English cricket team in Australia in 1974-75
Encyclopedia
Mike Denness
captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1974–75, playing as England in the 1974-75 Ashes series
against the Australians
and as the MCC
in their other matches on the tour
. The lost the Test series and the Ashes
4-1 thanks to the battering they received from the fast bowling
of Dennis Lillee
and Jeff Thomson
, but won the One Day International and with Lillee and Thomson injured they came back to win the Sixth Test by an innings.
Alec Bedser
had toured Australia in the 1946-47, 1950-51 and 1954-55 Ashes series as a player, 1958-59 as a journalist and 1962-63 as the assistant-manager, so was well known down under and very knowledgeable about Australian conditions. He was one of the great servants of English cricket and took a record 236 Test wickets at an average of 24.89 despite carrying England's bowling attack against the powerful Australian teams of the post-war era. Bedser was made an England selector in 1962 and Chairman of Selectors in 1969, a post he held until 1981. As a bowler he had been willing to toil all day if his captain demanded and saw team spirit and dedication as qualities needed by any England player, which led to problems with his two best players, Geoff Boycott and John Snow, who he did not see as team players.
Geoff Boycott was a dedicated if charm less opening batsman who had made 657 runs (93.85) in the 1970-71 Ashes series, but was an awkward tourist who had argued with the Australian umpires. He was named in the touring squad, but was unhappy that he had been dropped for most of the summer and believed that he should have been made England captain instead of Denness. As a result he announced that he was unavailable for personal reasons and remained in self-imposed exile until 1977. The press speculated on his loss of form, the need to organise his 1975 Benefit Year and a fear of Dennis Lillee
, though the Australian fast bowler had not yet returned to cricket after his back injury. Boycott was later accused of cowardice, his many critics saying that he had avoided playing the Australian and West Indian teams of 1974-76 because of their fast bowlers, but no one in the England camp had any idea that Lillee and Thomson would be such a threat until the First Test. Illingworth later said that Boycott was the only England batsmen with the technique to face Dennis Lillee
and Jeff Thomson
and it was generally agreed that his lose was a blow the touring team's chances.
John Snow
was a mercurial fast bowler whose short-pitched fast bowling had taken 31 wickets (22.83) in 1970-71 and had knocked out Garth McKenzie and Terry Jenner
, leading to trouble with the Australian umpires over intimidatory bowling. Crowd demonstrations in the Seventh Test after Jenner was struck on the head led to Ray Illingworth
leading the England team off the field. Boycott and Snow were both disciplined on their return from Australia and Snow wrote "that the selectors would have to be shot before I made a Test comeback". Mike Denness
expressly asked for Snow to tour the West Indies in 1973-74, where he had taken 27 wickets (18.66) in 1967-68, but Bedser over-ruled him because Snow "was not a good team man". Denness asked for Snow again in 1974, but when “Alec accepted the managership in Australia Snow’s chances flew out the window”. Snow was recalled to play Australia at home in the 1975 Ashes series, where took more wickets than any other England bowler.
Michael Henry Denness was the leader of the 1974-75 touring team and the first Scottish-born captain of the England cricket team (Douglas Jardine
was born in India of Scottish parents). The late 1960s and early 1970s had seen a split in the ranks of English cricket as the nature of the captaincy. The conservatives saw cricket as uniting the Commonwealth
with sportsmanship and social skills as important as cricketing ability and preferred the old style amateur captains
with public school backgrounds. In the 1960s they had supported the avuncular Colin Cowdrey
, but he was a naturally cautious captain whose stints as England captain were broken by ill-timed injuries. The reformers called for tough, professional captains dedicated to winning Test matches, such as Brian Close
and Ray Illingworth
, who succeeded Cowdrey in 1969 when he damaged his Achilles heel
. Illingworth's success as captain gave England 27 consecutive Tests without defeat, including regaining the Ashes
in 1970-71 and retaining them in 1972. However, Illingworth could only maintain his place as long as he was winning and he was sacked minutes after losing to the West Indies
by an innings and 226 runs in 1973. Mike Denness
had succeeded Cowdrey as the captain of Kent and was the surprise choice to lead England to the West Indies in 1973-74, though he had been Tony Lewis
's vice-captain in India in 1972-73. Denness was seen a compromise candidate as he was a university graduate and a professional cricketer, though he was not a regular England player. Others pressed for the return of Cowdrey, Close or Illingworth. Boycott thought he should have the job and proved highly critical of Denness's captaincy. The Scot made a good start in the West Indies by drawing the series 1-1 and dealing diplomatically with the problems arising in the Caribbean in the wake of the exclusion of South Africa from Test cricket, though the press found him a bit dour. In 1974 he did even better, beating India 3-0 while making 289 runs (96.33), though Boycott opined that a donkey could have led the team to victory. He therefore went to Australia with some degree of confidence, but soon things went wrong. He picked up a mystery virus which prevented him from playing and affected his form. Though a natural player of spin he was soon found to have a weakness against the Australian fast bowlers and suffered in the Tests, so that he became the first Test captain to drop himself for bad form. Ironically, he returned for the Sixth Test at Sydney when Dennis Lillee
and Jeff Thomson
were unfit to play, made 188 - the highest Test score by an England captain in Australia - and won by an innings. He beat New Zealand with a batting average of 240.00 and retained the captaincy for the 1975 Cricket World Cup
, where England lost to Australia in the semi-finals. He lost the First Test of the 1975 Ashes series by an innings and was replaced by the combative Tony Greig
, never to play Test cricket again.
