English cricket team in Australia in 1986-87
Encyclopedia
The England cricket team
toured Australia
in 1986/7 and retained the Ashes
with a 2-1 series win.
and Australia
begun this series at a low ebb. England had lost 5-0 against the West Indies
the previous year, then lost 2-0 and 1-0 to India
and New Zealand
respectively during the England summer. Australia, during the same period, had lost two series against New Zealand (2-1 and 1-0) and drew two series against India. While Australia had emerged with a drawn series from their tour of India, they had struggled against India at home the previous season and India had been unlucky not to have won the Boxing Day Test
in Melbourne
.
Considering the losses that both teams had sustained, it was only natural that many felt this series was merely a battle for Test cricket's Wooden spoon
. Australia had managed a tie in Madras and many commentators felt that Australia's batting had strengthened somewhat. The performances of Victorian batsmen Dean Jones
and the new opening pair of David Boon
and Geoff Marsh
had been noted. Young NSW all-rounder, Stephen Waugh
, was also beginning to make his presence felt, although certainly not to the level that many expected him. The bowling was still problematic, although Bruce Reid
had begun to perform well.
When England began their tour in October 1986, they were immediately in trouble as they lost against Queensland
by 5 wickets. They especially had trouble with Dirk Tazelaar
, a tall, left arm bowler, who took 4/34 in the first innings. England's batsmen seemed hopelessly out of form, although Ian Botham
managed to hit an ominous 86 off 67 balls, including eleven fours and four sixes - one six shattering a window at long-off. When fielding, England's woes continued, with many catches dropped despite some effective bowling.
A morale boosting 5 wicket victory against South Australia
followed. Allan Lamb
and tour debutant James Whitaker
hit centuries while spinner John Emburey
found form. It also marked the end of a depressing run of fourteen losses for the England team at first class level (including Test and tour matches). Parkinson, another left-arm fast bowler, took 5/87 in England's first innings. Experts began to question England's vulnerability against left arm quicks.
The tour then began to fall apart again with an embarrassing performance against Western Australia
. Rain ensured the match ended in a draw, but England would have easily lost had the rain stayed away. Five catches were dropped in the first innings as Australian opener Geoff Marsh scored 124 in 345 minutes. Two left-arm quicks, Chris Matthews
and Bruce Reid
, took four wickets each as England collapsed for 152. Marsh then batted 246 minutes for his 63 in the second innings as Western Australia looked for a declaration. The match ended with England 6 for 153 and desperately avoided defeat. David Gower
, a very important member of the England lineup, had been dismissed for a zero in both innings. Captain Mike Gatting
, vice captain Allan Lamb and backup opener Wilf Slack
had also been dismissed for zero once each during the match.
Australia therefore approached the 1st Test as clear favourites. Martin Johnson of The Independent
wrote that the English team "had only three things wrong with them - can't bat, can't bowl, can't field". Australia selected two left arm fast bowlers - Bruce Reid and Chris Matthews (both from Western Australia) - to take advantage of the clear problem the English batsmen had with this sort of bowling.
England's achievement in winning this match, especially against the backdrop of their early tour form, was remarkable. For Australia, with such high hopes against the "old enemy", the loss was depressing and indicated yet again that Australia's young side still had a long way to go before they could be competitive.
England's first innings was dominated by Ian Botham's 138 off 174 balls. He was especially severe on Australian Bowler Merv Hughes
, playing in only his second Test. Important also were the return to form of Gower (51) and Captain Gatting (61). A rain-shortened first day meant that Australia was 1-33 by the start of day 3. Australia's first innings was effectively ended by Kent seamer Graham Dilley
, although all the bowlers were effective in either taking wickets or restricting runs. Geoff Marsh continued his good form from the previous tour match, scoring 56 in 205 minutes.
Unfortunately for Australia, their first innings fell 8 runs short of avoiding the follow-on. Their second innings was dominated by Marsh's 110 off 392 minutes (by the end of this innings, Marsh had batted 1188 minutes - nearly 20 hours - in four innings against England). England's bowling was dominated by Emburey's 5/80, who conceded fewer than 2 runs per over. Australia was bowled out for 282 and England easily knocked off the runs required for a well-deserved victory.
Full Scorecard
Full Scorecard
Full Scorecard
The embarrassing failure of Australia in losing this match so completely also marked their 14th Test in succession without a victory. By any statistical analysis, Australia had reached their all-time historic "low" when the match ended. Having reached this point, the only way for Australia was up. Chris Broad
became the third English batsman, after Jack Hobbs
and Wally Hammond
, to score hundreds in three consecutive Ashes Tests.
