1962–63 Ashes series - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Preliminaries

Predictions that the batting would prove superior to the bowling and that the first Test might well be left unfinished were certainly justified; and yet there were three times when one side or the other might have gained a winning advantage...there was some very brilliant batting, some splendid bowling, and much good fielding and throwing. On the other hand there was rather too much indifferent batting, a surfeit of defensive bowling and tactics, and some deplorable fielding in which the simplest of chances were missed.

Johnny Moyes

Australia had not played a Test series since their tour of England in 1961

Australian cricket team in England in 1961

The 1961 Australian cricket tour of England began with a three day match versus Worcestershire CCC at the County Ground, New Road, Worcester on Sat 29 April, play continuing on Mon 1 May and Tues 2 May. This match was rain-affected and ended in a draw...

, 1961-62 being a purely domestic season. Even so they kept much the same team: 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...

, Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...

, Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...

, Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...

(vice-captain)

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...

, Peter Burge, Brian Booth

Brian Booth

Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests from 1961 to 1966. He captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series while regular captain Bob Simpson was absent due to illness and injury. Booth was a graceful right-handed middle order batsman...

, Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...

, Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

, Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

(captain)

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...

, Graham McKenzie

Graham McKenzie

Graham Douglas "Garth" McKenzie is a former Australian and Western Australian cricketer. He was a fast bowler. First selected to play for Australia at age of 19, he toured England in 1961 under Richie Benaud...

and Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

(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...

). The youthful Graham McKenzie

Graham McKenzie

had played in the decisive Second, Third and Fourth Tests in 1961 before being replaced by Ron Gaunt

Ron Gaunt

Ronald Arthur Gaunt is an Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests from 1958 to 1964....

in the Fifth Test, still only 21 the big fast bowler was back in the team for Brisbane. Australia's regular wicket-keeper

Wicket-keeper

The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...

Wally Grout

Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...

had had his jaw broken while keeping to Queensland's

Queensland Bulls

The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...

West Indian fast-bowler Wes Hall

Wes Hall

Wesley Winfield Hall is a Barbadian former cricketer and politician. A tall, strong and powerfully built man, Hall was a genuine fast bowler and despite his very long run up, he was renowned for his ability to bowl long spells. Hall played 48 Test matches for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969...

in their match against the MCC a week before the Test and was replaced by Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

of South Australia

Southern Redbacks

The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...

. The Western Australian

Western Warriors

The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...

captain Barry Shepherd

Barry Shepherd

Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....

was brought over to replace Booth, but in the end it was decided to use Shepherd as 12th man.

England had Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

, David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

, Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

(captain)

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...

, 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...

(vice-captain)

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...

, Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...

, Alan 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...

(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...

), Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

, 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...

, Barry Knight, Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...

and Brian Statham

Brian Statham

John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...

. Pullar had been brought in as a specialist opener instead of Cowdrey, who had been England's makeshift opener against Pakistan in 1962

Pakistani cricket team in England in 1962

The Pakistan cricket team toured England in the 1962 season to play a five-match Test series against England.England won the series 4-0 with 1 match drawn.-Test series summary:* at Edgbaston – England won by an innings and 24 runs...

, but disliked the job and had made three successive ducks in this role so far on the tour. David Allen

David Allen (cricketer)

David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

was dropped to make way for the extra batsman 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...

in favour of Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

, but this was quite normal as these three off-spinners regularly displaced each other depending on current form and favour. 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...

John Murray

John Murray (cricketer)

John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...

was replaced by debutant Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

due to his superior batting on tour, even though he too had been hit on the head by a Wes Hall

Wes Hall

bouncer the week before. Fast bowlers Len Coldwell

Len Coldwell

Len Coldwell was an English cricketer, who played in seven Tests for England from 1962 to 1964. Coldwell was a right-arm fast-medium bowler who was, for a few years in the early to mid-1960s, half of a respected and feared new-ball partnership in English county cricket...

and David Larter

David Larter

John Larter is a former Scottish cricketer, who played in ten Tests for England from 1962 to 1965....

had been tried out in the Fifth Test against Pakistan at the Oval

Pakistani cricket team in England in 1962

, but the old firm of Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

and Brian Statham

Brian Statham

were back in action, even though Trueman had a broken bone in his back and had been told by an Australian doctor that he would never bowl again.

Both teams had exceptional long batting line-ups, only Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

, Garth McKenzie, Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

and Brian Statham

Brian Statham

had failed to made a first-class hundred and Trueman and Jarman would make their maiden centuries in 1963-64. This was the sixth time the two teams had played at the Gabba, England winning the two Tests played before to the war by 6 wickets (1932-33)

English cricket team in Australia in 1932-33

A cricket team representing England toured Australia in the 1932-33 season. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and matches outside the Tests were played under the MCC name. The tour included five Test matches in Australia, and England won The Ashes by four games to one...

and 322 runs (1936-37)

English cricket team in Australia in 1936-37

The England cricket team toured Australia in the 1936-37 season to play a five-match Test series against Australia for The Ashes. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and matches outside the Tests were played under the MCC name....

, and Australia the four Tests since the war by an innings and 332 runs (1946-47)

English cricket team in Australia in 1946-47

The English cricket team in Australia in 1946–47 was captained by Wally Hammond, with Norman Yardley as his vice-captain and Bill Edrich as the senior professional. It played as England in the 1946-47 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour...

, 70 runs (1950-51), an innings and 154 runs (1954-55) and 8 wickets (1958-59), so it was a ground were a result was expected.

Australia - First Innings

When Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

won the toss on a pitch that looked rather inanimate most of us thought that Australia would probably get about 500 runs against an English attack which for the most part was devoid of fire, venom and guile. Previous matches had shown that the off-spinners might toil and spin but that they could not turn. Knight, always short of a length, should not on a good pitch worry any batsmen of even average class. Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...

had seemed rather lethargic: certainly not the Statham of other years...Thinking over the game later on, one wondered how this bowling on a dead pitch succeeded in dismissing Australia for 404 runs.

Johnny Moyes

The bowling began poorly, but after 20 minutes Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

(3/76) got the hang of the pitch and made the ball swing away from Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

, finding a thin edge to Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

for his first catch in Test cricket. Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

was a notoriously poor starter and would have ran himself out if Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

had gathered the ball cleanly. As it was he edged Trueman to David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

at second clip, who missed the catch and Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

dropped the rebound for what would have been superlative diving catch had his held on. After cutting the ball for a scorching boundaries, edging another pass fine-leg and glancing another O'Neill was out to a Trueman bouncer which lifted sharply and was caught by Brian Statham

Brian Statham

at short square-leg for 19. Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

made 50, but mis-hooked a rank long hop

Long hop

A long hop is a type of inadvertent delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes a short delivery which is not especially fast, which is thus easy for the batsman to hit because he has plenty of time to observe the speed and direction of the ball after the bounce and choose his shot accordingly...

from Dexter (1/46) into the hands of Trueman at mid-on and Australia went into lunch on 97/3. Back on the field Trueman started bowling short on the leg-stump, dubbed "bodyline

Bodyline

Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...

" by some journalists, and Peter Burge popped a ball to Dexter at short-leg to give the 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....

his third wicket despite his bad back. Australia were now surprisingly 101/4, but Brian Booth

Brian Booth

(112) rebuilt the innings, adding 39 with Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

(39), 54 with Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

(23) and 103 the ever solid Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

. A rather lifeless Statham (1/75) bowled Harvey with a good ball, but it was the support bowlers Barry Knight, Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

and Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

who suffered in the afternoon as the fast bowlers were given a rest. Smith missed a stumping when Booth was 21 and tried to drive Titmus and also hit the spinner to the boundary over the head of a fielder. Davidson heaved Titmus to the fence, but tried the same to Barrington's leg-spin and was caught by Trueman, who had now taken three wickets and held two catches out of six dismissals. The game struggled in the final session, with Dexter setting defensive fields to Titmus and Knight and Mackay hogging the strike without making runs and too slow to take quick singles which would have upset the field-placings. Booth reached his "wristily stylish" maiden Test century in 173 minutes and with 14 fours, an aristocratic innings by the man who had nearly been left carrying the drinks. He was caught by Dexter off Titmus (1/91) at 20 minutes to six trying to push the score in the face of all opposition. His departure at 296/7 brought in captain Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

, who must have wondered if his team would make 300 earlier in the day, but saw Australia to 321/7 by stumps, with Mackay reaching 51 not out. Trueman was fit to bowl in the morning, but Benaud hooked him for four and with Mackay took 11 runs off an over by Statham. When five overs had gone for 34 runs so Titmus and Knight were brought back on to defensive fields. Benaud made 51 runs before he edged the ball to Smith off Knight at 388/8. Knight (3/65) made two dives across the wicket to take return catches off Mackay, which he dropped and McKenzie, which he held on to. Jarman was caught off the Essex all rounder by Barrington to wrap up the Australian innings for 404 in time for an early lunch, with Mackay left high and dry on 86 not out. It was his own fault as the dour Queenslander had occupied his home ground for a tedious 247 minutes, had refused singles and had allowed Dexter to contain him. Mackay never made a Test century and this was the closest he got to one against England.

England - First Innings

England at this time were said to have a 'Benaud complex'
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

, and he certainly bowled his wrist-spin
Wrist spin
Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball...

beautifully and with more success than subsequently. But Australia were likewise near to getting a 'Dexter complex'
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

.

