second innings score of 395, thanks again to Steve Waugh's century, 116 runs on this occasion. His 14th century made him the first Australian batsman to score a hundred in both innings since 1889, and the first instance of this feat in a Test between Australia and England since Arthur Morris
and Denis Compton
in 1947. Australia left England 469 runs to win, and despite Crawley's knock of 83, England were dismissed for 200 runs, thanks to four wickets from McGrath and three for Warne and Gillespie respectively. During the innings, Warne overtook Richie Benaud
as the most successful Test leg-spin bowler, taking his 249th Test wicket. Australia thus levelled the series in front of a 87,829 strong crowd.
for his decision to change pitches two weeks before the Test. Australia won the toss and chose to bowl in the 36 overs permitted in a rain affected first day. Ending on 103/3, England collapsed on the second day to 172 all out, thanks to a seven-wicket haul from Gillespie. Atherton scored 41 from 143 deliveries, however no other batsman passed 30. In response, Elliott (199) and Ashes débutante Ricky Ponting
's maiden Test century (127) brought Australia to 501/9 declared, with an expensive five-wicket haul for Gough, who went for 149 runs.
England attempted to regain control, however they struggled initially, falling to 89/4. A 123-run partnership between Hussain – his 105 being his second century of the series – and Crawley (72) gave England some hope, however five-wickets for Reiffel dismissed England for 268. This innings and 61-run victory gave Australia a 2:1 lead in front of 66,694 spectators.
Healy and Ponting then led a quick-scoring attack, supported by a half-century from Blewett , to take Australia to 336 while wickets shared around the England bowlers, including three between the Hollioake brothers. Set 451 runs to win, England fell with a "strange mix of strokeless submission and devil-may-care defiance" to 186 all out, with Australia claiming an extra half hour after stumps to defeat England on the 4th day. Only Thorpe with his 82 from 92 balls offered any resistance. Australia took an unassailable 3:1 lead, and pressure mounted on the England team and its management. The ECB
had issued statements denying that Atherton had offered, or planned, to resign, and Wisden recorded: "[This] crushing defeat cost England the series and the Ashes but not, this time, their captain. Mike Atherton withstood all the demands that he follow the example of his predecessor, Graham Gooch, who had fallen on his sword in similar circumstances four years earlier. But the public debate about his future did nothing to ease the pressure on Atherton." Peter Johnson later records that "Atherton resolutely declined journalists' invitations to resign at once, though his wording suggested to many that he would answer differently when the series was over."
1997 English cricket season
The 1997 English cricket season centred on the six Test Ashes series against Australia. England won the first, at Edgbaston, by the decisive margin of nine wickets, and the rain-affected second Test at Lord's was drawn, but any English optimism was short-lived...
to play a six-match 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...
Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
series against England. Australia, under Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (cricketer)
Mark Anthony Taylor, AO is a former Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border...
, won the series 3-2 with strong batting performances from Matthew Elliott supporting the strong attack of Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
, Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath
Glenn Donald McGrath AM , nicknamed "Pigeon", is a former Australian cricket player. He is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century...
and Jason Gillespie
Jason Gillespie
Jason Neil Gillespie is an Australian cricketer who formerly represented Australia at international level, in both Tests and One Day Internationals, and South Australia, Yorkshire and Glamorgan at first-class level. His primary role is as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, but he is also a competent...
.
England had enjoyed good form leading up to the series, with a 3-0 One Day International victory, and success in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, however after winning convincingly in the first Test the host team struggled. Graham Thorpe
Graham Thorpe
Graham Paul Thorpe MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey and England. A left-handed middle-order batsman and slip fielder, he appeared in exactly 100 Test matches.-Early life:...
and Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain OBE is a former Essex and England cricketer.Beginning his career in a strong Essex side in the late 1980s, he was an outstanding fielder and a stylish but inconsistent batsman. In first-class cricket from 1987 to 2004 Hussain scored 20,698 runs in 334 matches at an average of 42.06,...
both managed to score over 400 runs for England, with Andrew Caddick
Andrew Caddick
Andrew Richard Caddick is a retired cricketer who played for England as a fast-medium bowler. At 6 ft 5in, Caddick was a successful bowler for England for a decade, taking 13 five-wicket hauls in Test matches...
the leading wicket-taker.