Full Scorecard
This match will always be remembered as "Taylor's match". When the team for the Test was announced, the Australian selectors had included the name of Peter Taylor
from NSW
. Thinking that a mistake in names had been made, the Australian media besieged the home of the talented young NSW opener Mark Taylor
, thinking that he had been selected to play his first Test. Although history shows that Mark Taylor had a substantial Test career later on, the selectors had made no mistake in the name. NSW off-spinner Peter Taylor had impressed some selectors (especially Greg Chappell
) with his all-round abilities during the previous season's Sheffield Shield final. He was noted as an off-spinner who really spun the ball and a number of the wickets he took during the test match were attributed to his 'loop' (the deceptive flight of a heavily spun cricket ball) and bounce from his unusual but high bowling action. Considering Peter Taylor's limited first-class experience, the selection was risky. Given the state of Australian cricket at this point, and the fact that the Ashes had already been lost, such a selection could be considered desperate. The selection was so shocking that the media quickly dubbed him "Peter Who?", and he became something of a celebrity leading up to the match. Spectators voiced their opinion too on the first day of the match. "Aussie Selectors couldn't pick Bill Lawry
's Nose" declared one banner. No doubt these same spectators would have been cheering 5 days later as this unlikely player received the man of the match award.
The Australian first innings was dominated by Jones' 184 not out - his first century of the season and only his second Test century. Jones was lucky not to be out for 5, as video replays seemed to indicate that he had been caught behind. Australia managed 343 in the first innings, with Jones featuring in some very important late-wicket partnerships.
Given the dominance of England's batting throughout the season and the limited nature of Australia's bowling, both sides were stunned as England stuttered to 3/17 in their first innings, with Merv Hughes finally providing the venom he had been promising. Hughes, still inexperienced at this point, was one of the players the selectors stuck with despite his poor form. England recovered somewhat through the strokeplay of Gower and an almost embarrassing 69 from John Emburey
(who kept falling over when playing the sweep shot). But it was debutant Peter Taylor taking 6/78 off 26 overs that ran through the middle order, including the dangerous Ian Botham.
Australia's second innings began badly again, then recovered slightly while Jones and Border were batting, then slumped again to 7/145. Steve Waugh (73) partered Peter Taylor (42) in a 98 run partnership that, in the end, proved to be match-winning. Waugh, still potentially "the next big thing" and in front of his home crowd, was an attractive stroke-maker while Taylor, on the other hand, had little natural strokeplay but relied upon his concentration. John Emburey, the English Off Spinner, was taking every advantage of the wearing pitch with 7/78 off 46 overs.
With 320 to win on a wearing pitch, England applied themselves against the inexperienced Australian attack and aimed for victory. Gatting, out for 0 in the first innings, took England to 5/233, but was out caught and bowled to All-rounder Steve Waugh for 96. With the pitch getting worse, England put off thoughts of victory and worked to draw the match. John Emburey batted for over an hour for his 22, but was clean bowled in the penultimate over to a Peter Sleep leg-spinner that kept low. This gave Australia its first victory in 14 Tests. Peter Sleep
finished with 5/72 - his only 5 wicket haul in Tests.
Full Scorecard
was a one-off one-day international tournament held at the WACA Ground, Perth in late December 1986 and early January 1987. It was part of the celebrations marking Australia's defence of the America's Cup
yachting competition which was taking place simultaneously in nearby Fremantle
.
Australia, England, Pakistan and the West Indies
were the competitors. The games were played over a league basis and in coloured clothing, with Pakistan beating the West Indies in the first match under the new WACA floodlights. In England's victory over Australia, Ian Botham
hit 26 runs off one over. England then inflicted a defeat over the then-dominant West Indies before beating Pakistan in a "dress rehearsal" of the final. Australia had a miserable tournament, losing all three games and being bowled out for a mere 91 in its game against the West Indies. Australian batsman Dean Jones
did have a fine tournament, however, hitting back-to-back centuries. In the final, England comfortably beat Pakistan with 9.5 overs to spare.
triangular tournament featured Australia, England and the West Indies, with games played at five venues:
Each team played a total of eight games to reach the best of three final. Australia had a significantly better time than they had in the Perth Challenge, winning five of their eight qualifying games to top the group, ahead of England, with the West Indies eliminated. However, England rounded off their successful tour with a convincing 2-0 victory in the final series.
Despite his stunning debut, Australian Off-Spinner Peter Taylor never dominated a Test match in the same way again. Apart from a brave 54 not out against Pakistan a few years later and 87 against New Zealand in 1990, Taylor's overall Test record was mediocre. His lack of form also translated into his First class performances, and he was once in the unusual situation of being selected to play for Australia in One-day matches while being dropped by NSW for Shield Matches. He eventually moved to play for Queensland where his form did not improve. Taylor was, however, an integral part of Australia's one-day dominance in the late 1980s. He eventually retired from the game and, for a brief period, became a national selector.
