The 1970–71 Australians lost 2–0 to the touring England team in the 1970–71 Ashes series. Australia had not lost a home Test series since 1954–55, but had suffered a heavy 4–0 defeat in South Africa in 1969–70 which had affected their confidence. On paper they should have had a good team, and E.W. Swanton reckoned they were favourites to hold on to The Ashes, [1] but Rod Marsh, Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell had yet to mature and Bill Lawry, Garth McKenzie and John Gleeson were at the end of their careers. In more fortunate circumstances the senior players could have eased the newcomers into the team, but Ray Illingworth was a captain who exploited every weakness and they did not get the chance. Their cause was not helped by the selectors Sir Donald Bradman, Sam Loxton and Neil Harvey who chose nineteen different players in the series, nine of them debutants, and continuously chopped and changed the team which did not allow it to settle.
It was in South Africa in 1969–70 that his batting, and with it his captaincy, began to falter. The unfortunate experiences he and his men endured in India prior to visiting South Africa, those incidents there and on and off the field, began to affect his outlook, converted it, I feel, into what might be called an inlook...He had to survive investigation of his leadership by the Australian Board of Control in the light of adverse reports from the authorities of both India and South Africa. I believe Bill Lawry had developed a sizable chip on his shoulder before the summer of 1970–71. [2]
- Richard Whitington
Bill Lawry succeeded his opening partner Bobby Simpson as Australian captain midway through the victorious 4–0 series victory over India in 1967–68, he retained the Ashes 1–1 in 1968 and defeated the West Indies 3–1 in 1968–69. The 1969–70 the tour of India was successful – Australia won 3–1 – but the non-smoking, non-drinking Lawry had little time for the social side of the tour, was unable to maintain good public relations and manager Fred Bennett submitted an unfavourable report. [3] In the subsequent tour of South Africa he lost 4–0 and he sent the Australian Cricket Board a list of player grievances. According to vice-captain Ian Chappell, "That was the end of Lawry as captain of Australia. Then it was just a matter of finding any excuse to get rid of him". [4] In 1970–71 he was determined to retain the Ashes, but chose to do this by batting every match into a draw and was criticised by his cautious, negative captaincy. [5] [6] With a victory required in the final Test to even the series and retain The Ashes the selectors dismissed Lawry, the first time an Australian captain had been dropped in mid-series. [3] They failed to inform Lawry, who heard the news on the radio and was soon besieged by reporters. He accepted the verdict with his usual stoicism, but it was the end of his Test career and Australia lost a great opening batsman aged only 33. His successor Ian Chappell was far more aggressive and inspirational captain, but lost the last Test and with it The Ashes. However he recreated the Australian team in his own image and by 1974–75 it would be the most powerful Test team in the world.
On paper Australia had a sound batting line up; Bill Lawry (47.15), Ian Redpath (43.45), Keith Stackpole (37.42), Doug Walters (48.26), Ian Chappell (42.42), Greg Chappell (53.86), wicket-keeper Rod Marsh (26.51) and all-rounder Kerry O'Keeffe (25.76). None of these failed in the series, but the state batsmen who were called up to fill in the gaps were not capable of facing the English bowling attack. Although they batted out a draw in four of the Tests they collapsed twice in the second innings of the Sydney Tests, the only wicket that did not favour the bat. Bill Lawry was a dour left-handed opening batsman with tremendous concentration who was once unfairly described as "a corpse with pads on". [4] He failed to make a century, but still made 324 runs (40.50) and carried his bat through the Australian debacle at Sydney. John Snow wrote that 'He always had to be got out and even if you managed to knock all three stumps over he still stayed at the crease a moment looking round for some excuse to continue batting before reluctantly starting his walk back to the dressing room'. [6] Keith Stackpole was a heavily built opening batsman perfectly capable of hitting the ball round the ground, he made 627 runs (52.25) and two centuries in the series, but had the benefit of five "lives" from the umpires. Ian Redpath was another opening batsman, but tall and ungainly, making 497 safe runs (49.70) at his own slow pace, "I liked bowling to him least of all" Snow wrote, "a real nuisance batsman". [7] Greg Chappell said he was one of only two players he knew who would kill to get into the Australian Test team. [8] The other was wicket-keeper Rod Marsh who was chosen for his batting skills rather than his glovemanship. Despite being right-handed in everything else he batted left-handed and was a very powerful hitter of the ball. [9] The entertaining Doug Walters made 205 not out for New South Wales against the tourists and 112 in the First Test, but had developed a distaste for fast bowling in South Africa and John Snow took advantage of his cavalier play by feeding him short balls on the off-stump with a pair of gully fielders. [10] Ian Chappell would later say "three bouncers an over should be worth 12 runs to me"., [11] as a result of working on his hook shot after his encounters with John Snow, but he still made 452 runs (37.66) and two fighting centuries in the series. His younger brother Greg would be regarded as the best Australian batsmen for decades, but in this series was limited to leg-side play and could not hope to match his famous maiden Test century in the later games.