Prelude
The previous series over the winter of 1994-95, hosted in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, saw the host nation win 3-1. Australia, however, entered the 1997 series with a number of injuries and poor form. Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (cricketer)
Mark Anthony Taylor, AO is a former Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border...
had also suffered what Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
referred to as "personal purgatory", involving a pay dispute with the Australian Cricket Board. His captaincy was itself in question until April 1997. Matthew Elliott's selection and the reshuffle of Michael Bevan
Michael Bevan
Michael Gwyl Bevan is a former Australian left-handed cricket batsman and a slow left arm chinaman bowler. He played 232 ODI matches for Australia, and was a part of the 1999 and 2003 teams that won the World Cup...
's position in the batting order also attracted media speculation.
England, in contrast, were enjoying strong form. Alec Stewart
Alec Stewart
Alec James Stewart OBE is a retired English cricketer, a right-handed batsman-wicketkeeper and former captain of the England cricket team...
had been named player of the year, and experienced Michael Atherton reselected as captain. In the media, the Daily Telegraph heralded a "new England". John Crawley
John Crawley
John Paul Crawley is a retired English professional cricketer, who represented England in 37 Test matches. He is regarded alongside his near contemporaries Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash as a hugely talented player who failed to realise his full potential at international level.Crawley is a...
's surprise selection for the ODI series was seen as a wise decision by Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Christopher Dennis Alexander Martin-Jenkins MBE, also known as CMJ , is a cricket journalist and Past President of the MCC. He is also a commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio....
, while Australia lost warm-up practice at Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
due to rain.
Australia were whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
ed during the ODI Texaco series. Australian cricketer Ian Chappell
Ian Chappell
Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation...
in particular voiced his concerns over Taylor's responsibility. England, on the other hand, gained a sense of optimism about the coming Test series. Qamar Ahmed, of the Daily Telegraph, wrote that "I have rarely seen Australia bowl so badly and field so poorly. They were guilty of exactly that in the last three matches and their batting with their out-of-form captain Mark Taylor makes them even a lot fractious than they should be with the abundance of talent that they have on tour." Christopher Martin-Jenkins echoed such sentiments, stating that England's "hopes of winning the Ashes are growing." Atherton himself wrote in the media of his pride regarding "England's young lions" during the ODI series.
Australia were not without their own confidence. Chappell highlighted the role of Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
in the media, while England bowler Dean Headley
Dean Headley
Dean Warren Headley is an English cricketer.He comes from a famous cricketing family, being the son of Ron Headley and grandson of George Headley. He was the first Test cricketer to be both the son and grandson of Test cricketers...
was ruled out of the opening Test with an injury. Nick Knight
Nick Knight
Nicholas Verity Knight is a former England cricketer. Knight's middle name was in honour of the 1930s English Test bowler Hedley Verity who was killed in World War II and is a distant family relation...
and Phil Tufnell
Phil Tufnell
Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell is a former English cricketer turned television personality. A slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, "Tuffers" as he was known played 42 Tests and 20 One Day International matches for England, as well as playing for Middlesex from 1986 to 2002...
were both left out of the final eleven, and Dominic Cork
Dominic Cork
Dominic Gerald Cork is a former English cricketer. Cork is a right-handed lower-order batsman who bowls right-arm fast-medium, and is renowned for his swing and seam control. Making his début in first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1990, he was selected to play for England in 1992, aged 21. He...
also picked up an injury. Nevertheless, Australia entered the first Test under pressure.