Chris Broad also suffered from lack of consistency after this series. Despite his wonderful run of centuries, he never again dominated a bowling attack the way he did during this tour. He scored 116 against Pakistan in the infamous December 1987 Test, then 139 against Australia again in the Bicentennial Test match. However, Broad eventually finished with just 1661 Test runs at an average of 39.54. His final Test was during the 1989 Ashes series, where he scored 18 and 20 at Lord's
.
A number of other England players failed to live up to their potential from this series. Gladstone Small played only 17 Tests and took 55 wickets at 34. Young keeper Jack Richards found that the selectors preferred Bruce French when he returned to England, and was then given a hard time while playing for Surrey
. Richards retired before he turned 30, having played only 8 Tests. His 133 at Perth remains his only Test century.
Philip DeFreitas, in his debut tour, eventually turned into an effective bowler for England, though he was never able to live up to the "Black Botham" tag that some had given him. Graham Dilley was another who served England well until his final Test in 1989.
A number of Australians were able to learn from this series and were able to transform themselves into better players as a result. David Boon's Test career was written off after this series, with English author Christopher Martin-Jenkins wondering who would partner the effective Geoff Marsh in future. Boon, of course, played 107 Tests while the dour Marsh was eventually dropped after 50 - Boon ending up the better batsman. Dean Jones lived up to his promise for a while, but was eventually worn down by Richard Hadlee. Steve Waugh, after a long period of time, finally began to deliver on his ability and was one of Australia's most important players in the 1990s. Australia's bowlers, notably Geoff Lawson, Merv Hughes and Craig McDermott, all returned to form and were integral parts of future teams that defeated England in 1989, 1990–91, 1993, and 1994-95. Bruce Reid's performances improved markedly, but back injuries limited his Test Career.
For Australia, Greg Ritchie and Dirk Wellham never played for Australia again, while left arm fast bowler Chris Matthews made only one more appearance. All rounder Greg Matthews remained a far better batsman then a bowler, and probably deserved to play more Tests overall based on his batting average.
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
toured Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
in 1986/7 and retained 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...
with a 2-1 series win.
Lead-up to the series
Both EnglandEnglish cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
and Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
begun this series at a low ebb. England had lost 5-0 against the West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
the previous year, then lost 2-0 and 1-0 to India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
and New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
respectively during the England summer. Australia, during the same period, had lost two series against New Zealand (2-1 and 1-0) and drew two series against India. While Australia had emerged with a drawn series from their tour of India, they had struggled against India at home the previous season and India had been unlucky not to have won the Boxing Day Test
Boxing Day Test
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team which is touring Australia that summer. It begins annually on Boxing Day and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground...
in Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
.
Considering the losses that both teams had sustained, it was only natural that many felt this series was merely a battle for Test cricket's Wooden spoon
Wooden spoon (award)
A wooden spoon is a mock or real award, usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition, but sometimes also to runners-up. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous events...
. Australia had managed a tie in Madras and many commentators felt that Australia's batting had strengthened somewhat. The performances of Victorian batsmen Dean Jones
Dean Jones (cricketer)
Dean Mervyn Jones AM is a retired Australian cricketer, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.-Career:...
and the new opening pair of David Boon
David Boon
David Clarence Boon MBE , nicknamed Boony, is a former Australian cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1995...
and Geoff Marsh
Geoff Marsh
Geoffrey Robert Marsh is a former Australian cricketer, coach and selector. He played 50 Test matches and over 100 One Day Internationals for Australia as an opening batsman...
had been noted. Young NSW all-rounder, Stephen Waugh
Steve Waugh
Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
, was also beginning to make his presence felt, although certainly not to the level that many expected him. The bowling was still problematic, although Bruce Reid
Bruce Reid
Bruce Anthony Reid is an Australian cricketer and bowling coach of the Indian national cricket team on their 2003-04 tour to Australia....
had begun to perform well.
When England began their tour in October 1986, they were immediately in trouble as they lost against Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
by 5 wickets. They especially had trouble with Dirk Tazelaar
Dirk Tazelaar
Dirk "Diddy" Tazelaar is a former Australian first class cricketer who played for Queensland. A tall left arm paceman, he also had a stint in England with Surrey....
, a tall, left arm bowler, who took 4/34 in the first innings. England's batsmen seemed hopelessly out of form, although 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"...
managed to hit an ominous 86 off 67 balls, including eleven fours and four sixes - one six shattering a window at long-off. When fielding, England's woes continued, with many catches dropped despite some effective bowling.
