Greg Chappell’s debut in December 1970 was the headline of the first Test ever held at the WACA – a draw between Australia and England.
Today will herald the last Ashes Test at the famous ground, before moving to the state of the art Perth Stadium at Burswood, down the road.
Having been privileged to cover those early days, it’s time for a trip down memory lane, starting with the then elegant 22-year-old Chappell.
He had been 12th man in the first Test, but the WACA began a stellar career in the second Test with 108 on debut, with another century in his last innings, and 22 other three figure scores in between.
But the 108 was not only memorable for its elegance and superb strokeplay with 10 boundaries off 218 deliveries, but the absurdity of the ABC.
With Chappell on 96 and ready to join the elite with a Test ton on debut, the ABC switched to a rural report, returning live after Chappell had passed the century mark.
Understandably, there was a meltdown at the ABC switchboards right across the nation as countless thousands complained about Aunty’s stupidity.
(Photo: Wiki Commons)
I could never understand why that action alone didn’t make Sir Donald Bradman more acceptable to Kerry Packer’s bid seven years later to cover the cricket on Channel Nine.
Packer’s offer of a million dollars was knocked back, precipitating World Series Cricket.
Four years later at the WACA, Doug Walters was the centre of attention in another Ashes clash.
It was the last ball of the day, and Walters hoisted England paceman Bob Willis over midwicket and right out of the ground with one of the biggest sixes I’ve ever seen to record a century in a session.
It was vintage Walters, and Steve Smith would dearly like to have a Kevin Douglas Walters now with his dynamic batting, very handy medium pace bowling where he was renowned for breaking long partnerships, and always brilliant in the field.
The third memory was one with a big difference.
In November 1975, Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was sacked by the Governor General Sir John Kerr in one of the biggest political uproars in Australian history.
Exactly one month later to the day I boarded an Ansett flight for Perth for the second Test against the West Indies, captained by Clive Lloyd.
And who am I seated next to? None other than Gough Whitlam for the five-hour journey.
It was one of the most fascinating plane trips of my career, with the former PM keen to talk cricket, while I was keen to find out more about the dismissal.
The WACA scoreboard at the Cricket World Cup. (Photo: Wiki Commons)
In the end, the scoreline was heavily in Gough Whitlam’s favour, he gave away nothing while I went through both teams with a fine tooth comb.
The only time one of us wasn’t talking, we were eating.
That Test was won by an innings and 87 runs inside four days by the Windies with the launching pad a magnificent 169 from left-handed opener Roy Fredericks, a truly superb innings.
That was the only Test in six the Windies won in that series, but it was during my interview with Clive Lloyd at game’s end that a prediction he made was soon to resonate around the world.
“Lordy, we won’t win this series, but I promise you that within 12 to 18 months, we will not lose a Test for years,” was the prediction.
“And how will you do that?”
“We haven’t the strike power yet, but we will have four genuinely fast bowlers who will terrorise the best batsmen in the world – we will blast away our opposition”.
True to his word, Clive Lloyd’s teams never lost a Test in 27 starts, winning a then record 11 successive Tests in the process.
Just look the firepower he produced over the years – Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel, Colin Croft, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh, Patrick Patterson, Curtley Ambrose, and Ian Bishop.
There’s never been a constant barrage like it.
So the WACA has standout memories for me right from the start.
I’d like to see Steve Smith’s side regain the Ashes over the next five days to fittingly draw the curtain on the WACA.
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