First Test
The first Test saw 72,693 in attendance across its four days, bringing in £1,588,593 in revenue. Australia batted first after winning the toss, and rapidly collapsed to 54/8, before Warne and Michael KasprowiczMichael Kasprowicz
Michael Scott Kasprowicz is a former Australian Test cricketer. He is a right arm fast bowler, effective outfielder and useful lower order batsman, and has enjoyed a successful career both in Australia and in the English county scene since making his debut for Queensland as a seventeen year old in...
combined to bring Australia to 110 before the latter fell. Warne fell to Caddick three short of a half century, giving the England bowler a five-wicket haul, with Darren Gough
Darren Gough
Darren Gough is a retired English cricketer and former captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The spearhead of England's bowling attack through much of the 1990s, he is England's highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals with 234, and took 229 wickets in his 58 Test matches, making him...
and Devon Malcolm
Devon Malcolm
Devon Malcolm is a former English cricketer.Malcolm was one of England's few genuinely fast bowlers of the 1990s. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he settled in England, making his first-class debut for Derbyshire in 1984, and qualifying to play for England in 1987...
picking up three and two respectively. When England collapsed fell to 16/2, the pitch was initially blamed in the media, however Hussain and Thorpe scored a career-best 207 and 138 respectively in a 288-run partnership which became a record 4th-wicket partnership for England against Australia. Warne eventually dismissed Hussain, and Thorpe was removed by McGrath, however a late order career-best 53*
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...
from Mark Ealham
Mark Ealham
Mark Alan Ealham is a retired English cricketer, who played domestic cricket for Kent C.C.C. and Nottinghamshire C.C.C.. He is an all-rounder and is a former England international at both Test and one-day cricket....
saw England to 478 for nine declared.
Australia fared better in their second innings, reaching 477 all out thanks to "a heroic century" by Taylor – who scored 129 along with Greg Blewett
Greg Blewett
Gregory Scott Blewett is a former Australian right handed batsman and a right arm medium fast bowler in cricket who represented the Australian national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches from 1995 to 2000....
who scored 125. Eliott scored 66, however no other Australian batsman passed 50. Three wickets were shared each between Gough, Robert Croft
Robert Croft
Robert Damien Bale Croft is a Welsh cricketer who has played international cricket for both England and Wales. He is an off-spin bowler who plays for Glamorgan and captained the county from 2003 to 2006...
and Ealham, leaving England a target of 118 runs. Mark Butcher
Mark Butcher
Mark Alan Butcher is a former English Test cricketer, who played county cricket for Surrey from 1992 until his retirement from the sport in 2009. He was a left-handed batsman, and occasional right-arm medium-pace bowler....
, on debut, was dismissed by Kasprowicz for 14, however Atherton reached 57 and Stewart reached 40 before hitting the winning runs. Stewart also passed 5,000 Test runs during his knock, and Wisden record that "Victory brought an outpouring of elation, in front of the pavilion and across the country; people suddenly felt the little urn could, indeed, be recaptured." Hussain received the Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award for his double century.
Second Test
The second Test match was affected by rain. Australia had last been defeated at Lord's in 1934, however the draw here ended a run of 18 consecutive results for the visiting team. England lost the toss and were put into bat, on a difficult pitch, and were dismissed for 77 thanks to eight wickets from McGrath. It was the lowest England total since 1888, and the third best performance with the ball by an Australian Test player. Only Hussain, Thrope and Gough reached double figures, Thorpe top-scoring with 21. Paul ReiffelPaul Reiffel
Paul Ronald Reiffel is a former Australian cricketer who played in 35 Tests and 92 ODIs from 1992 to 1999. He was part of Australia's victorious 1999 World Cup team. After retirement he became a First Class cricket umpire.-Playing career:Reiffel's career best bowling figures of 6-71 came at...
took the two other wickets, and Australia quickly surpassed the low target with only two wickets down. Thanks to a knock of 112 from Elliott, Australia declared at 213/7. Stewart had left the field for part of the innings due to back spasms, and Crawley had kept wicket.
England replied with a more solid 266 for four, declaring quickly to have a chance at Australia. Butcher and Atherton constructed the majority of the innings, with 87 and 77 respectively, and some quick scoring by Thorpre and Crawley – who both remained not out – allowed England to reach their score at 3.36 runs an over. The declaration came after Butcher fell, and the game safely batted out to a draw.