As with their batting Australia could muster a strong and varied bowling attack; Garth McKenzie (29.78), Dennis Lillee (23.92), Alan Connolly (29.22), Ashley Mallett (29.84), John Gleeson (36.20) and Terry Jenner (31.20) with all-rounders Doug Walters (29.08), Kerry O'Keeffe (38.20) and Greg Chappell (40.70). Unfortunately, they were seldom given the chance to settle into the team and only Gleeson of the regular bowlers played in five Tests. Garth McKenzie had been Australia's premier fast bowler in the 1960s, but had failed spectacularly in South Africa (averaging 333.00), was struck in the face by a John Snow bouncer at Sydney and retired from Test cricket to play for Ray Illingworth's Leicestershire as a professional. Alan Connolly had been a fast bowler in his youth, but slowed his pace to increase his accuracy and became a reliable support bowler. Alan Thomson – "Froggie" Thomson – was a fast-medium paceman with a "strange, whirlwind, running-through sort of action" in which he loosed the ball while both feet were in the air. He was a non-smoking, non-drinking, physical education teacher whose shaggy red hair make him look like a 'Wild Man of Borneo'. He frequently bounced the England batsmen, took 6/80 against the MCC for Victoria and was called up for the First Test. 'He can't last' predicted Richard Whitington, 'He doesn't even know where he's aiming', and he averaged 54.50 in the Tests. [12] [13] John Gleeson was a mystery bowler who used his bent middle finger to turn the ball either way, but lost control in search of variation and was punished by the England batsmen once they figured out his action. [14] The more orthodox off-spinner Ashley Mallett could turn the ball very sharply and took 28 wickets (19.10) in India in 1969–70. Tom Graveney thought he was the finest Australian off-spinner since the war [15] and he became the spinning arm of Ian Chappell's all-conquering Australians. Historically Australian selectors always preferred a leg-spinner and Kerry O'Keeffe and Terry Jenner vied for the place, but they never quite fulfilled their promise. Doug Walters was a part-time bowler, but his medium-paced "Golden Arm" was capable of breaking any partnership and he deserved to be regarded an all-rounder. [16] Greg Chappell was also seen as an all-rounder in his youth, and continued to bowl throughout his Test career, but mainly to tie up one end while the other bowlers rested. The greatest Australian bowler of the next decade would be Dennis Lillee, but in 1970 he was a raw, undisciplined fast bowler who had yet to reach his full potential.
The Australians have always produced good fielding teams and this was no exception, though Rod Marsh left a lot to be desired. His missed several chances in the first Test and was nicknamed "Iron Gloves" due to his inability to take the ball cleanly. He dropped three catches in the First Test, but held onto four others and would later develop into one of cricket's great wicket-keepers. [17] [18] Keith Stackpole and the Chappell brothers were superb slip-fielders, Ashley Mallett a specialist in the gully and Ian Redpath a remarkable close fielder anywhere.