E.W. Swanton

England's innings was more solid than Australia's - the first seven batsmen made 21 and three passed 50 - but fell 15 runs short in the first innings. Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

(33) and David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

(31) struggled along with Sheppard edging a ball to the ground near Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

and Pullar caught by Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

only for Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

to signal that it wasn't a chance. Benaud had both men floundering at times, but they stuck to their work until Benaud caught Pullar off his own bowling on 62/1 and had Sheppard taken round the corner by Garth McKenzie for 65/2. This brought Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

and Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

the crease to see out the session. After tea Dexter sent the ball crashing to the boundary ten times as he and his vice-captain added 80 runs in 76 minutes. Cowdrey (21) was willing to watch until he hooked Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

straight into the hands of Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

and at ten to six Dexter's confidence - and the lengthening shadows - got the better of him and he drove over a ball from Benaud and was bowled for 70. Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

joined Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

as a nightwatchman

Nightwatchman (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, a nightwatchman is a lower-order batsman who comes in to bat higher up the order than usual near the end of the day's play...

and they saw the day end on 169/4. Barrington thrashed six boundaries off Benaud and Simpson (1/52) in his first 25 runs the next day, adding 51 with Smith (21), who was caught behind when Garth McKenzie was brought into the attack and made several balls left awkwardly off the pitch. Barrington now reverted to his typical, grinding self, taking 210 minutes over his last 40 runs with Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

feeling his way to 80 off 244 minutes. Finally the 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...

batsman lost his concentration and skied Benaud to Peter Burge at mid-off for 78 and was replaced by the equally pedestrian Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

, who prodded his way to 21 in 104 minutes. The end came suddenly, Titmus and Parfitt were caught off Benaud (6/115), McKenzie (3/78) had Barry Knight out for a duck and Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

for 19 after his hit a six and 2 fours adding 27 runs in 20 minutes for the last wicket with Brian Statham

Brian Statham

as 361/6 became 362/9 and 389 all out.

Australia - Second Innings

The pitch itself had become slower and slower. Some observers said that it was useless to bowlers and batsmen alike. That wasn't true, because some of the batsmen showed beyond all doubt that anyone who could really hit the ball could play it away with ease, power, and safety as it rose slowly from the turf.

Johnny Moyes

Fred Trueman

(0/59) gave Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

and Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

a torrid time, his first ball to Simpson rolled onto the stumps, but failed to dislodge the bail and they survived the day with 16/0. They moved along to 104/ by lunch, but not without a few scares. Brian Statham

Brian Statham

missed a simple caught and bowled off Simpson and Trueman's strong left arm nearly had Lawry run out while backing up. Simpson had made 109, 66 not out, 28, 122, 130, 9, 110 and 50 so far in the season and looked tired when he edged Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

(2/78) behind to the vigilant England 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...

Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

for 71 in a stand of 136. Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

came in and promptly drove Dexter for 4, then hooked him for another. He took a boundary off Barry Knight and even Lawry joined in the act, hooking Statham to the boundary as they added 80 runs in 79 minutes. Knight was reduced to bowling down the leg-side without a slip and O'Neill hooked to the boundary and smashed him over mid-on, which even brought applause from Dexter. Lawry moved smoothly to 98 then hooked a long hop

Long hop

from Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

(1/81) into the hands of David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

in the deep. Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

came out to attack the bowling - he rarely did anything else - and the runs flowed regardless of Dexter's attempts to plug the gaps. O'Neill was out to a beautiful ball from Statham (1/67) that cut back and had him lbw

Leg before wicket

In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...

for 56 with 9 fours and Harvey's 57 with 6 fours ended when he tried to hit Dexter out of the ground and was caught by Statham at deep mid-off. Peter Burge (47 not out) had kept Harvey company in a stand of 84, and added 37 runs with Brian Booth

Brian Booth

(19 not out) in the last half hour and Australia were 362/4, 377 runs ahead by the end of the fourth day. Benaud's decision to not declare and have a bowl that evening was criticised by the press and several theories were advanced as to why. Some thought he was playing mind-games with the English batsmen, giving them an uncertain and nervous night, others that he was afraid of Dexter's batting power. A more likely explanation was that Benaud had suffered a groin

Groin

In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...

strain after his 42 over marathon in the first innings and he didn't want to declare until he knew he would be fit on the last day. In any case after inspecting the wicket with Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

and bowling a few balls in front of the pavilion he declared ten minutes before play started. England were given 378 runs to win, a total that they have yet to make in a fourth innings against Australia.

England - Second Innings

Geoff Pullar
Geoff Pullar
Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

and David Sheppard
David Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

made a solid start and, at lunch, they were both still there with 86 on the board. We had a discussion and thought we still stood an outside chance of a surprise win. By tea, we had changed our minds because the score had only crept to only 185 and we could hardly expect to make 196 in two hours, even with Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

still in and looking for runs. At the close Barry Knight and I were still there with 100 needed. Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

had made it practicallyimpossible for us to win, or for them.

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...

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

(56) and David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

(53) added 114 for the first-wicket in 147 minutes, the first century opening stand for England in Australia since 1946-47

English cricket team in Australia in 1946-47

. But they batted slowly and the left-handed Lancastrian never settled down properly. He edged a boundary through the slips, nearly chopped McKenzie onto his stumps and was dropped by Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

. In the end Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

(3/43) slowed down his pace and had him caught and bowled after lunch. This brought Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

striding to the crease and he began to thump the ball off the boundary fence to take England to 182/2 by tea. Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

(9) was caught-and-bowled by Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

(1/71) after the break, but Dexter and Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

hit 66 runs in 86 minutes to keep the game going. They were both out on 257, Dexter yorked

Yorker

Yorker is a term used in cricket that describes a ball bowled which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman's feet. When a batsman assumes a normal stance this generally means that the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's popping crease...

by McKenzie (2/61) after a magnificent 99 - few doubted that he deserved a century - and Barrington caught off Davidson for 23. This ended any chance of England winning the game - they now needed 121 runs in 40 minutes - and the Australian fielders crowded around the wicket, but there was no miracle in store for them either. Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

was caught by Jarman off McKenzie, but Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

and Barry Knight batted out the last half hour and they finished on 278/6.

Result

The opening Test at Brisbane has a history of having important psychological effects on the teams. The four England teams before ours had all lost there. Even Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...

's eventually victorious side went down there by an innings. We drew the match and I believe this was the turning point of our tour. Nobody expected us to come out of it with our pride intact.

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...

The game was a draw, the first time that the First Test of an Ashes series had been drawn in Australia since 1881-82

English cricket team in Australia in 1881-82

The 1881-82 Australia v England series was part of a first-class cricket tour of Australia by a combined team from England. The tourists were led by Alfred Shaw. The four matches between Australia and the England team were later classified as Test matches...

. The general opinion was that Benaud should have declared earier and that had it been any other team he would have done so. In previous Ashes series Down Under

Down Under

The term Down Under is a colloquialism which is variously construed either to refer to Australia and New Zealand, or Australia alone. The term comes from the fact that these countries are located in the southern hemisphere, below many other countries on the globe.The persistence of the media use of...

the 30 hours play had been over six days, which with a rest day meant a seven day old pitch by the end, which usually produced a result. Still Australia (having won the toss) had the better of the draw and had played the more positive cricket. In the England team only Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

with the ball and Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

with the bat had shown any aggression.

Second Test – Melbourne

Preliminaries

The New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....

Test at Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...

is the one that sticks most clearly in my mind, naturally enough since there is nothing to compare with the spectacle of Melbourne when the big crowds come...There was some fine bowling by Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...

, used in short spurts in the heat, a lovely run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...

by Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...

in the covers that cut short an auspicious innings by Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

, some inexpressibly dull batting from by 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...

, and a hundred by Brian Booth
Brian Booth
Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests from 1961 to 1966. He captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series while regular captain Bob Simpson was absent due to illness and injury. Booth was a graceful right-handed middle order batsman...

, that model of a man and of a batsman who tends to be under-rated and forgotten because both he and his cricket were so blamelessly self-effacing. Tall, upright, correct in method, ever-patient, he repeated the hundred he had got at Brisbane, and so gave England a target to go for while all around him were failing. And who could forget the chequered fortunes of Sheppard
David Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

?

E.W. Swanton

Australia kept an unchanged XI for the Second Test, but England made two changes; Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

was replaced by the veteran Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

who had made 122 not out against South Australia

Southern Redbacks

and Barry Knight by Len Coldwell

Len Coldwell

who had taken 6/49 in the MCC's

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...

5-wicket win over Victoria

Victorian Bushrangers

The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...

. Parfitt had been in poor form all tour except for the slow 80 he made in the First Test, though being used as a makeshift opner had not helped. Graveney was an old hand who had toured in 1950-51 and 1958-59, while Coldwell was proving to be a better bowler than Knight, whose only advantage was that he was an all-rounder

All-rounder

An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...

, but in a team that still had eight recognised batsman this was not too much of a loss. Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

was still preferred as 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...

to John Murray

John Murray (cricketer)

John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...

, though not so much as the be "the mystery of the tour" as though Murray was the better keeper the difference in ability was minor. Brian Statham

Brian Statham

(231), Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

(226) and Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

(219) were all approaching Alec Bedser

Alec Bedser

Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...

's record of 236 Test wickets. Bedser was in Australia as England's assistant-manager, as were the only other bowlers to have taken 200 Test wickets were also in Australia, Clarrie Grimmett

Clarrie Grimmett

Clarence Victor "Clarrie" Grimmett was a cricketer; although born in New Zealand, he played most of his cricket in Australia. He is thought by many to be one of the finest early spin bowlers, and usually credited as the developer of the flipper.Grimmett was born in Caversham a suburb of Dunedin,...

(216), whose Test record had been overtaken by Bedser in 1953 and Ray Lindwall

Ray Lindwall

Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...

(228) who held the Australian record. Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

won the toss again and had no hesitation in batting first.

Australia - First Innings

I should be inclined to give first place among bowlers on both sides to Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...

. This gallant soul broke through in both innings. Whenever he came into the attack the winds of aggression were blowing at gale force, and he took his wickets by frontal assault in which he attacked the batsmen and defeated them by speed and bowling skill.

Johnny Moyes

Bill Lawry

(52) Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

(38) weathered the early storm of Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

and Brian Statham

Brian Statham

, edging a few through the slips and Trueman bowling out-swingers which moved just past the edge of the bat. Len Coldwell

Len Coldwell

(2/58) came on the bowl his in-swingers, off which the openers managed to steal a few singles, until he move the ball the other way and caught the edge of Simpson's bat for a catch behind at 62/1. Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

came in until lunch when Australia went in on 93/1 off 22 overs in two hours, a total somewhat less than 15 runs an hour promised by Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

at the start of the tour. After lunch Lawry edged a ball from Statham between the wicket-keeper

Wicket-keeper

The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...

Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

and Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

at first slip, the ball cutting back after it hit the turf. O'Neill was caught by Graveney off Statham (1/83), distracted by the loud racing commentary on a radio in the stands, Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

was bowled by Coldwell for a duck and Lawry by Trueman (3/83) and Australia lost three wickets for 1 run to be left 112/4. The rest of the innings was a grinding match as Dexter rested his fast bowlers and set defensive field until they returned and while all of the remaining Australian batsmen reached double figures none reached 50. Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

took his new best Test figures of 4/43 as he wheeled his way through the afternoon, trapping Peter Burge lbw

Leg before wicket

for 23 when he swept once too often and having Brian Booth

Brian Booth

caught by Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

for 27 trying to repeat a fine glance to leg. Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

(40) and Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

(49) added 73 for the eighth-wicket and Mackay and Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

(36) 52 runs into the next day as they tried to wear down the bowlers. Titmus dismissed them both in the end, Benaud sweeping the ball the Barrington and Mackay lbw

Leg before wicket

after some deliberation by Umpire Smyth

Bill Smyth

William Joseph Smyth AO was an Australian cricket Test match umpire.Smyth born at Maryborough, Victoria, took up umpiring in 1947 when injury ended his fast bowling career, and umpired four Test matches between 1962 and 1966...

. Trueman removed Garth McKenzie (16) after a last-wicket stand of 22 and Australia were all out for 316 with Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

on 10 not out.

England - First Innings

At around one o'clock one morning I returned to the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne to the staggering sight of Ken Barrington
Ken Barrington
Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...

sitting alone in the lounge drinking whisky. The Test match was critically poised and Barrington, invariably an early-to-bed man in a crisis, was a portrait of gloom. He was batting first thing in the morning and couldn't sleep. He returned to bed, tossed and turned for another hour until, in desperation, he committed the capital offence of telephoning the manager's room. The Duke, a chronic insomaniac
Insomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...

had a supply of sleeping pills so powerful that the average recipient would remain oblivious to nuclear attack. In the name of England, Barrington was determined to get his hands on them. "Damn you, Barrington" roared the Duke, "I had only just got to sleep myself." Then, relenting, he said "All right, come and get them". In the same moment that Barrington's hand replaced the receiver his head hit the pillow and he fell into exhausted unconsciousness. The Duke waited and waited. He was still awake when dawn exploded into dazzling sunshine and it was time to get up.

Ian Wooldridge
Ian Wooldridge
Ian Wooldridge, OBE was a British sports journalist. He was with the Daily Mail for nearly 50 years. He died from cancer...

Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

came down from the pavilion end like a man possessed and bowled with great pace, far more than his controlled fast-medium. David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

was caught in front of the wicket lbw

Leg before wicket

for 0, Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

's off-stump was missed by a coat of varnish

Varnish

Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. Varnish is traditionally a combination of a drying oil, a resin, and a thinner or solvent. Varnish finishes are usually glossy but may be designed to produce satin or semi-gloss...

and Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

was bowled through the gate. Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

came in at 19/2, but with bags of confidence after hitting 307 (with 4 sixes and 29 fours) against South Australia

Southern Redbacks

, his highest first-class score and the best by a tourist in Australia. Together Dexter and Cowdrey withstood Davidson's burst of speed, the other bowlers failed to trouble them and by stealing quick ones, twos and threes they rebuilt the innings. Occasionally Dexter would strike out and at the end of a long, hot day he gave Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

a catch of Benaud (1/82) and was out for 93, his third missed century in three innings. The stand had made 175 runs and the unluckiest bowler was Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

(0/19) who had Cowdrey dropped on 56 and dropped a hard-hit return from Dexter on 89. Cowdrey ended the day on 94 not out with Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

on 11, England 210/3 - still 106 runs behind - and the game very much in the balance. They returned the next day and Cowdrey made his third and highest century in Australia, having made 102 in Melbourne in 1954-55

1954–55 Ashes series

The 1954–55 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of six days with five hours play each day and eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1954–55 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club...

and 100 not out in Sydney in 1958-59

1958–59 Ashes series

The 1958–59 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of five days with six hours play each day and eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1958–59 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club...

. The celebrations were short lived when Cowdrey (113) hooked into the hands of Peter Burge off Garth McKenzie, who then had Barrington (35) was lbw

Leg before wicket

to a ball that cut back. Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

might have given England a real lead, but his was run out by a cracking throw from Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

for 41 and the last 4 wickets fell for 16 runs as Davidson (6/75) returned the clean up the tail; Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

caught behind, Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

skying the ball to O'Neill, Brian Statham

Brian Statham

having his stumps turned over and Len Coldwell

Len Coldwell

edging to Benaud in the gully. Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

was left 6 not out and England were out for 331, a lead of 15 runs when they had looked set for far more, or far worse.

Australia - Second Innings

The irrepressible Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...

made one skid a little to Simpson
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...

, and his appeal for l.b.w.
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...

echoed round the ground. The umpire was not of the bowler's opinion. Back went Trueman, and his next ball, a lovely yorker
Yorker
Yorker is a term used in cricket that describes a ball bowled which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman's feet. When a batsman assumes a normal stance this generally means that the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's popping crease...

, knocked the middle stump out of the ground. This is always a magnificent sight to the onlooker. The batsman does not see it and he naturally feels less elation.

Johnny Moyes

The pitch looked good - apart from the odd ball it played well throughout the match - and Australia had the simple task of batting England out of the match, then getting them out on a wearing wicket. Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

and Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

hit 30 runs in 34 minutes when the top of the innings crashed. Simpson had his middle stump removed by a Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

yorker

Yorker

and on the next ball Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

was snatched in the slips by Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

after the ball had gone past him. This was not a novel experience, four years before he had been caught by the same fielder, in the same position, off the same bowler, on the same ground for the same first ball duck. Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

came in for the hat-trick

Hat-trick

A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...

and drove the ball for two, but went for a fourth run and had his wicket thrown down by Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

, Peter Burge was bowled by Brian Statham

Brian Statham

(2/52) and Australia were 69/4 - only 54 runs ahead. Lawry was dropped off a difficult one handed chance to David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

before stumps and Australia came in with 105/4. Lawry (57) and Brian Booth

Brian Booth

(103) stayed into lunch the next day, the angular Victorian

Victorian Bushrangers

left-hander dominating the strike and made no effort to make runs before his was torpedoed by round-arm Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

shooter with the last ball of the morning, having made 16 runs in the last two hours. Booth struggled towards his century as Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

bowled with a leg-side field to cut off his strokes and the off-spinner had Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

caught by the keeper Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

before Trueman returned with a new-ball spell either side of tea. He removed Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

, Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

and Garth McKenzie for 6 runs in 15 balls in what David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

called "the finest sustained and accurate fast bowling I have ever seen". Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

hung around for Booth to both reach his century and to be caught by Trueman off Statham. Australia were all out for 248, leaving England to make 234 to win in just over a day.

England - Second Innings

Experienced players like Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

and Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...

sat at the radio with me, eager to know what was happening but far too involved in it to be able to bear seeing each ball being bowled. This does not happen very often in my experience, but in this particular Test, the game swung so constantly from one side's favour to the other's that for those of us who were a living part of it, but not actually on the field at the time, the only way to not become over excited was not to look!

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...

Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

almost had David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

out for a pair in the first over, instead it was Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

who was caught in a stunning dive by Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

off Garth McKenzie's first ball and Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

came in at 5/1 instead of sending in a nightwatchman

Nightwatchman (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, a nightwatchman is a lower-order batsman who comes in to bat higher up the order than usual near the end of the day's play...

. He survived that day and returned with Sheppard needing another 225 runs to win on the fifth day. It rained overnight, but the wicket was well covered and play began on time. Sheppard and Dexter settled down for the long haul and apart from McKenzie making the ball lift in the first few overs they were not troubled. Davidson lost his verve and bowled efficiently rather than dangerously. By lunch the Reverend

The Reverend

The Reverend is a style most often used as a prefix to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. The Reverend is correctly called a style but is often and in some dictionaries called a...

was outscoring his captain, having made 44 of 90 balls to his 41 off 127. After lunch it was more difficult. Benaud dropped Dexter in the gully on 44 and he reached his fourth 50 of the series. It was Dexter's sixth successive 50 in Tests, equalling Patsy Hendren

Patsy Hendren

Elias Henry Hendren better known as Patsy Hendren was an English cricketer. Patsy was one of the most prolific English batsmen of the period between the wars, averaging 47.63 in his 51 Test matches...

's England record; having made 85 and 172 against Pakistan and 70, 99, 93 and 52 against Australia, but he was dismissed by Sheppard, who pushed the pull to cover and set off for a run, leaving a hesitant Dexter to be run out by Benaud. Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

came in at 129/2 and took 30 minutes to score, then edging McKenzie (1/58) knee-high to "the Claw"

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

at second slip, only to see it dropped. Sheppard edged a cut from Davidson between Jarman and Simpson at second slip, the keeper leapt at the chance and missed, so spoiling Simpson's line of sight. After this they moved slowly, but surely towards their goal in a stand of 104. Benaud (0/69) lacked control and Sheppard drove him to the boundary to bring up his first century in Australia. Davidson (0/53) was too exhausted to take the new ball, which was given to Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

(0/34) and in the end it was divine intervention that gave then their third wicket, Sheppard, who had dropped two catches, been dropped on a pair and run out his captain now took a risky single for the winning run and was run out by Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

for 113. Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

came in to stand at the bowler's end while Brian Booth

Brian Booth

gave Cowdrey (52 not out) the winning run.

Result

The presence in the pulpit of David Sheppard
David Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

, the centurion of Melbourne, has filled the Anglican cathedral of every state capital from Perth to Brisbane.

E.W. Swanton

England won the match by 7 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in Australia for the first time since 1936-37. David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

received great praise for his century, Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

less so for his 8 wickets, much to his disappointment. Trueman now had 227 Test wickets to equal Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

behind Brian Statham

Brian Statham

with 234, only two short of Alec Bedser

Alec Bedser

Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...

's Test record of 236.