Third Test
England brought Headley in to debut in the Third Test, while Australia brought Jason GillespieJason Gillespie
Jason Neil Gillespie is an Australian cricketer who formerly represented Australia at international level, in both Tests and One Day Internationals, and South Australia, Yorkshire and Glamorgan at first-class level. His primary role is as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, but he is also a competent...
to replace Kasprowicz. Australia, batting first having won the toss, reached 235 runs thanks largely to a century by Steve Waugh, while Headley took four wickets and Gough three. Headley bowled an intimidating spell – coming "straight into the action, striking Taylor on the helmet as he ducked into a bouncer in his opening over." Dropped catches, however, hampered England's bowling performance. Butcher hit 51 and Stewart 30 as England responded with 162, largely hemmed back by a six wicket haul from Warne, and three for McGrath. Butcher, dismissed by a stumping, provided Healey with his 100th Test dismissal.
Australia increased their lead with a second innings score of 395, thanks again to Steve Waugh's century, 116 runs on this occasion. His 14th century made him the first Australian batsman to score a hundred in both innings since 1889, and the first instance of this feat in a Test between Australia and England since Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
and Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
in 1947. Australia left England 469 runs to win, and despite Crawley's knock of 83, England were dismissed for 200 runs, thanks to four wickets from McGrath and three for Warne and Gillespie respectively. During the innings, Warne overtook 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....
as the most successful Test leg-spin bowler, taking his 249th Test wicket. Australia thus levelled the series in front of a 87,829 strong crowd.
Fourth Test
England announced the same team for the First Test bar Mike Smith who was brought in over Caddick, while Australia lodged a complain against David GraveneyDavid Graveney
David Anthony Graveney OBE is a leading figure in English cricket and former chairman of the England Test selectors, a post he held from 1997 until 2008. Graveney attended Millfield School in Somerset....
for his decision to change pitches two weeks before the Test. Australia won the toss and chose to bowl in the 36 overs permitted in a rain affected first day. Ending on 103/3, England collapsed on the second day to 172 all out, thanks to a seven-wicket haul from Gillespie. Atherton scored 41 from 143 deliveries, however no other batsman passed 30. In response, Elliott (199) and Ashes débutante Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
's maiden Test century (127) brought Australia to 501/9 declared, with an expensive five-wicket haul for Gough, who went for 149 runs.
England attempted to regain control, however they struggled initially, falling to 89/4. A 123-run partnership between Hussain – his 105 being his second century of the series – and Crawley (72) gave England some hope, however five-wickets for Reiffel dismissed England for 268. This innings and 61-run victory gave Australia a 2:1 lead in front of 66,694 spectators.
Fifth Test
England brought Malcolm and Caddick back into the team for the 5th Test, as well as the two Hollioake brothers. There were also concerns in the England camp regarding Stewart's form, and Gough failed a fitness Test with an inflamed knee. Australia won the toss and batted, reaching 427 all out thanks to five half-centuries from the top five batsmen, while four wickets were taken by Headley and three by Malcolm. England fell to 313 all out in reply, thanks largely to Stewart's 87. Warne and McGrath took four wickets each to keep England behind the Australian total.Healy and Ponting then led a quick-scoring attack, supported by a half-century from Blewett , to take Australia to 336 while wickets shared around the England bowlers, including three between the Hollioake brothers. Set 451 runs to win, England fell with a "strange mix of strokeless submission and devil-may-care defiance" to 186 all out, with Australia claiming an extra half hour after stumps to defeat England on the 4th day. Only Thorpe with his 82 from 92 balls offered any resistance. Australia took an unassailable 3:1 lead, and pressure mounted on the England team and its management. The ECB
England and Wales Cricket Board
The England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
had issued statements denying that Atherton had offered, or planned, to resign, and Wisden recorded: "[This] crushing defeat cost England the series and the Ashes but not, this time, their captain. Mike Atherton withstood all the demands that he follow the example of his predecessor, Graham Gooch, who had fallen on his sword in similar circumstances four years earlier. But the public debate about his future did nothing to ease the pressure on Atherton." Peter Johnson later records that "Atherton resolutely declined journalists' invitations to resign at once, though his wording suggested to many that he would answer differently when the series was over."
Sixth Test
External links
- Series profile from CricInfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...