The England batsmen had gorged themselves on the Indian spin bowling in the summer of 1974; David Lloyd
averaged 260.00, Keith Fletcher
189.00, John Edrich
101.50, Mike Denness
96.33, Dennis Amiss
92.50 and Tony Greig
79.50. They did well in the rain-affected series against Pakistan and were chosen en masse for the tour of Australia, along with Geoff Boycott who had missed most of the summer due to poor form. Boycott declined to tour and was replaced by Brian Luckhurst
, a Kent opener who had made 455 runs (56.87) in 1970-71 and two centuries despite badly bruised fingers None of these had any great experience in facing fast bowling, which had been in short supply in the last few years of Test cricket. This was not seen as a problem as Australian pitches were usually good for batting or spin and while Dennis Lillee
had recovered from his back injury he was not seen as a problem. The pipe-smoking Dennis Amiss
was a heavy run-maker for Warwickshire
who had once carried his bat for 262 out of 432 against the West Indies in 1973-74, but was bounced out of cricket by the Australian and West Indian fast bowlers of the mid-1970s. He returned with a square on stance to make 203 against Michael Holding
at the Oval in 1976. David Lloyd
made 214 not out against India in his second Test, but failed to make another 50 in Tests and never played after this tour. In 1965 John Edrich
made a record 310 not out New Zealand in the Third Test at Headingley
with a record 52 fours and 5 sixes, but was hit on the head by a Peter Pollock
bouncer in his next Test, forcing him to retire hurt and thereafter he had a distaste for fast bowling. He changed into a solid and unspectacular accumulator of runs and in the 1970-71 Ashes series he batted for a record 33 hours and 26 minutes making 648 runs (72.00) and two centuries. Keith Fletcher
had a promising career, but like most of the England batsmen was a player of spin with limited technique against real pace and suffered as a result, but came back to make 146 in the Sixth Test and later became a successful captain of Essex
. Colin Cowdrey
was the first man to have play in a hundred Tests and was asked to reinforce the England squad after the injuries suffered in the First Test. This was his record sixth tour of Australia and he played in the Second Test in Perth just two days after arriving from England. The 6'7" South African born Tony Greig
was England's best batsman of the tour, using his height to slash the fast bowlers over the slips and having the advantage of batting at number 6 after the earlier batsmen had faced the brunt of the bowling. The wicketkeeper Alan Knott
who came in at number 7 was the next best batsmen, a perky, Punch-like
character with a sound defence and some unorthodox shots. Fred Titmus
had had great success with the bat on his previous tours in 1962-63 and 1965-66 and had a Test average of 48.89 in Australia. Chris Old
was once liken to Ian Botham
in his ability as an all-rounder and made six first class centuries.
Without John Snow
England depended on the injury-prone Bob Willis
to spearhead their fast bowling. Though his chest on action could generate real pace his knees could not take the strain and after bouncing the Australians in the First Test he was reduced to fast-medium pace. In support he had a host of quality fast-medium bowlers; Geoff Arnold
, Mike Hendrick
, Chris Old
and Peter Lever
who were able to exploit the seaming pitches and heavy atmosphere in England, but who suffered on the flat, dry pitches in Australia. Arnold shared the new ball with John Snow
. but a series of injuries and Snow's fall from grace prevented what could have been a productive partnership, in 1974 he and Old dismissed India for 42. Old was 6'3" Yorkshireman who suffered from a long list of injuries and niggles and so rarely fulfilled his great promise. Hendrick was a gloomy looking bowler who always seemed to beat the bat without success and holds the record for taking the most Test wickets without having captured 5 in a single innings. Lever had toured Australia in 1970-71 without great success, but in this series took his best Test figures of 6/38 in the Six Test at Sydney. In the following tour of New Zealand he hit the tailender Ewen Chatfield
on the head with a bouncer and almost killed him, Chatworth was saved by cardiopulmonary resuscitation
from the team physiotherapist Bernie Thomas and a distraught Lever had to be helped off the field. Before the arrival of Ian Botham
the 6'7" Tony Greig
was the Golden Boy of English cricket and has the lowest bowling average of any man who averages over 40 with the bat in Tests. Initially he was a medium paced bowler whose great height produced awkward bounce, but in 1973-74 he switched to off-spin and took 13/156 to win the Fifth Test and square the series. Fred Titmus
was a veteran off spin
bowler who in 1974 become the fourth man after W.G. Grace, Wilfred Rhodes
and George Hirst to take 2,500 wickets and make 20,000 runs in first class cricket, and "if accolades like that don't make a bloke feel old, then I don't know what does!" He had made his debut in 1947 and thought his selection was a joke, but Alec Bedser
told him "our cupboard is pretty bare when it comes to young players". The Cockney
took his best Test figures of 7/79 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
in 1962-63 with his flighted off-spinners, but had lost four toes in a boating accident in 1968 had had not played in Tests since. Derek Underwood
was a first class bowler from his teens who bowled immaculate slow-medium spinners and used to say that bowling was a “low mentality profession: plug away, line and length, until there's a mistake” as sooner or later every batsmen would make a mistake. On damp English wickets he earned the nickname "Deadly" for his ability to make the ball leap and turn, as when he took 10/82 against Australia at Headingley in 1972 and 13/71 against Pakistan at Lords in 1974.