Third Test – Sydney

Preliminaries

"It's horses for courses, skipper
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...

." I told him. "It's madness to go with three pace bowlers on that pitch. One of us has to be dropped if we are to stand a chance of winning. I'm loyal to my country, drop me if you like, you can always put yourself on as a third seamer
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....

if need be." Ted
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

discussed the matter with the other selectors and the decision was to ignore my advice, and play Len
Len Coldwell
Len Coldwell was an English cricketer, who played in seven Tests for England from 1962 to 1964. Coldwell was a right-arm fast-medium bowler who was, for a few years in the early to mid-1960s, half of a respected and feared new-ball partnership in English county cricket...

, Brian
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...

and myself. It was a farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...

. The pitch didn't have a blade of grass on it and I was reduced to bowling off-cutters, but I couldn't pitch them slow enough to have much effect.

Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...

Regardless of the advice of his bowlers Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

preferred to continue with the successful bowling attack from Melbourne, and may have been swayed by the Australians who dropped Peter Burge and Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

in favour of debutants Barry Shepherd

Barry Shepherd

Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....

and Colin Guest

Colin Guest

Colin Ernest John Guest is a former Australian cricketer who played in the Third Test at Sydney in the 1962-63 Ashes series. He was brought in to replace Ken Mackay whose slow batting was disliked by the crowds and who was unfairly blamed for the defeat in the Second Test at Melbourne...

. Mackay was a loyal - if dour - servant of Australia and a great man in a crisis, but public opinion was vocal against his stonewalling and he and Burge were unfairly blamed for the defeat at Melbourne

Melbourne Cricket Ground

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...

. The inclusion of the energetic captain of Western Australia

Western Warriors

The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...

pleased the England team, who had tried to play him into the Tests, but kept getting him out. Colin Guest

Colin Guest

was a fast-medium bowler who was brought into to support Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

and Garth McKenzie instead of Mackay. That Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

was content with three pace bowlers and the leg-spin of himself and Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

on his home ground signalled that the wicket was not as flat as Trueman thought. Dexter was never a man to favour spinners and was disinclined to include the out-of-form David Allen

David Allen (cricketer)

David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

or Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

in the team. John Murray

John Murray (cricketer)

John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...

's neatness behind the stumps was finally recognised and he replaced the much criticised Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

as 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...

. Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

was back in the England team as Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

had picked up a viral

Virus

A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...

infection.

England - First Innings

Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...

led their attack in this and other Tests. He had a beautiful action, run-up and delivery and, besides being pretty fast, he made the ball swing into the batsmen very late. Often, our batsmen had to make a hurried stroke against him because they thought it would not swing. Then when they got used to the fact that it did, he would send one down that didn't! But we found that the great thing about Alan was to keep him from getting a wicket in his first four or five overs. If this happened, he was inclined to lose enthusiasm and with it went his fire. Unfortunately for us, this seldom happened.

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...

England batted after Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

won the toss and he soon came in as David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

edged the ball off Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

into the hands of Garth McKenzie. He played a subdued innings against Davidson's swing and McKenzie's lift and added 61 in 79 minutes with Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

before he was out cutting Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

to Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

at short-leg for 32. He was replaced by the in-form Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

who added another 67 with Pullar who constantly looked like getting out, without doing so. He batted over half the day for 53 when he hooked Simpson to Benaud, who took a nice low catch. Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

and Cowdrey were the most difficult batsmen to dismiss, though Davidson though Dexter was the most difficult to bowl to, and looked set to stay as they took England past 200/3. It was here that the English batting imploded, Cowdrey was caught at the wicket off Simpson for 85, and the part-time spinner had Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

was caught by Lawry sitting in his hip-pocket for 0. Benaud now took the overdue new ball and Davidson (4/54) whipped in a couple of in-swingers to trap first Barrington (35) and then John Murray

John Murray (cricketer)

John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...

(0) lbw

Leg before wicket

and England were 221/7. The "Fighting Freds" Titmus

Fred Titmus

(32) and Trueman

Fred Trueman

(32) saw out the day with a stand of 35, despite Titmus being dropped by Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

and by Brian Booth

Brian Booth

in the deep, which they took to 52 the next morning when Simpson got Trueman and Brian Statham

Brian Statham

with successive balls, but missed his hat-trick

Hat-trick

and Titmus saw his stumps sent cartwheeling by Davidson to end the innings on 279. Simpson's 5/57 remained his career best Test bowling and Benaud's 1/60 took him to 228 wickets to match Ray Lindwall

Ray Lindwall

's Australian record. Another record was the gate, which on the first day produced £12,534

Australian pound

The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...

and 5 shillings

Shilling (Australian)

The Australian Shilling was a coin of the Commonwealth of Australia prior to decimalization. The coin was minted from 1910 until 1963, excluding 1923, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1938, 1947, 1949 and 1951...

. The attendance of 54,476 was a new record for a Friday and second only to the Saturday of the Second Test in 1928-29

English cricket team in Australia in 1928–29

-Second Test :-Third Test :-Fourth Test :-Fifth Test :-Further reading:* Ralph Barker & Irving Rosenwater, England v Australia: A compendium of Test cricket between the countries 1877-1968, Batsford, 1969, ISBN 0-7134-0317-9.* Percy Fender, The Turn of the Wheel: MCC Team in Australia 1928-29,...

when over 58,000 people saw called some bloke called Don Bradman serving drinks as 12th man. Bradman was now one of the selectors, as was the Australian captain Jack Ryder.

Australia - First Innings

Whereas the English faster bowlers could bang nothing out of the pitch 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...

held the attack together in an admirably-sustained spell from the Randwick end
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...

, floating the ball away with the help of a long-leg wind and turning it at times almost sharply. Looking back I'll make bold and say that if Allen
David Allen (cricketer)
David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

had had the chance of bowling with Titmus in partnership the result could very well have gone the other way.

E.W. Swanton

Australia's first wicket cost England dearly. After 32 dull minutes Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

edged a chance off Len Coldwell

Len Coldwell

(1/41) which John Murray

John Murray (cricketer)

John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...

took just off the grass in a dive that tore his shoulder ligaments. Lawry was out for 8, but Murray had to be taken off the field for medical treatment and Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

took over behind the stumps (both he and Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

, who he replaced, were reserve 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...

s for their county). He did a reasonable job, but took no catches and few Test teams expect to do well in these circumstances. Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

had failed in the number three spot so Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

came in and was missed in the slips by Cowdrey on 2 and lofted a gentle catch off Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

to David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

at extra-cover on 37. Sheppard "saw it all the way into my hands - and out of them. If ever I have wanted that secret trap-door and underground route to the pavilion it was then", Brian Statham

Brian Statham

shouted "Bad luck", Trueman's comments are unprintable, but are usually translated as "Pretend it's Sunday Reverend, and keep your hands together", Harvey hit 64 runs out of 160 in 170 minutes with only two boundaries in what Johnny Moyes thought was the worse innings of his career. He was the first victim of 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...

off-spinner

Finger spin

Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...

Fred Titmus

who in eight overs dismissed Harvey, Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

, Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

and Brian Booth

Brian Booth

for 5 runs as Australia slumped from 174/1 to 212/5 by the end of the day. "Most males in the Australian population knew how to hit Titmus out of the attack but the selectors kept filling the Australian XI with the minority who did not", as his flighty off-spin

Finger spin

down the leg-side with no out-fielders shackled the batsmen. Harvey was bowled, Simpson was caught off a cut by Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

for his third Test 90 (and the 16th of the season), O'Neill was bowled when he started a drive and changed his mind and Booth prodded one to Trueman at short leg. Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

came in as a nightwatchman

Nightwatchman (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, a nightwatchman is a lower-order batsman who comes in to bat higher up the order than usual near the end of the day's play...

, but was run out for a duck first thing in the morning, overbalancing after pushing the ball to David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

at forward short-leg, who through down the stumps. Titmus continued his good work, Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

(15) was caught at short-leg hitting across the line, Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

(15) was caught and bowled and Garth McKenzie (4) was quickly lbw

Leg before wicket

. Only Barry Shepherd

Barry Shepherd

Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....

(71 not out) hit out at the bowlers, 8 fours and a towering six off Titmus, the last scoring stroke of the innings. Brian Statham

Brian Statham

(1/67) bowled Colin Guest

Colin Guest

in his only Test innings after a last-wicket stand of 39 and Australia were out for 319, a lead of 40 far behind what was expected or wanted. The wisdom in the press box thought Australia needed to be 150 runs ahead seeing as they would bat last. Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

was the second English spin bowler to take seven wickets in a Test innings in Australia after the leg-spinner Doug Wright

Doug Wright

Doug Wright is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2004 for his play, I Am My Own Wife.-Early years:Wright was born in Dallas, Texas...

in 1946–47

1946–47 Ashes series

The 1946–47 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of six days with five hours play each day and eight ball overs. Unlike pre-war Tests in Australia, matches were not timeless and played to a finish. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1946–47 and England played its...

England - Second Innings

However, it was a superb spell by Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...

with the new ball in England's second innings that turned a hitherto evenly-poised game towards Australia. 'Davo', with his late swing and cut, was a superb bowler at his best, and this was about it...Soon after lunch on the fourth day it was over, and England had gone - oh, so mildly.

E.W. Swanton

Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

(5/25) and Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

combined to ruin England's reply. Beginning at medium pace ‘Davo’ was chopped onto the stumps by an awful looking stroke from Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

and tormented Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

, who played and missed his first four balls. Dexter was out, caught in a superb leaping dive by Simpson off the shoulder of his bat and David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

followed a ball and edged it into Simpson's willing hands. Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

(1/29) brought himself on before tea and Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

became Simpson's third victim to leave England 37/4. Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

(21) and Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

(28) hung until Barrington was bowled by Garth McKenzie (3/26). The England batsmen had now given up making runs and made only 49 from the last 31 overs of the day. Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

stayed in for 44 minutes for 6 runs until caught by Brian Booth

Brian Booth

off Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

(1/7). John Murray

John Murray (cricketer)

John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...

came in with a strapped shoulder and bravely batted out the day to 86/6. He continued the following morning to make 3 not out in 100 minutes with effectively one hand. McKenzie and Davidson sportingly bowled straight to the injured keeper and settled the matter at the other end. McKenzie dismissing Pullar, caught by O'Neill, and Trueman, caught behind by Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

. Davidson clean bowled Brian Statham

Brian Statham

and had Len Coldwell

Len Coldwell

lbw

Leg before wicket

and England were out for 104. It was their lowest score 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...

since 1901-02 and gave them a lead of only 64.