A morale boosting 5 wicket victory against South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
followed. Allan Lamb
Allan Lamb
Allan Joseph Lamb is a former England cricketer and captain who played for the first class teams of Western Province and Northamptonshire, the latter as an Overseas player...
and tour debutant James Whitaker
James Whitaker
James Whitaker is a British journalist, specialising in the British royal family.-Biography:Formerly a pupil at Cheltenham College, Whitaker is best known as the Royal Editor of the Daily Mirror. He broke the story of the eating disorder of Diana, Princess of Wales...
hit centuries while spinner John Emburey
John Emburey
John Ernest Emburey is a former English cricketer, who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England....
found form. It also marked the end of a depressing run of fourteen losses for the England team at first class level (including Test and tour matches). Parkinson, another left-arm fast bowler, took 5/87 in England's first innings. Experts began to question England's vulnerability against left arm quicks.
The tour then began to fall apart again with an embarrassing performance against Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Rain ensured the match ended in a draw, but England would have easily lost had the rain stayed away. Five catches were dropped in the first innings as Australian opener Geoff Marsh scored 124 in 345 minutes. Two left-arm quicks, Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Christopher John "Chris" Matthews is an American news anchor and political commentator, known for his nightly hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, which is televised on the American cable television channel MSNBC...
and Bruce Reid
Bruce Reid
Bruce Anthony Reid is an Australian cricketer and bowling coach of the Indian national cricket team on their 2003-04 tour to Australia....
, took four wickets each as England collapsed for 152. Marsh then batted 246 minutes for his 63 in the second innings as Western Australia looked for a declaration. The match ended with England 6 for 153 and desperately avoided defeat. David Gower
David Gower
David 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...
, a very important member of the England lineup, had been dismissed for a zero in both innings. Captain Mike Gatting
Mike Gatting
Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988...
, vice captain Allan Lamb and backup opener Wilf Slack
Wilf Slack
Wilfred Norris "Wilf" Slack was an English cricketer, who played in three Test matches and two One Day Internationals for England in 1986....
had also been dismissed for zero once each during the match.
Australia therefore approached the 1st Test as clear favourites. Martin Johnson of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
wrote that the English team "had only three things wrong with them - can't bat, can't bowl, can't field". Australia selected two left arm fast bowlers - Bruce Reid and Chris Matthews (both from Western Australia) - to take advantage of the clear problem the English batsmen had with this sort of bowling.
1st Test, 14 November 1986 – 19 November 1986
England won by 7 wicketsEngland's achievement in winning this match, especially against the backdrop of their early tour form, was remarkable. For Australia, with such high hopes against the "old enemy", the loss was depressing and indicated yet again that Australia's young side still had a long way to go before they could be competitive.
England's first innings was dominated by Ian Botham's 138 off 174 balls. He was especially severe on Australian Bowler Merv Hughes
Merv Hughes
Mervyn Gregory Hughes is a former Australian cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler, he represented Australia between 1985 and 1994 in 53 Test matches, taking 212 wickets. He played 33 One Day Internationals, taking 38 wickets. He took a hat trick in a Test against the West Indies at the WACA in...
, playing in only his second Test. Important also were the return to form of Gower (51) and Captain Gatting (61). A rain-shortened first day meant that Australia was 1-33 by the start of day 3. Australia's first innings was effectively ended by Kent seamer Graham Dilley
Graham Dilley
Graham Roy Dilley was an English cricketer, whose main role was as a fast bowler. He played first-class cricket for Kent and Worcestershire, and appeared in 41 test matches and 36 ODIs for England...
, although all the bowlers were effective in either taking wickets or restricting runs. Geoff Marsh continued his good form from the previous tour match, scoring 56 in 205 minutes.
Unfortunately for Australia, their first innings fell 8 runs short of avoiding the follow-on. Their second innings was dominated by Marsh's 110 off 392 minutes (by the end of this innings, Marsh had batted 1188 minutes - nearly 20 hours - in four innings against England). England's bowling was dominated by Emburey's 5/80, who conceded fewer than 2 runs per over. Australia was bowled out for 282 and England easily knocked off the runs required for a well-deserved victory.