had been chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year
in 1970 and was regarded as the finest keeper in the world. In this series he dismissed 24 Australian batsmen, a new Test record and Rod Marsh
admitted that he learned much of his trade from watching "Knotty" in the 1970-71 series. Knott continually exercised before play and between balls and was a highly entertaining player whose partnership with his team-mate Derek Underwood was legendary. Others thought that the reserve keeper Bob Taylor
was even better, a quiet, unassuming player whose wicketkeeping was so tidy as to be invisible. Colin Cowdrey
was an outstanding slip fielder whose 120 Test catches was a record by a fieldsman at the time. He was joined in the slips by John Edrich
, though he was a specialist gully fielder. Tony Greig
and Bob Willis
was an excellent slip and close fielders, while Mike Denness
"was by repute...the best fieldsman in his own side".
Mike Denness
Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...
captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1974–75, playing as England in the 1974-75 Ashes series
1974-75 Ashes series
-Preliminaries:For when Mike Denness and his side went to the ground on the Wednesday morning, two days before the First Test, the pitch to their astonishment was a morass of black mud...
against the Australians
Australian cricket team in Australia in 1974-75
The 1974-75 Australians beat the touring England team 4-1 in the 1974-75 Ashes series. Labelled the Ugly Australians for their hard-nosed cricket, sledging and hostile fast bowling they are regarded as one of the toughest teams in cricket history...
and as the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
in their other matches on the tour
MCC tour of Australia in 1974–75
The Marylebone Cricket Club tour of Australia in 1974-75 under the captaincy of Mike Denness was its fifteenth since it took official control of overseas tours in 1907-1908. The touring team played as England in the 1974-75 Ashes series against Australia, but as the MCC in all other games...
. The lost the Test series and 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...
4-1 thanks to the battering they received from the fast bowling
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...
of Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
and 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...
, but won the One Day International and with Lillee and Thomson injured they came back to win the Sixth Test by an innings.
The Manager
England was untried as a consistent winning combination away from home. Their captain had been questioned both as a Test player and leader. Their batting was shallow in specialists and their fast bowling smacked of insurance policies and endeavour rather than hostility. But the touring party was one that demanded respect. There were no fewer than ten members who had previously played against Australian under Australian conditions. Two other players had proved themselves against the old foe in England. It was a professional side, professionally chosen, with a professional knowledge of the gaps that existed in the make-up of the Australian side. It seemed they would give a professional account of themselves.
- Frank Tyson
Frank TysonFrank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...
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...
had toured Australia in the 1946-47, 1950-51 and 1954-55 Ashes series as a player, 1958-59 as a journalist and 1962-63 as the assistant-manager, so was well known down under and very knowledgeable about Australian conditions. He was one of the great servants of English cricket and took a record 236 Test wickets at an average of 24.89 despite carrying England's bowling attack against the powerful Australian teams of the post-war era. Bedser was made an England selector in 1962 and Chairman of Selectors in 1969, a post he held until 1981. As a bowler he had been willing to toil all day if his captain demanded and saw team spirit and dedication as qualities needed by any England player, which led to problems with his two best players, Geoff Boycott and John Snow, who he did not see as team players.
Geoff Boycott was a dedicated if charm less opening batsman who had made 657 runs (93.85) in the 1970-71 Ashes series, but was an awkward tourist who had argued with the Australian umpires. He was named in the touring squad, but was unhappy that he had been dropped for most of the summer and believed that he should have been made England captain instead of Denness. As a result he announced that he was unavailable for personal reasons and remained in self-imposed exile until 1977. The press speculated on his loss of form, the need to organise his 1975 Benefit Year and a fear of Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, though the Australian fast bowler had not yet returned to cricket after his back injury. Boycott was later accused of cowardice, his many critics saying that he had avoided playing the Australian and West Indian teams of 1974-76 because of their fast bowlers, but no one in the England camp had any idea that Lillee and Thomson would be such a threat until the First Test. Illingworth later said that Boycott was the only England batsmen with the technique to face Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
and 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 it was generally agreed that his lose was a blow the touring team's chances.
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...
was a mercurial fast bowler whose short-pitched fast bowling had taken 31 wickets (22.83) in 1970-71 and had knocked out Garth McKenzie and Terry Jenner
Terry Jenner
Terrence James Jenner was an Australian cricketer who played nine Tests and one ODI from 1970 to 1975. He was primarily a leg-spin bowler and was known for his attacking, loopy style of bowling, but he was also a handy lower-order batsman...
, leading to trouble with the Australian umpires over intimidatory bowling. Crowd demonstrations in the Seventh Test after Jenner was struck on the head led to Ray Illingworth
Ray Illingworth
Raymond Illingworth, CBE is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. He was one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in First class cricket, and the last one to do so...
leading the England team off the field. Boycott and Snow were both disciplined on their return from Australia and Snow wrote "that the selectors would have to be shot before I made a Test comeback". Mike Denness
Mike Denness
Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...
expressly asked for Snow to tour the West Indies in 1973-74, where he had taken 27 wickets (18.66) in 1967-68, but Bedser over-ruled him because Snow "was not a good team man". Denness asked for Snow again in 1974, but when “Alec accepted the managership in Australia Snow’s chances flew out the window”. Snow was recalled to play Australia at home in the 1975 Ashes series, where took more wickets than any other England bowler.