Australia - Second Innings

Those who saw it will never forget the sight of thousands of small boys invading the ground when yet another two runs were needed. One youngster managed to get away with a stump
Stump (cricket)
Stump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:# part of the wicket# a manner of dismissing a batsman# the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...

, but when he realized the position he restored it, while Simpson
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...

waved frantically at the pavilion to have another produced.

Johnny Moyes

There was a 25 minutes delay due to bad light and Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

(2/20) showed some late fire with the wickets of Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

and Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

, but Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

brought himself on and conceded 27 runs off 26 balls so that the teams would not have to return the next day to finish the game. The last few overs were played in the rain and it rained for most of the fifth day, so England might have drawn the match with a little application. As it was Australia made 67/2 to win by 8 wickets. Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

made 34 not out to add to his 91 and 5/57 in the first innings.

Result

There was not one innings that will be remembered in years to come; not even one that left behind pleasant memories after the day was over. This Test will be remembered - if, indeed, it is recalled at all in after years - because the fortunes changed so rapidly and because of the deed of individuals, chiefly the bowlers. Some, but only a few, came out with their reputations enhanced.

Johnny Moyes

Australia won by 8 wickets to even the series 1-1. In the end it was the fast bowlers Davidson and McKenzie who wrecked England's chances, but Dexter's decision to take only one specialist spinner would be long remembered as costing England the Ashes

The Ashes

The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...

. A total of 166,626 people came to watch the match, including 20,781 on the last day for a total gate of £39,924

Australian pound

17 shillings

Shilling (Australian)

The Australian Shilling was a coin of the Commonwealth of Australia prior to decimalization. The coin was minted from 1910 until 1963, excluding 1923, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1938, 1947, 1949 and 1951...

Fourth Test – Adelaide

Preliminaries

Australia had the ill-luck early in the England first innings to lose Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...

with a thigh strain. Thereafter Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

seemed, not unnaturally, more interested in saving the game than winning it. England were the thrusters, and if their catching had not continued to let them down Australia might have been out early on the last day, so giving Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

and company a fair chance of victory against an attack reduced to McKenzie, Mackay
Ken Mackay
Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

and three leg-spinners.

E.W. Swanton

The 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...

is traditionally a dull, lifeless wicket with bounce so low that even the fastest bowlers rarely rise it above stump height and batsmen found it difficult to get the ball away. On this occasion frequent light rain helped freshen it up slightly for the pacemen and it resolutely refused to turn. England dropped their injured 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...

John Murray

John Murray (cricketer)

John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...

and Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

returned to the team. Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

was well against and replaced the out of form Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

and the off-spinner Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

was brought in for the fast-medium Len Coldwell

Len Coldwell

. Once against Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

advised the opposite, he thought an extra seamer would be better at Adelaide, but was against ignored; in any case the spinners struggled on a pitch that refused to turn. Typically the selectors chose the out of form Illingworth over David Allen

David Allen (cricketer)

David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

because of his superior batting. Barry Jarman

Barry Jarman

Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee....

was also dropped as Australia's first choice keeper Wally Grout

Wally Grout

Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...

was fit to play against after breaking his jaw in November and the paceman Colin Guest

Colin Guest

was dropped in favour of Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

in what would be his final Test. Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

now had 228 Test wickets, Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

229 and Brian Statham

Brian Statham

235, just one behind Alec Bedser

Alec Bedser

Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...

's Test record of 236. Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

won the toss for the third time and chose to bat.

Australia - First Innings

It was Neil's
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...

last season and it was a shame that his amazing career should end in an uncharacteristic outburst of bad temper against Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

. I never did get to the bottom of the row but perhaps it was just because he and Ted were total opposites as people. All I know is that his press comments on Ted lost him a lot of friends. These attacks upset 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...

players more than anything else that happened on that tour, and for Neil to retire from the game on this sour note was disappointing for those who had played with an against him, and for the public who had enjoyed his performances. For all this, you couldn't help admiring some of Neil's knocks, including his sixth Test century against England. He was nearly always exciting to watch because he was the sort of batsman who was supremely capable of winning or saving a match. He was also good to bowl to because he gave you a chance; he played shots and he took risks. And his fielding was quite brilliant; in this series, it was easily the best on either side. He stopped some wonderful shots in the covers and took some terrific catches. It was just sad to see such a talented man consumed by such bitterness.

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...

Fred Trueman

opened the bowling and soon had Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

writhing as he made the ball lift off the rain-freshed wicket, but it was Brian Statham

Brian Statham

who struck first. He had Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

out first ball, caught behind by 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...

Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

for a first ball duck to match Alec Bedser

Alec Bedser

Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...

's record of 236 Test wickets. Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

crowded close fielders round the batsmen as Trueman and Statham continued their attack, but he noticed that their footmarks were indenting the soft pitch and after 45 minutes he replaced Trueman with Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

and Statham with Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

. They failed to turn the ball, it wouldn't turn throughout the match, but the Yorkshireman

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....

almost had 3 wickets for 1 run. Lawry was bowled for 10, Illingworth (1/85) coming round the wicket with a straight ball to remove his off-stump. Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

had just made 231 not out against South Australia

Southern Redbacks

, his last innings in the Sheffield Shield, and was full of confidence. On 11 he snicked the ball to slip where Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

dropped a sharp chance and swung the following ball was to square-leg, where David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

dropped an easy chance. On 26 he gave Cowdrey another chance in the slips, the waist-high ball dropped with his left hand off Dexter. Cowdrey finally took a catch to remove Brian Booth

Brian Booth

(34) off Titmus (2/88) after lunch for 101/3, but England failed to dismiss the out of form Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

when he pushed a ball from Titmus close to Dexter's left hand at square-leg. Having survived Harvey and O'Neill set about the English bowling in the most attractive batting of the entire series. They added 194 for the fourth-wicket in 171 minutes and at five runs an over. O'Neill swept Titmus to the boundary, followed by two drives to either side of the wicket, and more from cuts through gully and point. Harvey danced down the wicket to hit Titmus for four three times in an over, and became the fourth batsman to pass 6,000 Test runs after 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...

, Don Bradman and Len Hutton

Len Hutton

Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...

. He drove Illingworth through the covers in the last over before tea to bring up his 21st Test century, his 6th against England. But Dexter kept the suffering spinners on until the new ball arrived after tea. Trueman and Statham were exhausted and made no impression with the new ball, so Dexter bowled himself with Illingworth chipping in with medium-paced seamers from his youth. At the end of the day the tired batsmen gave themselves out to the tired fieldsmen, O'Neill reached his century in 169 minutes, the fastest of the series, with 14 boundaries, but was caught for 100 by Cowdrey off Dexter (3/94). Harvey cut the ball to Cowdrey off the England captain for 154 with 18 boundaries to leave Australia 302/5. Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

and Barry Shepherd

Barry Shepherd

Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....

took them to 322/5 overnight, but the England bowlers recovered in the morning and Australia crashed to 393 all out, losing their last 5 wickets for 71 runs. Brian Statham

Brian Statham

(3/66) had Shepherd caught in the gully by Trueman for his record 237th wicket to become the biggest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Trueman (1/54) had Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

caught behind by an agile Smith, Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

was bowled by Dexter, Davidson (46) was bowled by Statham and the unsafe hands of David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

held onto a long, high skier from Garth McKenzie in the deep.

England - First Innings

...in came Freddie Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...

who appeared determined to knock the cover off the ball. He blasted some very quick runs, which included two straight sixes of the mortified Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

. Freddie can always be counted on to surprise you. After the towering first six, he appealed against the light! Even for firey Freddie, that was cheek of the highest order. Richie and I both burst out laughing and, needless to say the appeal was not upheld. Test cricket can have its lighter moments. Freddie's response was to crash another giant six about 20 yards deeper, but unfortunately, he tried to do it again and was caught by Benaud off Mackay
Ken Mackay
Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

at extra cover.

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...

England came in to bat in the afternoon and Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

didn't play his bat to a Garth McKenzie in-swinger and was clean-bowled for 7. Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

came in instead of Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

, who was resting after bowling 23 overs in the Australian innings. Barrington lacked his usual assurance and mishit Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

three times to the boundary on successive balls before hitting him again with the fourth ball, after which Davidson retired with a torn thigh muscle. David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

(30) was stumped by Wally Grout

Wally Grout

Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...

trying to drive Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

(1/82), giving the captain his 229th Test wicket to pass Ray Lindwall

Ray Lindwall

and become Australia's greatest Test wicket-taker. England reached tea with 87/2, but Barrington (63) was bowled by the first ball from Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

(1/40) and McKenzie (5/89) removed Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

caught behind (though he thought that it had hit the grass) and Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

to Brian Booth

Brian Booth

at leg-slip. Dexter was now left with Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

at 165/5, but the England captain fought back by driving Simpson to the fence, lifting him for six twice in an over and reaching his 50 off McKenzie in the last over of the day. There was rain on the rest day and the morning of Australia Day

Australia Day

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...

, which earned the South Australian Cricket Association

South Australian Cricket Association

The South Australian Cricket Association is the peak body for the sport of cricket in South Australia. The association runs Adelaide Oval and the Southern Redbacks based in Adelaide, South Australia. SACA is the controlling body for the South Australian Grade Cricket League...

£3,000

Australian pound

in insurance

Insurance

In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...

and helped bind the wicket, enabling the fast bowlers to lift the ball, but preventing the pitch from breaking up or taking spin. Play began at 1:45 pm with Titmus unsuccessfully appealing against the light and glancing the ball past the seagulls and bird-fancier

Pigeon keeping

Pigeon keeping is the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons. People have practiced pigeon keeping for about 10,000 years in almost every part of the world...