27 November–2 December 1970 scorecard |
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433 K.R. Stackpole 207 K.D. Walters 112 I.M. Chappell 59 J.A. Snow 6/114 D.L. Underwood 3/101 A.P.E. Knott (wk) 3 Ct | 464 J.A. Edrich 79 B.W. Luckhurst 74 A.P.E. Knott (wk) 73 B.L. d'Oliveira 57 K.D.Walters 3/12 R.W. Marsh (wk) 4 Ct | |
39/1 |
11–16 December 1970 scorecard |
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5 January 1971 scorecard |
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9–14 January 1971 scorecard |
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21–26 January 1971 scorecard |
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493 I.M. Chappell 111 R.W. Marsh (wk) 92 * I.R. Redpath 72 B.M. Lawry (c) 56 K.D. Walters 55 R.G.D. Willis 3/73 | ||
161/0 G. Boycott 76* J.H. Edrich 74* |
29 January–3 February 1971 scorecard |
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328/3 K.R. Stackpole 136 I.M. Chappell 104 |
12–17 February 1971 scorecard |
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Ian Michael Chappell is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. Known as "Chappelli", he is considered as one of the greatest captains the game has seen. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975 before taking a central role in the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation. Born into a cricketing family—his grandfather and brother also captained Australia—Chappell made a hesitant start to international cricket playing as a right-hand middle-order batsman and spin bowler. He found his niche when promoted to bat at number three. Chappell's blunt verbal manner led to a series of confrontations with opposition players and cricket administrators; the issue of sledging first arose during his tenure as captain, and he was a driving force behind the professionalisation of Australian cricket in the 1970s. He was the captain of the Australian squad which finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup.
John Augustine Snow is a retired English international cricketer who played for Sussex from 1961 to 1977 and represented England in 49 Test matches. He was born in Peopleton, Worcestershire.
Gregory Stephen Chappell is a former cricketer who represented Australia at international level in both Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODI). The second of three brothers to play Test cricket, Chappell was the pre-eminent Australian batsman of his time who allied elegant stroke making to fierce concentration. An exceptional all round player who bowled medium pace and, at his retirement, held the world record for the most catches in Test cricket, Chappell's career straddled two eras as the game moved toward a greater level of professionalism after the WSC schism. He was the vice captain of the Australian squad which finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup.
Dennis Keith Lillee, is a retired Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation". Lillee formed a new ball partnership with Jeff Thomson which is recognised as one of the greatest bowling pairs of all time.
William Morris Lawry is an Australian former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Test matches, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971.
Rodney William Marsh was an Australian professional cricketer who played as a wicketkeeper for the Australian national team. He was a part of the Australian squad which finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup.
Ian Ritchie Redpath is an Australian former international cricketer who played in 66 Test matches and five One Day Internationals between 1964 and 1976. Greg Chappell said he was one of only two players he knew who would kill to get into the Australian Test team, the other being Rod Marsh.
Ashley Alexander Mallett was an Australian cricketer who played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and 1980. Until Nathan Lyon, he was Australia's most successful off spin bowler since World War II. He extracted a lot of bounce from his high arm action, coupled with his height. He was a part of the Australian squad which finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup.
Centenary Test refers to two matches of Test cricket played between the English cricket team and the Australian cricket team, the first in 1977 and the second in 1980. These matches were played to mark the 100th anniversaries of the first Test cricket matches played in Australia (1877) and in England (1880) respectively. Neither match was played for The Ashes.
Maxwell George O'Connell was an Australian Test cricket match umpire.
M.J.K. Smith captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1965–66, playing as England in the 1965–66 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour. The 5-Tests series ended in 1–1 draw. Although they failed to reclaim the Ashes this was not unexpected as the Australian press labelled them the weakest MCC team to arrive in Australia and the bookmakers were giving odds of 7/2 on their winning the series. These views rapidly changed as they set about winning their state matches with exciting, aggressive cricket and by the First Test the odds against them had been reduced to evens. Lindsay Hassett said "other teams from England may have been better technically but none had tried so hard to make the game as interesting as possible". Financially the tour's receipts were much lower than in 1962–63 due to the number of rain-affected games in a wet Australian summer and the general doldrums of the sixties.