 England |
456 | & | 77/3 | England won by 7 wickets |
IT 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"... 138 CWJ Athey Bill Athey Charles William Jeffrey Athey was an English first-class cricketer, who played for England, and first class cricket for Gloucestershire, Yorkshire and Sussex; he also played a solitary one-day game for Worcestershire. His bulldog spirit was exemplified by the Union Jack tattooed on his arm... 76 MW Gatting Mike Gatting Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988... 61 DI Gower David Gower David 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... 51 SR Waugh Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler... 3/76 |
BC Broad Chris Broad Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40... 35* MG Hughes Merv Hughes Mervyn Gregory Hughes is a former Australian cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler, he represented Australia between 1985 and 1994 in 53 Test matches, taking 212 wickets. He played 33 One Day Internationals, taking 38 wickets. He took a hat trick in a Test against the West Indies at the WACA in... 2/28 |
Brisbane Cricket Ground Brisbane Cricket Ground The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located.... , Woolloongabba, Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... Umpires: AR Crafter Tony Crafter Anthony Ronald Crafter, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire.He umpired 33 Test matches between 1979 and 1992, the highest number by an Australian umpire to that time... (Australia Australia 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... ) and MW Johnson Mel Johnson Melville William Johnson is an Australian Test cricket match umpire who accumulated a ten-year career total of 67 first-class matches between 1978 and 1988.... (Australia Australia 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... ) Man of the Match: IT 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"... (Eng England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... ) |
||
 Australia |
248 | & | 282 | |
GRJ Matthews Greg Matthews Gregory Richard John "Mo" Matthews is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer who is now a television cricket commentator.... 56* GR Marsh Geoff Marsh Geoffrey Robert Marsh is a former Australian cricketer, coach and selector. He played 50 Test matches and over 100 One Day Internationals for Australia as an opening batsman... 56 GR Dilley Graham Dilley Graham Roy Dilley was an English cricketer, whose main role was as a fast bowler. He played first-class cricket for Kent and Worcestershire, and appeared in 41 test matches and 36 ODIs for England... 5/68 |
GR Marsh Geoff Marsh Geoffrey Robert Marsh is a former Australian cricketer, coach and selector. He played 50 Test matches and over 100 One Day Internationals for Australia as an opening batsman... 110 JE Emburey John Emburey John Ernest Emburey is a former English cricketer, who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England.... 5/80 |
Full Scorecard
2nd Test, 28 November 1986 – 3 December 1986
Match Drawn| England |
592/8 dec. | & | 199/9 dec. | Match Drawn |
BC Broad Chris Broad Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40... 162 DI Gower David Gower David 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... 136 CJ Richards Jack Richards Jack Richards is an English former cricketer, who played in eight Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1981 to 1988... 133 CWJ Athey Bill Athey Charles William Jeffrey Athey was an English first-class cricketer, who played for England, and first class cricket for Gloucestershire, Yorkshire and Sussex; he also played a solitary one-day game for Worcestershire. His bulldog spirit was exemplified by the Union Jack tattooed on his arm... 96 BA Reid Bruce Reid Bruce Anthony Reid is an Australian cricketer and bowling coach of the Indian national cricket team on their 2003-04 tour to Australia.... 4/115 |
MW Gatting Mike Gatting Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988... 70 SR Waugh Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler... 5/69 |
WACA Ground WACA Ground The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association.... , Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... Umpires: RA French Dick French Richard Allan French, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire.He umpired 19 Test matches between 1977 and 1987... (Australia Australia 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... ) and PJ McConnell Peter McConnell (umpire) Peter John McConnell, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire, from Western Australia.He umpired 22 Test matches between 1983 and 1992... (Australia Australia 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... ) Man of the Match: BC Broad Chris Broad Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40... (Eng England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... ) |
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| Australia |
401 | & | 197/4 | |
AR Border Allan Border Allan 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... 125 SR Waugh Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler... 71 GR Dilley Graham Dilley Graham Roy Dilley was an English cricketer, whose main role was as a fast bowler. He played first-class cricket for Kent and Worcestershire, and appeared in 41 test matches and 36 ODIs for England... 4/79 |
DM Jones Dean Jones (cricketer) Dean Mervyn Jones AM is a retired Australian cricketer, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.-Career:... 69 PH Edmonds Phil Edmonds Phil Edmonds is a former English cricketer and a successful, albeit controversial, corporate executive.... 1/25 |
Full Scorecard
3rd Test, 12 December 1986 – 16 December 1986
Match Drawn| Australia |
514/5 dec. | & | 201/3 dec. | Match Drawn |
DC Boon David Boon David Clarence Boon MBE , nicknamed Boony, is a former Australian cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1995... 103 DM Jones Dean Jones (cricketer) Dean Mervyn Jones AM is a retired Australian cricketer, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.-Career:... 93 SR Waugh Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler... 79* AR Border Allan Border Allan 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... 70 GRJ Matthews Greg Matthews Gregory Richard John "Mo" Matthews is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer who is now a television cricket commentator.... 73* PH Edmonds Phil Edmonds Phil Edmonds is a former English cricketer and a successful, albeit controversial, corporate executive.... 2/134 |