Bill Lawry

at the cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

end. They played on in a light drizzle and Titmus hit Benaud and Mackay for fours, but when Dexter tried the same against McKenzie he was caught by leaping 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...

off a rising ball. The wet outfield made the ball damp and heavy, and thus useless to spinners, so McKenzie bowled unchanged from the river end except for one over before taking the new ball. With Davidson still absent Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

took over from the other end. Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

gave Grout his fourth dismissal of the innings, and his third catch off McKenzie and Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

skied Mackay to Lawry to reduce England to 275/8. Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

joined Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

and "The Fighting Freds" thumped 52 runs in 37 minutes. Trueman hit Mackay for four, heaved his first ball from Benaud into the stands and appealed for light. When this was turned down he hit Benaud to the leg boundary for four and over long-on for another six, followed by a four off Mackay before the ball flew off the shoulder of his bat to Benaud at mid-on to be out for 38, one short of his highest Test score. Titmus made his first Test 50, but was given the light and the last 45 minutes were lost, three hours in the day. Mackay (3/80) bowled Brian Statham

Brian Statham

in the second over of the fourth day to have England out for 331, 62 runs behind Australia. Titmus was left on 59 not out to give him an average of 200.00 at the 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...

Australia - Second Innings

Our plan this morning was for O'Neill
Norm O'Neill
Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...

and I to go for runs, and had we been successful I would have closed. But O'Neill got out. After that I toyed with the idea of closing and giving England five minutes batting before lunch, but decided against it. If we had had Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...

to bowl today it would have made a big difference to the whole outlook.

Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

The out of form Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

hung on grimly for an hour for 16 runs before he was caught in the slips by Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

off Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

, who took advantage of the freshened pitch and hit Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

with a nasty rising ball. Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

cut Brian Statham

Brian Statham

for four and was caught by Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

in the gully when he tried it off the next ball. This left Australia 42/2 at lunch, but Simpson and Brian Booth

Brian Booth

added 86 runs in the afternoon session and opened up after tea. Booth hit Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

for six and overtook Simpson despite his 75 minute start. Their stand was ended in an eventful over from Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

(3/65); a diving Barrington missed Booth on the first ball, and the batsmen ran a single; Simpson was caught behind on the second ball, having made 71 in 237 minutes, Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

took a single off the third ball and Booth hit a boundary off the fifth ball only to be taken by 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...

Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

for 77 with the last ball of the over. Dexter struck again before stumps, Barry Shepherd

Barry Shepherd

Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....

spooning a catch to Titmus at wide mid-off and Trueman had Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

caught at slip by Graveney in his last over with the old ball. O'Neill and Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

saw out the new ball and Australia finished the day at 225/6, a lead of 287 runs. Trueman and Statham fired down the new ball in the morning, but Titmus dropped Benaud on the first ball of the day. O'Neill was out to Trueman, caught by Cowdrey at slip, and Garth McKenzie became Smith's fifth catch of the match, taken off Statham. Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

came in for 14 balls before he was bowled by Statham (3/71) and Benaud and Wally Grout

Wally Grout

Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...

added 35 for the last wicket before the captain was caught for 48 by Barrington off Trueman (4/60). Benaud had refused to declare before lunch and make a game of it, but with the Ashes

The Ashes

at stake and Davidson unable to bowl he dared not take the risk. As it was Australia made 293, setting England 356 to win in just over four hours.

England - Second Innings

A freak catch by wicketkeeper Grout
Wally Grout
Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...

dismissed Sheppard
David Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

. McKenzie had bowled the opening over from the river end; then Sheppard played forward to Mackay
Ken Mackay
Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

's first ball and edged it to second slip. There Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

went into contortion
Contortion
thumb|upright|Contortionist performingContortion is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body. Contortion is often part of acrobatics and circus acts...

s; he knocked the ball forward, knocked it a second time as Simpson
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...

, from first slip, poised to spring at it. Simpson then plunged to the ground, out of the way, he thought. Grout sprawled over Simpson and clutched the ball as it fell. A circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...

performance!

Tom Goodman

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

and Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

both suffered from throat infections from the previous day and while Sheppard came to play after seeing a doctor, but Illingworth was sent back to the hotel to recover. Even if Dexter had wanted to go for the runs England's dismal start would have curtailed his ambitions. David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

was caught - eventually - by Wally Grout

Wally Grout

Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...

on the first ball of the second over from Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

(1/13) to give him his 50th Test wicket and Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

edged the ball to Simpson in the next over from McKenzie (1/63) to reduce England to 4/2. Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

and Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

saw the innings safely through the next hour and a half, adding 94 before he was run out by Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

for 32. Barrington looked completely assured and began sweeping the Australian spin bowlers as Benaud, Simpson and O'Neill all tried their arm. Dexter was out to one-handed catch by Simpson off Benaud with 100 minutes to go and Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

was recalled from the hotel in case he needed to bat, but he was not needed. A ball from McKenzie struck a nerve in Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

's arm, but after he recovered he settled down to a polished innings to accompany Barrington to his hundred. This was reached with a pull for six off Simpson over long-on, his seventh Test century and his first against Australia. Strangely, the stonewalling Barrington would bring up a Test century four times with a six and his first nine centuries would all be made abroad. Benaud brought in the new ball and gave it to Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

who nearly knocked Barrington's cap off with a beamer that went for 4 byes followed this with 4 wides, as extras were not counted against the bowler in those days this counted as a maiden. Barrington finished with 2 sixes and 16 fours in his 132 not out and he and Graveney (36 not out) played out the day with an unbeaten partnership of 101 to take England to 223/4.

Result

But the last day was to prove curiously frustrating for a crowd of 22,000. There were some compensating thrills: two remarkable catches; a memorable fielding display by O'Neill
Norm O'Neill
Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...

; the cheap dismissal of Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

; a highly competent century by that batting tradesman, Ken Barrington
Ken Barrington
Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...

, who reached three figures with a hit for six...

Tom Goodman

The 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...

had produced another draw to leave the series tied on 1-1, but the three hours lost on Australia Day

Australia Day

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...

would have probably have given England enough time to make the extra 133 runs required for victory, but it would have been an historic victory if they had. Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

said afterwards "Australia never had a hope of bowling us out - not on this pitch and with their attack so depleted". This took some of the heat off Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

whose reputation for "go-ahead", entertaining cricket had taken a severe blow by his refusal to declare on the last morning. The truth was that the Australian bowling attack depended heavily on the injury-prone Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

and Benaud with the young McKenzie and two batting all rounders in support. Without any turn in the pitch to help Benaud or Simpson Australia were in great trouble. With the retirement of their two premier bowlers Garth McKenzie would have to carry the Australian bowling through the 1960s.

Fifth Test – Sydney

Preliminaries

This deadly dull and absolutely frustrating match left keen cricket followers soured and depressed. A thoroughly bad match unworthy of the occasion, for was it not in effect a "final" to decide the destination of the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...

?...This Test was a setback to cricket in Australia. Its lack of sparkle and of the element of combat caused a general revulsion of feeling among cricket followers throughout the country, who were influenced to forget what good points the season had brought forth.

Tom Goodman

For the first time since 1936-37

English cricket team in Australia in 1936-37

the Ashes

The Ashes

were in dispute in the final Test of a series in Australia. Unfortunately the Fifth Test was to be played on the lifeless wicket at Sydney

Sydney Cricket Ground

, though critics later pointed out that Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

was able to play strokes, and that Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

, Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

and even Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

were able to play strokes on similarly lifeless wickets before in the series. Mindful of the Third Test three spinners were selected for the England team for the first time in an Ashes

The Ashes

Test; Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

, Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

and David Allen

David Allen (cricketer)

David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

, along with Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

as a part-time leg-spinner. However, the opener Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

was dropped due to an injured knee and Illingworth was brought in as a batsman more than a spinner and he bowled only 15 overs in the match and opened the second innings. Allen was distrusted by Dexter for all that he had been was England's first choice spinner and would take himself to the top of the England bowling averages as a result of this final Test. In any case it appeared that Dexter intended to catch Australia on a spinning wicket, especially if he batted first and caught them on the last day. Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

was the New South Wales

New South Wales Blues

The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...

captain and knew the Sydney Cricket Ground

Sydney Cricket Ground

better than anyone, but his bowling options were limited. Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

had recovered from his thigh strain and Garth McKenzie was showing great promise, but the medium-fast seam bowler Neil Hawke

Neil Hawke

Neil James Napier Hawke was an Australian Test cricketer and leading Australian rules footballer.Born in Cheltenham, South Australia, Hawke quickly developed as a natural all-round sportsman who excelled in cricket, football and golf and made his senior Australian rules football debut for South...

was brought in to give them support and rest Davidson. Ken Mackay

Ken Mackay

Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....

was dropped in his favour, which weakened the Australian batting, but they still had nine first-class centurions. This left Benaud as Australia's sole specialist spinner, with help from Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

and perhaps Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

. Peter Burge had made 163, 34 not out, 33 and 54 not out for South Australia

Southern Redbacks

in the Sheffield Shield and was brought back into the team at the expcense of Barry Shepherd

Barry Shepherd

Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....

. Dexter won the toss for the second time at Sydney, which hadn't helped him in the Third Test, and decided to bat.

England - First Innings

By taking nine and a half hours to make their 321 on winning the toss England could point to the difficulty of forcing the ball away from so turgid a pitch and so dusty an in-field and finally across a slow, lush, green carpet. Naturally suspicious of player's alibis, I was very much on their side this time - up to a point.