The Captain
The pace of Thomson and the deadly accuracy and cunning of Lillee unnerved England and I honestly don't believe that Mike Denness had sufficient statue and experience as a player and captain to help his batsmen get over what were deep psychological wounds, particularly as he himself was having such a wretched time of it with the bat.
- Tom Graveney
Tom GraveneyThomas 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...
Michael Henry Denness was the leader of the 1974-75 touring team and the first Scottish-born captain of the England cricket team (Douglas Jardine
Douglas Jardine
Douglas Robert Jardine was an English cricketer and captain of the England cricket team from 1931 to 1933–34.When describing cricket seasons, the convention used is that a single year represents an English cricket season, while two years represent a southern hemisphere cricket season because it...
was born in India of Scottish parents). The late 1960s and early 1970s had seen a split in the ranks of English cricket as the nature of the captaincy. The conservatives saw cricket as uniting the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
with sportsmanship and social skills as important as cricketing ability and preferred the old style amateur captains
History of English amateur cricket
The history of English amateur cricket describes the concept and importance of amateur players in English cricket.-Co-development of amateur and professional cricket to 1800:...
with public school backgrounds. In the 1960s they had supported the avuncular Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
, but he was a naturally cautious captain whose stints as England captain were broken by ill-timed injuries. The reformers called for tough, professional captains dedicated to winning Test matches, such as Brian Close
Brian Close
Dennis Brian Close , usually known as Brian Close, is a former cricketer who is the youngest man ever to play Test cricket for England. He was picked for the Test team to play against New Zealand, in July 1949, when he was 18 years old. Close went on to play 22 Test matches for England,...
and Ray Illingworth
Ray Illingworth
Raymond Illingworth, CBE is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. He was one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in First class cricket, and the last one to do so...
, who succeeded Cowdrey in 1969 when he damaged his Achilles heel
Achilles Heel
Achilles Heel may refer to:* Achilles' heel, a metaphor for a fatal weakness in spite of overall strength* Achilles Heel , music by Pedro the Lion* Achilles Heel , off Antarctica...
. Illingworth's success as captain gave England 27 consecutive Tests without defeat, including regaining 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...
in 1970-71 and retaining them in 1972. However, Illingworth could only maintain his place as long as he was winning and he was sacked minutes after losing to the West Indies
West Indian cricket team in England in 1973
The West Indian cricket team in England in 1973 played 17 first-class matches including three Tests. The team won the series against England by two matches to nil, with one drawn game...
by an innings and 226 runs in 1973. Mike Denness
Mike Denness
Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...
had succeeded Cowdrey as the captain of Kent and was the surprise choice to lead England to the West Indies in 1973-74, though he had been Tony Lewis
Tony Lewis
Anthony Robert Lewis CBE is a former Welsh cricketer, who went on to become the face of BBC Television cricket coverage in the 1990s, and become president of the MCC. Lewis attended Christ's College, Cambridge and played for Cambridge University. He also played county cricket for Glamorgan, and...
's vice-captain in India in 1972-73. Denness was seen a compromise candidate as he was a university graduate and a professional cricketer, though he was not a regular England player. Others pressed for the return of Cowdrey, Close or Illingworth. Boycott thought he should have the job and proved highly critical of Denness's captaincy. The Scot made a good start in the West Indies by drawing the series 1-1 and dealing diplomatically with the problems arising in the Caribbean in the wake of the exclusion of South Africa from Test cricket, though the press found him a bit dour. In 1974 he did even better, beating India 3-0 while making 289 runs (96.33), though Boycott opined that a donkey could have led the team to victory. He therefore went to Australia with some degree of confidence, but soon things went wrong. He picked up a mystery virus which prevented him from playing and affected his form. Though a natural player of spin he was soon found to have a weakness against the Australian fast bowlers and suffered in the Tests, so that he became the first Test captain to drop himself for bad form. Ironically, he returned for the Sixth Test at Sydney when Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
and 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...
were unfit to play, made 188 - the highest Test score by an England captain in Australia - and won by an innings. He beat New Zealand with a batting average of 240.00 and retained the captaincy for the 1975 Cricket World Cup
1975 Cricket World Cup
-Group B:-Knockout stage:-Semifinals:In the best World Cup performance to date by a bowler, Gary Gilmour took six wickets as England were bowled all out for 93 , after falling to 37/7...
, where England lost to Australia in the semi-finals. He lost the First Test of the 1975 Ashes series by an innings and was replaced by the combative Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
, never to play Test cricket again.
Batting
It came as a severe shock to the nervous system of the England batsmen when Australia suddenly produced the twin terrors Lillee and Thomson...and my heart went out to the England batsmen. I think the technique of several of the England batsmen left a lot to be desired, but all the coaching and textbook reading in the world could not have prepared them for the sort of short-pitched deliveries that kicked head high and at something like 100 mphMPHMPH is a three-letter acronym that refers to miles per hour, a measurement of speedMPH may also refer to:* Make Poverty History, a campaign supported by Bob Geldof to end poverty in Africa...
