There are a number of different types of cricket fan, from the casual to the obsessive. Regrettably for the sake of my interpersonal relationships I fall firmly into the latter category. My shelves are full of copies of Wisden and other cricket books and cricinfo is my home page. Trev and I have recently exchanged emails about, among other things, the 1965 Eton v Harrow match and favourite articles in the 1963 Wisden. I am truly beyond help.
There are times, however, when geekiness has its virtue, and this is one of them (which should serve as a warning for anyone sane to stop reading immediately). In between communications about arcane aspects of 1960s cricket, we’ve also been comparing notes about great Ashes tests from the past, with a view to including a few facts with the score updates for our competition. Then I decided to start a blog.
These, then, are some of the great moments of the Gabba’s history.
Eddie Paynter rises from his sickbed, 1932/3
In 1928/9 England had played at the Exhibition Ground, so this was their first appearance at the new Woollongabba ground. Unlike today, this was the fourth test in the series, following on from the notorious Adelaide test where, apparently, only one side were playing cricket (clue: they were wearing green hats and they lost).
In the first innings, Australia, in the face of bodyline, had mustered a respectable 340. In reply, England were teetering at 216-6 when Eddie Paynter, who had been taken ill with tonsilitis, literally rose from his hospital bed to save the day. Wearing a panama hat that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Lord’s pavilion and, allegedly, fortified by sips of champagne, he batted through to stumps and then returned to hospital. Regrettably, the reaction of the nursing staff isn’t recorded. The following morning he batted on, eventually succumbing for 83, and secured a small first innings lead which proved to be vital. Australia were rolled for 175 and England cruised to a six wicket victory, Paynter appropriately finishing the game with a six.
Declaring on 32, 1950/1
In the days before covered pitches (when, obviously, men were men etc.), Brisbane was notorious for its sticky wickets. When the tropical storms rolled in the pitches became almost umplayable.
The most extreme, nay bizarre, example of this came in the first test of the 1950/1 series. Australia had mustered 228 in the first innings before the rain came and the pitch became a little testing.
The second day was washed out and the third day was a rest day, so England resumed some time later and, on another rain interrupted day, raced along to 30-6. The next morning they got as far as 68-7 and then declared.
If that wasn’t bizarre enough, the Australian innings then lasted a grand total of 13.5 eight ball overs before Lindsay Hassett, determined to make England bat again when conditions were tough, declared on the mind boggling score of 32-7.
England held Hutton back for when the conditions were easier, but his masterful 62 not out was in vain as England were bowled out for 122 for a seventy run defeat. In amongst all the fun, Jack Iverson, possibly the most unusual bowler in test history, made his debut. On the final day there were 192 runs, eighteen wickets and, astonishingly, two declarations.
If you’re an England captain whose name begins with H, don’t win the toss and field, 1954/5, 2002/3
The similarities between Nasser Hussain and Len Hutton aren’t immediately apparent, but the one thing that they do have in common is making disastrous decisions at the toss at Brisbane.
In 1954 England and Australia were well matched, At Brisbane for the first test Hutton called correctly and put Australia in to bat. At the end of the first day things were looking bad with Australia on 208-2. By then end of the second day the wheels had come off, with Australia on 503-6. By the time Australia had declared and England had been bowled out for 190 the wheels weren’t just off but they had disappeared down the road towards the Gold Coast. Australia won by an innings and seventy runs.
In 2002/3, Nasser Hussain also won the toss and, with his opening batsman reaching for their pads and rehearsing strokes in the mirror, decided to field. Before long they had lost Simon Jones to a series ending injury and by the end of the first day Australia were 364-2 and Matthew Hayden was on his way to two centuries in the match. England ended up humilaited, beaten by 384 runs.
There is one key difference between Hutton and Hussain, of course, Hutton’s side roared back to win the series, whereas by the time Hussain’s side won at Sydney the Ashes were long gone.
The worst prediction in history, 1978/9
It seems rather unfair to include anything from 1978/9 given that Australia had been ravaged by defections to World Series Cricket, but I couldn’t resist this. At a press conference in the build up to the test the Australian captain, Graham Yallop, was asked for his series prediction. Tongue, presumably, in cheek, he went for a 6-0 Australian win.
On the first morning, having won the toss and batted, his side were 26-6. They rallied in the second innings, with Yallop and Kim Hughes both making hundreds, but lost the series 5-1.
Botham’s last hurrah, 1986/7
The England side had been written off before the Brisbane test in 1986, the famous ‘can’t bat, can’t bowl, can’t field’ comment ringing in their ears. After a mini-collapse had left them 198-4, Ian Botham strode, bare-headed, to the wicket and smashed his last test century, taking particular toll on a young Merv Hughes. Shell-shocked, Australia had to follow on and slumped to a seven wicket defeat. The wind in their sails, England went on to take the series 2-1.
No comments:
Post a Comment