E.W. Swanton

With Geoff Pullar

Geoff Pullar

Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....

unable to play Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

opened for England again, a role he did not relish and after making two runs he was out, mis-hitting a ball from Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

to Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

at backward short-leg, who darted forward to take it at grass height. David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

became Neil Hawke

Neil Hawke

's first Test wicket, catching a full blooded cover drive off his own bowling. This made England 39/2 after 108 minutes and with Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

entrenched at one end the crowd were looked to Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

to produce some excitement. The wicket was dead and the sky was clear, so there was no chance of the ball swinging and the famous Sydney Hill

Sydney Cricket Ground

was becoming restless, Barrington raising his cap when he was jeered and a slow hand clap started around the ground as Dexter played himself in. This was briefly curtailed when Barrington glanced a full toss

Full toss

A full toss is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes any delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing on the pitch first....

from Garth McKenzie for four and Dexter hit three fours off Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

. Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

caught Barrington on the pads and appealed, but no else joined in and the Englishman stayed put. Australia were running through 14-15 overs an hour, the fastest so far in the series, but with such defensive play the effort was wasted. Dexter was out after lunch edging O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

(1/38) to Simpson at first slip for 47 and Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

almost went the same way to Benaud. At 5:15 pm the batsmen appealed for light, but were turned down and five minutes later he glanced McKenzie (1/57) off his legs, but "Harvey

Neil Harvey

, anticipating, shot out his left hand; he somersaulted and momentarily stood on his head, then he rolled over and sat up, still clutching the ball." Barrington usually woke up when his century was in sight, and a sweep of Simpson was dropped by Brian Booth

Brian Booth

, but a drive found its way to the boundary and a single brought up his hundred and a surprisingly generous round of applause from the stadium. He drove Benaud straight to Harvey in the covers, who bruised a finger taking his third catch, out for 101 after 320 minutes. Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

and Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

lasted until stumps, with England 195/5 after a full day's play. The second day continued in the same dull way, or perhaps worse as only three boundaries were hit between the two sides. Illingworth (27) and Titmus (34) produced, long, slow innings occasionally interrupted by drizzle before they were both caught by Wally Grout

Wally Grout

Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...

, one off Davidson and the other off Hawke (2/57). Even Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

played a subdued innings before he was caught by Harvey off Benaud for 30. Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

was bowled by Simpson (1/51) and David Allen

David Allen (cricketer)

David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

and Brian Statham

Brian Statham

finally livened things up with a last wicket stand of 28 in 35 minutes until Benaud caught Allen off Davidson (3/43). England's 321 had taken them nine and a half hours, an innings more akin to saving a lost cause than trying to win a match.

Australia - First Innings

The crowd of just on 30,000 was often tense during the fourth-wicket stand; 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...

and Allen
David Allen (cricketer)
David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

, pegging away, demanded concentration. But O’Neill
Norm O'Neill
Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...

was determined not to be enchained.

Tom Goodman

Australia had less need than England to increase the scoring rate as a draw would save the Ashes

The Ashes

, but the burden of batting last meant that they should overhaul England's total by 50 runs because of the danger of being spun out on the last day. Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

and Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

looked keen enough with 28 runs in the first half hour even though Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

hit Simpson on the shoulder with a beamer. He had Lawry caught behind for 12 and welcomed Brian Booth

Brian Booth

with a bouncer and a yorker

Yorker

that nearly bowled him, followed by a lbw

Leg before wicket

appeal from Brian Statham

Brian Statham

. After this it was the turn of the spinners Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

and David Allen

David Allen (cricketer)

David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

who bowled 90 over between them in the innings at a rate of 16-17 an hour and with great accuracy. Titmus bowled Booth in his second over, appealed for leg before wicket

Leg before wicket

against Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

before he had scored and had Simpson caught by Trueman at leg-slip to give him 2/10 off 8 overs and to leave Australia 71/3. Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

had been lowered down the order because of his bruise finger and Peter Burge came out for a few minutes before play ended at 5:38 pm. In the Sunday press conference Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

thought that England would have a good chance of winning and that three days would be enough to force a win, a minority view. On the Monday morning O'Neill was full of confidence after his century at 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...

and refused to be tied town, or to submit to the flat wicket. He struck 6 fours in the morning session, and Burge 3, compared to the miserly 3 boundaries made on Saturday. He cause was helped by England's shoddy fielding, 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...

Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

failed to stump O'Neill off Allen on 70 and dropped Burge off Statham on 63. O'Neill went after lunch, driving Allen into the outstretched hand of Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

at short mid-on for 73, having added 109 with Burge. This brought Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

to the crease in his farewell Test on his home ground to great applause and welcomed by the England team, as was Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

. Rain now interfered with play and there were two 20–25 minutes breaks, which upset his concentration, even so he added 51 with Burge before being caught by the substitute fielder Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....

off Statham (1/76) for 22, Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

being off the field with an eye infection and Trueman was off with a strained thigh. Dexter (1/24) tried to bowl around the wicket to Davidson, who had tried to have the sightscreen moved over, only to find that it could not go that far to the left, so Dexter went back to bowling over the wicket, but the palaver had unsettled the batsman and he holed out to Allen. Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

hit a Dexter bouncer to the boundary and dominated the strike for the last two overs to make 13 not out, leaving Burge on 98 and Australia 285/5, still 36 runs behind. Burge took four overs to reach his hundred the next morning, in slower time than Barrington, and was lbw

Leg before wicket

trying to sweep Titmus for 103. Garth McKenzie was caught and bowled by Titmus, but Neil Hawke

Neil Hawke

hung on for an hour adding 44 with Benaud (57) before they were both caught by Graveney to give Titmus 5/103 off 47.2 overs and Allen 2/87 off 43 overs. The Australians were not riled so much by the crowd as the English batsmen had been, partly as O'Neill and Benaud had been making strokes, but also by the interest in seeing whether they could lead in the first innings. This they did, a total of 349 giving a slim lead of 28 runs.

England - Second Innings

Barrington
Ken Barrington
Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...

had just missed his second century of the match, and in that he was unlucky, but his innings had been marred because on this last day he had added only 37 runs in 107 minutes. He had batted in all for 263 minutes, and his 94 runs included only two fours; but Benaud’s
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

defensive field-placing had contributed to that…Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...

clouted McKenzie’s first two deliveries high to the fence, missed the third ball and was well caught by Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...

, at mid-off, off the fourth. With the last ball of the last over before lunch, and inevitably his last ball in Test cricket…

Tom Goodman

England began their second innings after an early lunch taken on the fourth day, David Sheppard

David Sheppard

David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...

and Ray Illingworth

Ray Illingworth

making 40, the highest English first-wicket stand since the first Test. Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson (cricketer)

bowled unchanged for two hours, bowling medium-paced cutters off a long run up to waste time. Garth McKenzie bowled one over and Neil Hawke

Neil Hawke

two before they were replaced by Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

, bowling into a cold breeze which saw most of the crowd depart. Sheppard was dropped by a sleepy McKenzie at fine short-leg, where the excellent Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

had just been taken off with another throat infection. Benaud (3/71) took the first three wickets. Illingworth (18) driving the ball to Hawke in the covers, Sheppard (68), lifting the ball to Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

for his fifth catch of the game and Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

(6) who was stumped trying to hit his opposite number over the fence. Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

had played a watchful innings from the other end, adding 97 with Sheppard, and Colin Cowdrey

Colin Cowdrey

ended the day at 165/3 after four hours, a lead of 137 over Australia with one day's play left. Quick runs were vital for setting up a victory – Dexter had vowed to declare at lunch come what may – and Cowdrey brought up his 50 with two boundaries and a three, but edged the new ball off Davidson to Benaud at second slip after making 53 in a stand of 94. Barrington touched a rising ball from McKenzie to Wally Grout

Wally Grout

Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...

for a 94 that contained only two fours. It was his fourth consecutive Test 50 and he would make 126 and 76 in New Zealand to equal the record of Patsy Hendren

Patsy Hendren

made in 1928-29 and Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

at the beginning of the series. Davidson (3/80) picked up Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney

Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...

and Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

and McKenzie (2/39) dismissed Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

when he hit two fours and gave Harvey his sixth catch of the game with his last ball in Test cricket. Lunch was taken and Dexter declared, England had collapsed from 239/3 to 268/8 and this gave his bowlers four hours to take 10 wickets for 240 runs.

Australia - Second Innings

The crowd booed, barracked and slow-clapped but the Australians refused to try for a result. It was disappointing but, somehow, inevitable. Winning or losing 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...

was even then such a huge event that no captain wanted to take unnecessary risks.

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...

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

may have been prepared to go for the runs, but Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

(1/6) bowled Bobby Simpson

Bob Simpson (cricketer)

with his fifth ball and Bill Lawry

Bill Lawry

dug himself in to make 18 not out in toe two hours between lunch ad tea. Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey

came in at number three, but struggled to 28 when he was bowled by well flighted ball from David Allen

David Allen (cricketer)

David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...

. Norm O'Neill

Norm O'Neill

took 17 minutes to open his score, cut two fours off Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

and another off Fred Titmus

Fred Titmus

until he tried to force a ball down the off-side and was caught by Alan Smith

Alan Smith (cricketer)

off Allen, who then bowled Brian Booth

Brian Booth

with a shooter for a duck and Australia went into tea at 75/4 with Allen on 3/23. During tea Benaud told Lawry and Burge to "stay in" and they needed little encouragement to do so. Lawry dragged out his innings to 45 not out in four hours regardless of cat-calls, hoots, jeers and the rattling of beer-cans. At one point, Lawry hit two fours in succession, prompting the crowd to yell "lightning does strike twice!" Burge at least hit the bad balls and made 52 not out when time was called. They have saved a potential disaster for Australia, but were booed off when they left the field on 152/4 and their actions - as ordered by their captain - won them few friends and was bad for Australian cricket.

Result

If there had been no Ashes and £1,000 a man for winning today's game, I daresay there would have been a result. the fact that these matches are played in a series is a damper. The fact that 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...

must be fought for is a further damper. I believe that if a series is drawn, then 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...

should at least go into pawn
Pawnbroker
A pawnbroker is an individual or business that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral...

so that no one holds them.

Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

I am extremely disappointed with the overall picture of Test play, which was not the kind of cricket I want to watch. People who pay to see a Test are entitled to see a real match, not a tactical tie-up. I think it is a fair result that neither England or Australia won the series. I can't get out of my head why Test matches are so different from State matches, where I think England played pretty well. It is all so different from what we visualised. After all this talk of brighter cricket I think we should get back to playing cricket. Perhaps a little more action and less talk.