AR Border Allan Border Allan 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... 100* PAJ DeFreitas 1/36 |
Adelaide Oval Adelaide Oval The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide... , Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... Umpires: AR Crafter Tony Crafter Anthony Ronald Crafter, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire.He umpired 33 Test matches between 1979 and 1992, the highest number by an Australian umpire to that time... (Australia Australia 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... ) and SG Randell Steve Randell Stephen Grant Randell, , is a former Australian Test cricket match umpire, the first to come from Tasmania.... (Australia Australia 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... ) Man of the Match: AR Border Allan Border Allan 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... (Aus Australia 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... ) |
||
| England |
455 | & | 39/2 | |
BC Broad Chris Broad Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40... 116 MW Gatting Mike Gatting Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988... 100 CWJ Athey Bill Athey Charles William Jeffrey Athey was an English first-class cricketer, who played for England, and first class cricket for Gloucestershire, Yorkshire and Sussex; he also played a solitary one-day game for Worcestershire. His bulldog spirit was exemplified by the Union Jack tattooed on his arm... 55 BA Reid Bruce Reid Bruce Anthony Reid is an Australian cricketer and bowling coach of the Indian national cricket team on their 2003-04 tour to Australia.... 4/64 |
BC Broad Chris Broad Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40... 15* GRJ Matthews Greg Matthews Gregory Richard John "Mo" Matthews is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer who is now a television cricket commentator.... 1/10 |
Full Scorecard
4th Test, 26 December 1986 – 28 December 1986
England won by an innings and 14 runsThe embarrassing failure of Australia in losing this match so completely also marked their 14th Test in succession without a victory. By any statistical analysis, Australia had reached their all-time historic "low" when the match ended. Having reached this point, the only way for Australia was up. Chris Broad
Chris Broad
Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40...
became the third English batsman, after Jack Hobbs
Jack Hobbs
Sir John Berry "Jack" Hobbs was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches from 1908 to 1930....
and Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...
, to score hundreds in three consecutive Ashes Tests.
| Australia |
141 | & | 194 | England won by an innings and 14 runs |
DM Jones Dean Jones (cricketer) Dean Mervyn Jones AM is a retired Australian cricketer, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.-Career:... 59 IT 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"... 5/41 GC Small Gladstone Small Gladstone Cleophas Small is an English former cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and fifty three ODIs for England.... 5/48 |
GR Marsh Geoff Marsh Geoffrey Robert Marsh is a former Australian cricketer, coach and selector. He played 50 Test matches and over 100 One Day Internationals for Australia as an opening batsman... 60 PH Edmonds Phil Edmonds Phil Edmonds is a former English cricketer and a successful, albeit controversial, corporate executive.... 3/45 |
Melbourne Cricket Ground Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light... , Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... Umpires: AR Crafter Tony Crafter Anthony Ronald Crafter, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire.He umpired 33 Test matches between 1979 and 1992, the highest number by an Australian umpire to that time... (Australia Australia 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... ) and RA French Dick French Richard Allan French, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire.He umpired 19 Test matches between 1977 and 1987... (Australia Australia 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... ) Man of the Match: GC Small Gladstone Small Gladstone Cleophas Small is an English former cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and fifty three ODIs for England.... (Eng England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... ) |
||
| England |
349 | |||
BC Broad Chris Broad Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40... 112 BA Reid Bruce Reid Bruce Anthony Reid is an Australian cricketer and bowling coach of the Indian national cricket team on their 2003-04 tour to Australia.... 4/78 |
Full Scorecard
5th Test, 10 January 1987 – 15 January 1987
Australia won by 55 runsThis match will always be remembered as "Taylor's match". When the team for the Test was announced, the Australian selectors had included the name of Peter Taylor
Peter Taylor (cricketer)
For other people named Peter Taylor, see Peter Taylor.Peter Laurence Taylor is a former Australian cricketer who played in 13 Tests and 83 ODIs from 1987 to 1992....
from NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Thinking that a mistake in names had been made, the Australian media besieged the home of the talented young NSW opener 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...
, thinking that he had been selected to play his first Test. Although history shows that Mark Taylor had a substantial Test career later on, the selectors had made no mistake in the name. NSW off-spinner Peter Taylor had impressed some selectors (especially Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell
Gregory 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...
) with his all-round abilities during the previous season's Sheffield Shield final. He was noted as an off-spinner who really spun the ball and a number of the wickets he took during the test match were attributed to his 'loop' (the deceptive flight of a heavily spun cricket ball) and bounce from his unusual but high bowling action. Considering Peter Taylor's limited first-class experience, the selection was risky. Given the state of Australian cricket at this point, and the fact that the Ashes had already been lost, such a selection could be considered desperate. The selection was so shocking that the media quickly dubbed him "Peter Who?", and he became something of a celebrity leading up to the match. Spectators voiced their opinion too on the first day of the match. "Aussie Selectors couldn't pick Bill Lawry
Bill Lawry
William Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...