.
- Tom Graveney
Tom GraveneyThomas 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...
The England batsmen had gorged themselves on the Indian spin bowling in the summer of 1974; David Lloyd
David Lloyd (cricketer)
David Lloyd is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire and Test and One Day International cricket for England. He also played semi-professional football for Accrington Stanley...
averaged 260.00, Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher is a former English cricketer, who played for Essex and England. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex team-mate, Ray East, because Fletcher's winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear...
189.00, John Edrich
John Edrich
John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation...
101.50, Mike Denness
Mike Denness
Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...
96.33, Dennis Amiss
Dennis Amiss
Dennis Leslie Amiss MBE was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.Amiss suffered a serious back injury whilst playing soccer in his teenage years, which entailed him starting each day of his sporting life undergoing stretching routines to loosen up.He played cricket for both Warwickshire...
92.50 and Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
79.50. They did well in the rain-affected series against Pakistan and were chosen en masse for the tour of Australia, along with Geoff Boycott who had missed most of the summer due to poor form. Boycott declined to tour and was replaced by Brian Luckhurst
Brian Luckhurst
Brian William Luckhurst was an English cricketer, who played his entire county career for Kent County Cricket Club. He played for Kent from 1958 to 1976, usually opening the batting, then in 1985, in an emergency, played in one more match against the Australians. He was cricket manager from 1981...
, a Kent opener who had made 455 runs (56.87) in 1970-71 and two centuries despite badly bruised fingers None of these had any great experience in facing fast bowling, which had been in short supply in the last few years of Test cricket. This was not seen as a problem as Australian pitches were usually good for batting or spin and while Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
had recovered from his back injury he was not seen as a problem. The pipe-smoking Dennis Amiss
Dennis Amiss
Dennis Leslie Amiss MBE was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.Amiss suffered a serious back injury whilst playing soccer in his teenage years, which entailed him starting each day of his sporting life undergoing stretching routines to loosen up.He played cricket for both Warwickshire...
was a heavy run-maker for Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
who had once carried his bat for 262 out of 432 against the West Indies in 1973-74, but was bounced out of cricket by the Australian and West Indian fast bowlers of the mid-1970s. He returned with a square on stance to make 203 against Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
at the Oval in 1976. David Lloyd
David Lloyd (cricketer)
David Lloyd is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire and Test and One Day International cricket for England. He also played semi-professional football for Accrington Stanley...
made 214 not out against India in his second Test, but failed to make another 50 in Tests and never played after this tour. In 1965 John Edrich
John Edrich
John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation...
made a record 310 not out New Zealand in the Third Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
with a record 52 fours and 5 sixes, but was hit on the head by a Peter Pollock
Peter Pollock
Peter Maclean Pollock, has played a continuing role in the South Africa cricket team as a player, selector, and father of a future captain. He was voted a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1966...
bouncer in his next Test, forcing him to retire hurt and thereafter he had a distaste for fast bowling. He changed into a solid and unspectacular accumulator of runs and in the 1970-71 Ashes series he batted for a record 33 hours and 26 minutes making 648 runs (72.00) and two centuries. Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher
Keith Fletcher is a former English cricketer, who played for Essex and England. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex team-mate, Ray East, because Fletcher's winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear...
had a promising career, but like most of the England batsmen was a player of spin with limited technique against real pace and suffered as a result, but came back to make 146 in the Sixth Test and later became a successful captain of Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
. Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
was the first man to have play in a hundred Tests and was asked to reinforce the England squad after the injuries suffered in the First Test. This was his record sixth tour of Australia and he played in the Second Test in Perth just two days after arriving from England. The 6'7" South African born Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
was England's best batsman of the tour, using his height to slash the fast bowlers over the slips and having the advantage of batting at number 6 after the earlier batsmen had faced the brunt of the bowling. The wicketkeeper Alan Knott
Alan Knott
Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....
who came in at number 7 was the next best batsmen, a perky, Punch-like
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
character with a sound defence and some unorthodox shots. Fred Titmus
Fred Titmus
Frederick John Titmus MBE was an English cricketer, whose first-class career spanned five decades. Although he was best known for his off spin , he was an accomplished lower-order batsman who deserved to be called an all-rounder, even opening the batting for England on six occasions...
had had great success with the bat on his previous tours in 1962-63 and 1965-66 and had a Test average of 48.89 in Australia. Chris Old
Chris Old
Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....
was once liken to Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
in his ability as an all-rounder and made six first class centuries.
Bowling
It was impossible to recall when the initial selection of an England touring party to Australia had included five out-and-out quick bowlers. Perhaps Lever'sPeter LeverPeter Lever is a former English cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and ten ODIs for England from 1970 to 1975. He was a successful wicket taker, taking 41 victims from those seventeen Tests, and a handy batsman with a top score of 88 not out...
experience was intended to underwrite the hard-wicket fallibility of his fellow fast bowling quartet, who had not enjoyed a successful tour in the West Indies...The fact that the England selectors placed all their trump cards in the fast bowling had, also dangerously weakened the batting make-up of the touring party.
- Frank Tyson
Frank TysonFrank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...
Without 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...