Ray Illingworth captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1970–71, playing as England in the 1970–71 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour. They had a successful tour; however, it was an acrimonious one, as Illingworth's team often argued with their own management and the Australian umpires. When they arrived, the Australian selector Neil Harvey called them "rubbish", and others labelled them "Dad's Army" because of the seniority of the players, whose average age was over 30, but these experienced veterans beat the younger Australian team. They are the only touring team to play a full Test series in Australia without defeat.
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1972 season to play a five-match Test series against England for the Ashes. The series was drawn 2–2 and England retained the Ashes. This was the last drawn series until 2019. The two sides also played a three-match ODI series, which England won 2–1.
Mike Denness captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1974–75, playing as England in the 1974–75 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour. They lost the Test series and the Ashes 4–1 thanks to the battering they received from the fast bowling of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, but won the One Day International and with Lillee and Thomson injured they came back to win the Sixth Test by an innings.
The 1970–71 Ashes series was the 45th edition of the long-standing cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 27 November 1970, the two sides ended up playing seven Tests; six were originally scheduled, but one extra Test was added to compensate for the abandoned Third Test.
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) toured Australia during the 1970–71 cricket season, playing seven Test matches and what would become officially recognized as the first-ever One Day International (ODI). This was the MCC's 15th visit to Australia since it took official control of English cricket tours overseas in 1903–1904. The MCC was captained by Ray Illingworth, while Australia was captained by Bill Lawry until he was sacked and replaced by Ian Chappell for the seventh Test.
The 1965–66 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of five days with six hours play and eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1965–66 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club. M.J.K. Smith led the England team with the intent on regaining the Ashes lost in the 1958–59 Ashes series, but the series was drawn 1-1 and they were retained by Australia. The Australian team was captained by Bobby Simpson in three Tests, and his vice-captain Brian Booth in two Tests.
The 1965–66 Australians drew 1-1 with the touring England team in the 1965–66 Ashes series. They were strong in batting, but weak in bowling and by the end of the series had seven batsmen, an all-rounder, a wicket-keeper and only two specialist bowlers in the team, with the batsman helping out with their part-time bowling skills.
The 1974–75 Ashes series consisted of six cricket Test matches, each match lasted five days with six hours of play each day and eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1974–75 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Ian Chappell's Australians won the series 4–1 and "brutally and unceremoniously wrenched the Ashes" from Mike Denness's England team. It was Australia's first series victory over England for ten years and the experience proved popular as 777,563 spectators came through the gates and paid nearly a million Australian dollars for the privilege. For the first time the first day of the Third Test at Melbourne was held on Boxing Day in an Ashes series, now a cricketing tradition.
The 1974–75 Australians beat the touring England team 4–1 in the 1974-75 Ashes series. Labelled the Ugly Australians for their hard-nosed cricket, sledging, and hostile fast bowling, they are regarded as one of the toughest teams in cricket history. Don Bradman ranked them just after his powerful teams of the late 1940s, and Tom Graveney third amongst post-war cricket teams after the 1948 Australians and 1984 West Indians. The spearhead of the team was the fast-bowling duo of Dennis Lillee, whose hatred of English batsmen was well known, and Jeff Thomson, who outraged old fashioned cricketers by saying he liked to see "blood on the wicket". Wisden reported that "never in the 98 years of Test cricket have batsmen been so grievously bruised and battered by ferocious, hostile, short-pitched balls". "Behind the batsmen, Rod Marsh and his captain Ian Chappell would vie with each other in profanity", but the predatory wicketkeeper and Australian slip cordon snapped up most chances that came their way. Their batting line up was also impressive with the opener Ian Redpath spending over 32 hours at the crease in the series, followed by Rick McCosker, Ian and Greg Chappell, Doug Walters and Ross Edwards. In the last Test of the series Lillee and Thomson were injured, the out of form England captain Mike Denness made 188 and England won by an innings.
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