's Nose" declared one banner. No doubt these same spectators would have been cheering 5 days later as this unlikely player received the man of the match award.
The Australian first innings was dominated by Jones' 184 not out - his first century of the season and only his second Test century. Jones was lucky not to be out for 5, as video replays seemed to indicate that he had been caught behind. Australia managed 343 in the first innings, with Jones featuring in some very important late-wicket partnerships.
Given the dominance of England's batting throughout the season and the limited nature of Australia's bowling, both sides were stunned as England stuttered to 3/17 in their first innings, with Merv Hughes finally providing the venom he had been promising. Hughes, still inexperienced at this point, was one of the players the selectors stuck with despite his poor form. England recovered somewhat through the strokeplay of Gower and an almost embarrassing 69 from John Emburey
John Emburey
John Ernest Emburey is a former English cricketer, who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England....
(who kept falling over when playing the sweep shot). But it was debutant Peter Taylor taking 6/78 off 26 overs that ran through the middle order, including the dangerous Ian Botham.
Australia's second innings began badly again, then recovered slightly while Jones and Border were batting, then slumped again to 7/145. Steve Waugh (73) partered Peter Taylor (42) in a 98 run partnership that, in the end, proved to be match-winning. Waugh, still potentially "the next big thing" and in front of his home crowd, was an attractive stroke-maker while Taylor, on the other hand, had little natural strokeplay but relied upon his concentration. John Emburey, the English Off Spinner, was taking every advantage of the wearing pitch with 7/78 off 46 overs.
With 320 to win on a wearing pitch, England applied themselves against the inexperienced Australian attack and aimed for victory. Gatting, out for 0 in the first innings, took England to 5/233, but was out caught and bowled to All-rounder Steve Waugh for 96. With the pitch getting worse, England put off thoughts of victory and worked to draw the match. John Emburey batted for over an hour for his 22, but was clean bowled in the penultimate over to a Peter Sleep leg-spinner that kept low. This gave Australia its first victory in 14 Tests. Peter Sleep
Peter Sleep
Peter Raymond Sleep is a former Australian cricketer who played 14 Tests for Australia between 1979 and 1990...
finished with 5/72 - his only 5 wicket haul in Tests.
| Australia' |
343 | & | 251 | Australia won by 55 runs |
DM Jones Dean Jones (cricketer) Dean Mervyn Jones AM is a retired Australian cricketer, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.-Career:... 184* GC Small Gladstone Small Gladstone Cleophas Small is an English former cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and fifty three ODIs for England.... 5/75 |
SR Waugh Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler... 73 JE Emburey John Emburey John Ernest Emburey is a former English cricketer, who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England.... 7/78 |
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... , Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... Umpires: PJ McConnell Peter McConnell (umpire) Peter John McConnell, , was an Australian Test cricket match umpire, from Western Australia.He umpired 22 Test matches between 1983 and 1992... (Australia Australia 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... ) and SG Randell Steve Randell Stephen Grant Randell, , is a former Australian Test cricket match umpire, the first to come from Tasmania.... (Australia Australia 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... ) Man of the Match: PL Taylor Peter Taylor (cricketer) For other people named Peter Taylor, see Peter Taylor.Peter Laurence Taylor is a former Australian cricketer who played in 13 Tests and 83 ODIs from 1987 to 1992.... (Aus Australia 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... ) Man of the Series: BC Broad Chris Broad Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40... (Eng England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... ) |
||
| England |
275 | & | 264 | |
DI Gower David Gower David 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... 72 JE Emburey John Emburey John Ernest Emburey is a former English cricketer, who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England.... 69 PL Taylor Peter Taylor (cricketer) For other people named Peter Taylor, see Peter Taylor.Peter Laurence Taylor is a former Australian cricketer who played in 13 Tests and 83 ODIs from 1987 to 1992.... 6/78 |
MW Gatting Mike Gatting Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988... 96 PR Sleep Peter Sleep Peter Raymond Sleep is a former Australian cricketer who played 14 Tests for Australia between 1979 and 1990... 5/72 |
Full Scorecard
Benson & Hedges Perth Challenge
The Benson & Hedges Perth ChallengeBenson & Hedges Perth Challenge
The Benson and Hedges Challenge was a One Day International cricket tournament played at the WACA Ground in Perth, Western Australia from 30 December 1986 to 7 January 1987 as part of the 1987 America's Cup Festival of Sport....
was a one-off one-day international tournament held at the WACA Ground, Perth in late December 1986 and early January 1987. It was part of the celebrations marking Australia's defence of the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
yachting competition which was taking place simultaneously in nearby Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
.