England depended on the injury-prone Bob Willis
Bob Willis
Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...
to spearhead their fast bowling. Though his chest on action could generate real pace his knees could not take the strain and after bouncing the Australians in the First Test he was reduced to fast-medium pace. In support he had a host of quality fast-medium bowlers; Geoff Arnold
Geoff Arnold
Geoff Arnold is an English cricketer who played 34 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals for England. His nickname of "Horse" was based on his initials of GG. He was a seam and swing bowler, who finished his first-class cricket career, which lasted from 1963 to 1982, with 1130 wickets at an average...
, Mike Hendrick
Mike Hendrick
Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...
, Chris Old
Chris Old
Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....
and Peter Lever
Peter Lever
Peter Lever is a former English cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and ten ODIs for England from 1970 to 1975. He was a successful wicket taker, taking 41 victims from those seventeen Tests, and a handy batsman with a top score of 88 not out...
who were able to exploit the seaming pitches and heavy atmosphere in England, but who suffered on the flat, dry pitches in Australia. Arnold shared the new ball with 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...
. but a series of injuries and Snow's fall from grace prevented what could have been a productive partnership, in 1974 he and Old dismissed India for 42. Old was 6'3" Yorkshireman who suffered from a long list of injuries and niggles and so rarely fulfilled his great promise. Hendrick was a gloomy looking bowler who always seemed to beat the bat without success and holds the record for taking the most Test wickets without having captured 5 in a single innings. Lever had toured Australia in 1970-71 without great success, but in this series took his best Test figures of 6/38 in the Six Test at Sydney. In the following tour of New Zealand he hit the tailender Ewen Chatfield
Ewen Chatfield
Ewen John Chatfield is a former cricketer who played 43 Tests and 114 One Day Internationals for New Zealand. A medium-pace bowler, his chief weapon was his accuracy, giving him economical bowling figures, although he occasionally would come in for punishment in the late stages of limited overs...
on the head with a bouncer and almost killed him, Chatworth was saved by cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
from the team physiotherapist Bernie Thomas and a distraught Lever had to be helped off the field. Before the arrival of Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
the 6'7" Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
was the Golden Boy of English cricket and has the lowest bowling average of any man who averages over 40 with the bat in Tests. Initially he was a medium paced bowler whose great height produced awkward bounce, but in 1973-74 he switched to off-spin and took 13/156 to win the Fifth Test and square the series. Fred Titmus
Fred Titmus
Frederick John Titmus MBE was an English cricketer, whose first-class career spanned five decades. Although he was best known for his off spin , he was an accomplished lower-order batsman who deserved to be called an all-rounder, even opening the batting for England on six occasions...
was a veteran off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
bowler who in 1974 become the fourth man after W.G. Grace, Wilfred Rhodes
Wilfred Rhodes
Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets in and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches...
and George Hirst to take 2,500 wickets and make 20,000 runs in first class cricket, and "if accolades like that don't make a bloke feel old, then I don't know what does!" He had made his debut in 1947 and thought his selection was a joke, but 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...
told him "our cupboard is pretty bare when it comes to young players". The Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
took his best Test figures of 7/79 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
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...
in 1962-63 with his flighted off-spinners, but had lost four toes in a boating accident in 1968 had had not played in Tests since. Derek Underwood
Derek Underwood
Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....
was a first class bowler from his teens who bowled immaculate slow-medium spinners and used to say that bowling was a “low mentality profession: plug away, line and length, until there's a mistake” as sooner or later every batsmen would make a mistake. On damp English wickets he earned the nickname "Deadly" for his ability to make the ball leap and turn, as when he took 10/82 against Australia at Headingley in 1972 and 13/71 against Pakistan at Lords in 1974.
Fielding
Alan KnottAlan Knott
Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....
had been chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in 1970 and was regarded as the finest keeper in the world. In this series he dismissed 24 Australian batsmen, a new Test record and Rod Marsh
Rod Marsh
Rodney William Marsh MBE is a former Australian wicketkeeper.A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western...
admitted that he learned much of his trade from watching "Knotty" in the 1970-71 series. Knott continually exercised before play and between balls and was a highly entertaining player whose partnership with his team-mate Derek Underwood was legendary. Others thought that the reserve keeper Bob Taylor
Bob Taylor (cricketer)
Robert William Taylor , known as Bob Taylor, is a former English cricketer who played as wicket-keeper for Derbyshire between 1961 and 1984 and for England between 1971 and 1984. He made 57 Test, and 639 first class cricket appearances in total, taking 1,473 catches. The 2,069 victims across his...
was even better, a quiet, unassuming player whose wicketkeeping was so tidy as to be invisible. Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
was an outstanding slip fielder whose 120 Test catches was a record by a fieldsman at the time. He was joined in the slips by John Edrich
John Edrich
John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation...
, though he was a specialist gully fielder. Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
and Bob Willis
Bob Willis
Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...
was an excellent slip and close fielders, while Mike Denness
Mike Denness
Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...
"was by repute...the best fieldsman in his own side".