His Grace
Grace (style)
His Grace or Her Grace is a style used for various high ranking personages. It was the style used to address the King or Queen of Scotland up to the Act of Union of 1707, which merged the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, and to address monarchs of England prior to Henry VIII...

the Duke of Norfolk

The Fifth Test was drawn and Australia retained the Ashes

The Ashes

by sharing the series 1-1. Both captained were criticised by the press and public for such a dismal ending to the series and the reputations of Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

and Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

as attacking captained were badly tarnished. Brian Statham

Brian Statham

ended the series with a record 242 Test wickets, with 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...

, Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman

and Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

on tied on 236. Statham did not tour New Zealand, but Trueman did and he overtook his new ball partner to become the first man to take 250 Test wickets. Ted Dexter

Ted Dexter

Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...

made 481 runs (48.10), the most by an England captain in Australia, beating Archie MacLaren's 412 runs (45.77) made in 1901-02

English cricket team in Australia in 1901-02

The English cricket team in Australia in 1901–02 lost the Test series to Australia, who came from one down to win 4–1 and thus retained The Ashes. The England side was a private venture of Archie MacLaren at the invitation of the Melbourne Cricket Club, after MCC had declined to send a team...

, a total that has not been exceeded. Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington

made 582 runs (72.75), the most by an Englishman in Australia since Wally Hammond

Wally Hammond

’s 905 runs (113.12) in 1928-29.

1962-63 Test Series Averages

source This was the last tour to use the old divisions of amateurs and professionals

Gentlemen v Players

The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...

in English cricket so the convention remainded of gentleman amateurs having their initials in front of their surname and professional players with their initials after their name, if used at all. The Australians all remained amateurs until the Packer Revolution

Kerry Packer

Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...

, even though they played like professionals.

Test Series Batting Averages
Player	Team	Type	Matches	Innings	Not Out	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s	Ct Caught Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. Being caught out is the most common method of dismissal at higher levels of competition...	St
Barrington, K.F. Ken Barrington Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...		Right-Hand 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...	5	10	2	581	132* 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...	72.75	2	3	6
P.J.P. Burge		Right-Hand 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...	3	6	2	245	103	61.25	1	1	2
B.C. Booth Brian Booth Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests from 1961 to 1966. He captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series while regular captain Bob Simpson was absent due to illness and injury. Booth was a graceful right-handed middle order batsman...		Right-Hand \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...	5	10	2	404	112	50.50	2	1	2
E.R. Dexter Ted Dexter Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer... (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...		Right-Hand 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...	5	10		481	99	48.10		5	2
B.K. Shepherd Barry Shepherd Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in 9 Tests from 1963 to 1965....		Left-Hand 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...	2	3	1	94	71* 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...	47.00		1	1
R.B. Simpson Bob Simpson (cricketer) Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...		Right-Hand 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...	5	10	1	401	91	44.55		4	9
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... (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...		Right-Hand 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...	5	10	1	394	113	43.77	1	3	6
N.R. Harvey Neil Harvey Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement... (vc) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Left-Hand 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...	5	10		395	154	39.50	1	2	6
K.D. Mackay Ken Mackay Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....		Left-Hand 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...	3	5	1	148	86* 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...	37.00		1
Titmus, F.J. 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...		Right-Hand Middle 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...	5	8	3	182	59* 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...	36.40		1	3
W.M. Lawry Bill Lawry William Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...		Left-Hand 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...	5	10	1	310	98	34.44		3	4
N.C.L. O'Neill Norm O'Neill Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...		Right-Hand 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...	5	9		310	100	34.44	1	2	2
Rev. The Reverend The Reverend is a style most often used as a prefix to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. The Reverend is correctly called a style but is often and in some dictionaries called a... D.S. Sheppard David Sheppard David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...		Right-Hand 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...	5	10		330	113	33.00	1	2	2
R. Benaud Richie Benaud Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game.... (c) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Right-Hand Middle 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...	5	7		227	57	32.42		2	9
Graveney, T.W. Tom Graveney Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...		Right-Hand 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...	3	5	1	116	41	29.00			6
Parfitt, P.H. Peter Parfitt Peter Parfitt is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk....		Left-Hand 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...	2	4	1	112	80	28.00		1
A.K. Davidson Alan Davidson (cricketer) Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...		Left-Hand Middle 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...	5	7		158	46	22.57			4
Pullar, G. Geoff Pullar Geoffrey Pullar was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Gloucestershire and in twenty eight Tests for England....		Left-Hand 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...	4	8		170	56	21.25		2
Trueman, F.S. Fred Trueman Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...		Right-Hand Lower 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...	5	7		142	38	20.28			7
Illingworth, R. 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...		Right-Hand Middle 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...	2	3		57	27	19.00
Allen, D.A. David Allen (cricketer) David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...		Right-Hand Middle 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...	1	1		14	14	14.00			1
N.J.N. Hawke Neil Hawke Neil James Napier Hawke was an Australian Test cricketer and leading Australian rules footballer.Born in Cheltenham, South Australia, Hawke quickly developed as a natural all-round sportsman who excelled in cricket, football and golf and made his senior Australian rules football debut for South...		Right-Hand Lower 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...	1	1		14	14	14.00			2
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... (wk) 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...		Right-Hand Middle 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...	4	5	1	47	21	11.75			13
B.N. Jarman Barry Jarman Barrington Noel Jarman OAM is a former Australian Test cricketer and International Cricket Council Match Referee.... (wk) 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...		Right-Hand Middle 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...	3	4	2	23	11* 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			7
C.E.J. Guest Colin Guest Colin Ernest John Guest is a former Australian cricketer who played in the Third Test at Sydney in the 1962-63 Ashes series. He was brought in to replace Ken Mackay whose slow batting was disliked by the crowds and who was unfairly blamed for the defeat in the Second Test at Melbourne...		Right-Hand Lower 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...	1	1		11	11	11.00
G.D. McKenzie		Right-Hand Lower 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...	5	7		52	16	7.42			3
Statham, J.B. Brian Statham John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...		Left-Hand Lower 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...	5	6	2	29	16* 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...	7.25			3
Knight, B.R.		Right-Hand Middle 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...	1	2	1	4	4* 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...	4.00			1
Murray, J.T. John Murray (cricketer) John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:... (wk) 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...		Right-Hand Middle 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...	1	2	1	3	3* 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...	3.00			1
Coldwell, L.J. Len Coldwell Len Coldwell was an English cricketer, who played in seven Tests for England from 1962 to 1964. Coldwell was a right-arm fast-medium bowler who was, for a few years in the early to mid-1960s, half of a respected and feared new-ball partnership in English county cricket...		Right-Hand Lower 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...	2	3	1	3	2* 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...	1.50
A.T.W. Grout Wally Grout Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966... (wk) 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...		Right-Hand Middle 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...	2	3	3	17	16* 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...				7	2

Test Series Bowling Averages
Player	Team	Type	8 Ball Overs	8 Ball Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Best Bowling	Average	5 Wt Wicket In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...	10 Wt
A.K. Davidson Alan Davidson (cricketer) Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...		Left-Arm Fast-Medium Bowler Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	175	30	480	24	6/75	20.00	2
Allen, D.A. David Allen (cricketer) David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...		Off-Spin Bowler Finger spin Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...	62	26	113	5	3/26	22.60
Trueman, F.S. Fred Trueman Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...		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...	158.3	9	521	20	5/62	26.05	1
Titmus, F.J. 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...		Off-Spin Bowler Finger spin Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...	236.3	54	616	21	7/79	29.33	2
G.D. McKenzie		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...	205.3	25	619	20	5/89	30.95	1
E.R. Dexter Ted Dexter Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...		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...	95.2	6	373	11	3/65	33.90
R. Benaud Richie Benaud Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game.... (c) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Leg-Spin Bowler Wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball...	233	58	688	17	6/115	40.47	1
Knight, B.R.		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...	31.5	3	128	3	3/65	42.66
N.J.N. Hawke Neil Hawke Neil James Napier Hawke was an Australian Test cricketer and leading Australian rules footballer.Born in Cheltenham, South Australia, Hawke quickly developed as a natural all-round sportsman who excelled in cricket, football and golf and made his senior Australian rules football debut for South...		Right-Arm Medium-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...	29	1	89	2	2/51	44.50
Statham, J.B. Brian Statham John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...		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...	165.2	16	580	13	3/66	44.61
R.B. Simpson Bob Simpson (cricketer) Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...		Leg-Spin Bowler Wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball...	93	18	369	8	5/57	46.12	1
Coldwell, L.J. Len Coldwell Len Coldwell was an English cricketer, who played in seven Tests for England from 1962 to 1964. Coldwell was a right-arm fast-medium bowler who was, for a few years in the early to mid-1960s, half of a respected and feared new-ball partnership in English county cricket...		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...	57	5	159	3	2/58	53.00
K.D. Mackay Ken Mackay Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....		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...	85.6	19	227	2	3/80	56.75
N.C.L. O'Neill Norm O'Neill Norman Clifford O'Neill OAM was an cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958...		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... Leg-Spin Bowler Wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball...	33	8	118	2	1/7	59.00
Illingworth, R. 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...		Off-Spin Bowler Finger spin Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin... 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...	40	9	131	1	1/85	131.00
Barrington, K.F. Ken Barrington Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...		Leg-Spin Bowler Wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball...	39	6	154	1	1/44	154.00
B.C. Booth Brian Booth Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests from 1961 to 1966. He captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series while regular captain Bob Simpson was absent due to illness and injury. Booth was a graceful right-handed middle order batsman...		Off-Spin Bowler Finger spin Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...	0.2		4		0/2
Graveney, T.W. Tom Graveney Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...		Leg-Spin Bowler Wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball...	7	1	34		0/10
C.E.J. Guest Colin Guest Colin Ernest John Guest is a former Australian cricketer who played in the Third Test at Sydney in the 1962-63 Ashes series. He was brought in to replace Ken Mackay whose slow batting was disliked by the crowds and who was unfairly blamed for the defeat in the Second Test at Melbourne...		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...	18		59		0/8
R.N. Harvey Neil Harvey Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement... (vc) Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...		Off-Spin Bowler Finger spin Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin...	4	1	13		0/0
W.M. Lawry Bill Lawry William Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...		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...	1	1			0/0