Australia, England, Pakistan and the West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
were the competitors. The games were played over a league basis and in coloured clothing, with Pakistan beating the West Indies in the first match under the new WACA floodlights. In England's victory over Australia, 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"...
hit 26 runs off one over. England then inflicted a defeat over the then-dominant West Indies before beating Pakistan in a "dress rehearsal" of the final. Australia had a miserable tournament, losing all three games and being bowled out for a mere 91 in its game against the West Indies. Australian batsman Dean Jones
Dean Jones (cricketer)
Dean Mervyn Jones AM is a retired Australian cricketer, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.-Career:...
did have a fine tournament, however, hitting back-to-back centuries. In the final, England comfortably beat Pakistan with 9.5 overs to spare.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Pts | RR |
| England English cricket team The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end... |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4.924 |
 Pakistan |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4.685 |
| West Indies | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4.193 |
| Australia Australian cricket team The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877... |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.020 |
- Final - WACAWACA GroundThe WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
, 7 January 1987- England 167/5 beat Pakistan 166/9 by five wickets
Benson & Hedges World Series Cup
The 1987 World Series CupWorld Series Cup
The World Series Cup was the name of the One Day International cricket tournament that took place in Australia every season between Australia and two touring teams from 1979-80 to 1995-96. The tournament was renamed the World Series from 1990-1. This was the very first of the One Day International ...
triangular tournament featured Australia, England and the West Indies, with games played at five venues:
- Melbourne
- Sydney
- Adelaide
- Brisbane
- Devonport
Each team played a total of eight games to reach the best of three final. Australia had a significantly better time than they had in the Perth Challenge, winning five of their eight qualifying games to top the group, ahead of England, with the West Indies eliminated. However, England rounded off their successful tour with a convincing 2-0 victory in the final series.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Pts | RR |
| Australia Australian cricket team The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877... |
8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4.404 |
| England English cricket team The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end... |
8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3.936 |
| West Indies | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3.483 |
- 1st Final - MCGMelbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, 8 February 1987- England 172/4 beat Australia 171/8 by six wickets
- 2nd Final - SCGSydney Cricket GroundThe 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...
, 11 February 1987- England 187/9 beat Australia 179/8 by 8 runs
Historical context of the series
After the completion of one of England's most successful tours of Australia, many thoughts turned to the future and how certain players might fare.Despite his stunning debut, Australian Off-Spinner Peter Taylor never dominated a Test match in the same way again. Apart from a brave 54 not out against Pakistan a few years later and 87 against New Zealand in 1990, Taylor's overall Test record was mediocre. His lack of form also translated into his First class performances, and he was once in the unusual situation of being selected to play for Australia in One-day matches while being dropped by NSW for Shield Matches. He eventually moved to play for Queensland where his form did not improve. Taylor was, however, an integral part of Australia's one-day dominance in the late 1980s. He eventually retired from the game and, for a brief period, became a national selector.
Chris Broad also suffered from lack of consistency after this series. Despite his wonderful run of centuries, he never again dominated a bowling attack the way he did during this tour. He scored 116 against Pakistan in the infamous December 1987 Test, then 139 against Australia again in the Bicentennial Test match. However, Broad eventually finished with just 1661 Test runs at an average of 39.54. His final Test was during the 1989 Ashes series, where he scored 18 and 20 at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
.
A number of other England players failed to live up to their potential from this series. Gladstone Small played only 17 Tests and took 55 wickets at 34. Young keeper Jack Richards found that the selectors preferred Bruce French when he returned to England, and was then given a hard time while playing for 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...
. Richards retired before he turned 30, having played only 8 Tests. His 133 at Perth remains his only Test century.
Philip DeFreitas, in his debut tour, eventually turned into an effective bowler for England, though he was never able to live up to the "Black Botham" tag that some had given him. Graham Dilley was another who served England well until his final Test in 1989.
A number of Australians were able to learn from this series and were able to transform themselves into better players as a result. David Boon's Test career was written off after this series, with English author Christopher Martin-Jenkins wondering who would partner the effective Geoff Marsh in future. Boon, of course, played 107 Tests while the dour Marsh was eventually dropped after 50 - Boon ending up the better batsman. Dean Jones lived up to his promise for a while, but was eventually worn down by Richard Hadlee. Steve Waugh, after a long period of time, finally began to deliver on his ability and was one of Australia's most important players in the 1990s. Australia's bowlers, notably Geoff Lawson, Merv Hughes and Craig McDermott, all returned to form and were integral parts of future teams that defeated England in 1989, 1990–91, 1993, and 1994-95. Bruce Reid's performances improved markedly, but back injuries limited his Test Career.
For Australia, Greg Ritchie and Dirk Wellham never played for Australia again, while left arm fast bowler Chris Matthews made only one more appearance. All rounder Greg Matthews remained a far better batsman then a bowler, and probably deserved to play more Tests overall based on his batting average.