Touring Team
| Test Statistics of England Team in 1970-71 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | County | Age | Role | Tests | Runs | Highest | Average | 100s | 50s | Ct | St | Wickets | Best | Average | 5 Wt | 10 Wt |
| A.V. 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... |
Surrey Surrey County Cricket Club Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions... |
56 | Manager | 51 | 714 | 79 | 12.75 | 1 | 26 | 236 | 7/44 | 24.89 | 15 | 5 | ||
| A.C. Smith Alan Smith (cricketer) Alan Christopher Smith, known as A. C. Smith is an English former Test cricketer, who appeared in six Tests for England. Primarily a wicket-keeper, Smith was also a capable right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm seam bowler... |
Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor... |
39 | Assistant-manager | 6 | 118 | 69* 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... |
29.50 | 1 | 20 | |||||||
| B. Thomas | Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor... |
Physiotherapist | ||||||||||||||
| J.H. Edrich John Edrich John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation... (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... |
Surrey Surrey County Cricket Club Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions... |
37 | Left-Handed Opening Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time... |
77 | 5138 | 310* Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress... |
43.54 | 12 | 24 | 43 | 0/6 | |||||
| D. Lloyd David Lloyd (cricketer) David Lloyd is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire and Test and One Day International cricket for England. He also played semi-professional football for Accrington Stanley... |
Lancashire Lancashire County Cricket Club Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then... |
27 | 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... |
9 | 552 | 214* 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... |
42.46 | 1 | 11 | 0/4 | ||||||
| D.L. Amiss Dennis Amiss Dennis Leslie Amiss MBE was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.Amiss suffered a serious back injury whilst playing soccer in his teenage years, which entailed him starting each day of his sporting life undergoing stretching routines to loosen up.He played cricket for both Warwickshire... |
Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor... |
31 | 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... |
50 | 3612 | 262* 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... |
46.30 | 11 | 11 | 24 | ||||||
| B.W. Luckhurst Brian Luckhurst Brian William Luckhurst was an English cricketer, who played his entire county career for Kent County Cricket Club. He played for Kent from 1958 to 1976, usually opening the batting, then in 1985, in an emergency, played in one more match against the Australians. He was cricket manager from 1981... |
Kent Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent... |
35 | 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... |
21 | 1298 | 131 | 36.05 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 1/9 | 32.00 | |||
| M.C. Cowdrey Colin Cowdrey Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976... |
Kent Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent... |
41 | Right-Handed Top Order Batsman Batting order (cricket) In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time... |
114 | 7624 | 182 | 44.06 | 22 | 38 | 120 | ||||||
| M.H. Denness Mike Denness Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England... (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... |
Kent Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent... |
33 | 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... |
28 | 1667 | 188 | 39.69 | 3 | 7 | 28 | ||||||
| K.W.R. Fletcher Keith Fletcher Keith Fletcher is a former English cricketer, who played for Essex and England. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex team-mate, Ray East, because Fletcher's winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear... |
Essex Essex County Cricket Club Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games... |
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... |
59 | 3272 | 216 | 39.90 | 7 | 19 | 54 | 2 | 1/6 | 96.50 | |||
| A.P.E. Knott Alan Knott Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman.... |
Kent Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent... |
28 | 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... |
95 | 4389 | 135 | 32.75 | 5 | 30 | 250 | 19 | |||||
| R.W. Taylor Bob Taylor (cricketer) Robert William Taylor , known as Bob Taylor, is a former English cricketer who played as wicket-keeper for Derbyshire between 1961 and 1984 and for England between 1971 and 1984. He made 57 Test, and 639 first class cricket appearances in total, taking 1,473 catches. The 2,069 victims across his... |
Derbyshire Derbyshire County Cricket Club Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire... |
29 | 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... |
57 | 1156 | 97 | 16.28 | 3 | 167 | 7 | 0/6 | |||||
| R.G.D. Willis Bob Willis Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England... |
Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor... |
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... |
90 | 840 | 28* Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress... |
11.50 | 39 | 325 | 8/43 | 25.20 | 16 | ||||
| G.G. Arnold Geoff Arnold Geoff Arnold is an English cricketer who played 34 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals for England. His nickname of "Horse" was based on his initials of GG. He was a seam and swing bowler, who finished his first-class cricket career, which lasted from 1963 to 1982, with 1130 wickets at an average... |
Surrey Surrey County Cricket Club Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions... |
30 | 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... |
34 | 421 | 59 | 12.02 | 1 | 9 | 115 | 6/45 | 28.29 | 6 | |||
| M. Hendrick Mike Hendrick Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981... |
Derbyshire Derbyshire County Cricket Club Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire... |
26 | 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... |
30 | 128 | 15 | 6.40 | 25 | 87 | 4/28 | 25.83 | |||||
| P. Lever Peter Lever Peter Lever is a former English cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and ten ODIs for England from 1970 to 1975. He was a successful wicket taker, taking 41 victims from those seventeen Tests, and a handy batsman with a top score of 88 not out... |
Lancashire Lancashire County Cricket Club Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then... |
34 | 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... |
17 | 350 | 88* 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... |
21.87 | 2 | 11 | 41 | 6/38 | 36.80 | 2 | |||
| C.M. Old Chris Old Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981.... |
Yorkshire Yorkshire County Cricket Club Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure.... |
25 | Right-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... |
46 | 845 | 65 | 14.82 | 2 | 22 | 143 | 7/50 | 28.11 | 4 | |||
| A.W. Greig Tony Greig Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the... |
Sussex Sussex County Cricket Club Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a... |
28 | Right-Arm 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... Off-Spin Bowler Off spin Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side... |
58 | 3599 | 148 | 40.43 | 8 | 20 | 87 | 141 | 8/86 | 32.20 | 6 | 2 | |
| F.J. Titmus Fred Titmus Frederick John Titmus MBE was an English cricketer, whose first-class career spanned five decades. Although he was best known for his off spin , he was an accomplished lower-order batsman who deserved to be called an all-rounder, even opening the batting for England on six occasions... |
Middlesex Middlesex County Cricket Club Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the... |
53 | Off-Spin Bowler Off spin Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side... |
53 | 1449 | 85* Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress... |
22.29 | 10 | 35 | 153 | 7/79 | 32.22 | 7 | |||
| D.L. Underwood Derek Underwood Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC.... |
Kent Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent... |
25 | Slow Left Arm Bowler Left-arm orthodox spin Left-arm orthodox spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket.Left-arm orthodox spin is bowled by a left arm bowler using the fingers to spin the ball from right to left of the cricket pitch... |
86 | 937 | 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... |
11.56 | 44 | 297 | 8/51 | 25.83 | 17 | 6 |
First Test – Brisbane
See Main Article - 1974-75 Ashes seriesSecond Test – Perth
See Main Article - 1974-75 Ashes seriesThird Test – Melbourne
See Main Article - 1974-75 Ashes seriesFirst One Day International - Melbourne
See Main Article - 1974-75 Ashes seriesFourth Test – Sydney
See Main Article - 1974-75 Ashes seriesFifth Test – Adelaide
See Main Article - 1974-75 Ashes seriesSixth Test – Sydney
See Main Article - 1974-75 Ashes seriesExternal sources
Further reading
- Mark Browning, Rod MarshRod MarshRodney William Marsh MBE is a former Australian wicketkeeper.A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western...
: A Life in Cricket, Rosenberg Publishing, 2003 - Ian Brayshaw, The Chappell Era, ABC Enterprises, 1984
- Greg ChappellGreg ChappellGregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...
, Old Hands Showed The Way, Test Series Official Book 1986-87, The Clashes For The Ashes, Australia vs England, Playbill Sport Publication, 1986 - Ian ChappellIan ChappellIan 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...
, Austin Robertson and Paul Rigby, Chappelli Has the Last Laugh, Lansdowne Press, 1980 - Ian ChappellIan ChappellIan 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...
and Ashley MallettAshley MallettAshley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...
, Hitting Out: The Ian Chappell Story, Orion, 2006 - Colin CowdreyColin CowdreyMichael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
, M. C. C. The Autobiography of a Cricketer, Coronet Books, 1977 - Bill FrindallBill FrindallWilliam Howard Frindall, MBE was an English cricket scorer and statistician. He was familiar to cricket followers from his appearances on the BBC Radio 4 programme Test Match Special, nicknamed the Bearded Wonder by Brian Johnston for his ability to research the most obscure cricketing facts in...
, The Wisden Book of Test Cricket 1877-1978, Wisden, 1979 - Colin Firth, Pageant of Cricket, The MacMillian Company of Australia,1987
- Chris Harte, A History of Australian Cricket, Andre Deutsch, 1993
- Ed Jaggard, Garth: The Story of Graham McKenzie, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1993
- Ken Kelly and David Lemmon, Cricket Reflections: Five Decades of Cricket Photographs, Heinemann, 1985
- Dennis LilleeDennis LilleeDennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, Lillee, My Life in Cricket, Methuen Australia, 1982 - Dennis LilleeDennis LilleeDennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, Menace: the Autobiography, Headline Book Publishing, 2003 - Brian LuckhurstBrian LuckhurstBrian William Luckhurst was an English cricketer, who played his entire county career for Kent County Cricket Club. He played for Kent from 1958 to 1976, usually opening the batting, then in 1985, in an emergency, played in one more match against the Australians. He was cricket manager from 1981...
and Mike Baldwin, Boot Boy to President, KOS Media, 2004 - Ashley MallettAshley MallettAshley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...
, Rowdy, Lynton Publications, 1973 - Ashley MallettAshley MallettAshley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...
, Spin Out, Garry Sparke & Associates, 1977 - Ashley MallettAshley MallettAshley Alexander Mallett is a former Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980...
, One Of A Kind: The Doug Walters Story, Orion, 2009 - Rod MarshRod MarshRodney William Marsh MBE is a former Australian wicketkeeper.A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western...
, The Gloves of Irony, Pan, 1999 - Adrian McGregor, Greg ChappellGreg ChappellGregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...
, Collins, 1985 - Mark Peel, The Last Roman: A Biography of Colin CowdreyColin CowdreyMichael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
, Andre Deutsch Ltd, 1999 - Ray Robinson, On Top Down Under, Cassell, 1975
- E.W. Swanton(ed), The Barclays World of Cricket, Collins, 1986
- Derek UnderwoodDerek UnderwoodDerek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....
, Beating the Bat: An Autobiography, S.Paul, 1975 - Bob WillisBob WillisRobert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...
, Lasting the Pace, Collins, 1985
Videos and DVDs
- Allan BorderAllan BorderAllan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...
and David GowerDavid GowerDavid Ivon Gower OBE is a former English cricketer who became a commentator for Sky Sports. Although he eventually rose to the captaincy of the England cricket team during the 1980s, he is best known for being one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the modern era. Gower played 117 Test...
, The Best Of The Ashes - 1970 - 1987, 2 Entertain Video, 1991