They may not be a dead force as some have claimed. We may muse over the best method to restore the greatness, or indeed embrace the changing of the guard and welcome a new hegemony. But we must remember one of the greatest sporting reigns of all time.
Indeed, we must reflect on this time as many of us have known no other thing than Australia ruling the cricketing world.
The beginning of the reign of Australia coincided with the career 299th Test cricketer of Australia, a young man called Allan Border. Debuting in 1978 at the MCG against England in the Ashes was a bittersweet moment, not only for the lad from Cremorne, but for Australia in general.
It had only been a year earlier that the World Series Cricket breakaway controversies had occurred – which had resulted in many players being banned from Test cricket.
It was the ambition of Packer and his under-performing Channel Nine (at the time, cricket was televised by the ABC) that would ultimately revolutionize the game as we know it.
Numerous elite Australian players, including the Chappell brothers, Rod Marsh, and Australia’s two most potent attacking weapons of all time – Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson – signed with WSC.
The ACB would eventually be joined by the ECB and ICC in condemning the WSC, which would lead to the matches being denied official status, banned from using cricket’s official laws, as well as being shut out of traditional cricket venues.
This would leave the Baggy Green fragile and unprepared for the ensuing 1978/79 Ashes series.
Australia and Border won the Melbourne Test after losing in Brisbane and Perth. However, two more losses would ensure that Australia not only lost the Ashes, but that Border would be dropped for the sixth Test of the series.
He came back into the team against Pakistan and hit his maiden Test century.
After his dismissal in the match, Australia collapsed (losing 7/5) and lost the first Test. In the second Test in Perth, he made a swashbuckling 85 and 66 to square the series.
Border finished his second Test series as the best batsmen of either country, boasting 276 runs at 92.
A poor tour to India followed, where Australia failed to win a match in three months with six Tests.
The home team containing Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev proved a bridge too far for the Baggy Greens, bereft of their elite players.
No Indian player had signed with the WSC breakaway – and as a consequence were at full strength.
However, Australia’s first choice players absence due to the WSC gave Border the start he required to his Test career. He passed 1,000 test runs in 354 days, the fastest by an Australian, and made more Test runs in his first year (1,070) than any other cricketer before him.
With Border’s rise, and the presence of cricketers such as Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson and Rod Marsh returning from the WSC, Australia competed again, but struggled for a foothold of domination in the cricketing world.
The “truce” between Packer and the ACB was formally announced on the 30th of May 1979.
They did defeat England 3-0 in the three Test series in 1979/80.
However, this was part of the settlement of the “ending” of the WSC dispute, and as a consequence, these matches were technically not official and the Ashes were not at stake.
Nevertheless, they could not defeat the Calypso kings, suffering two heavy defeats at home to the West Indies.
A series loss to Pakistan, followed by home series’ against New Zealand (won) and India (drawn) would precede another Ashes loss in 1981, which was Border’s first contest of the famous urn.
Despite winning the first test at Nottingham, Australia would lose the third, fourth and fifth Test, and the series.
Regardless of a strong Australian team, it would be widely seen as a failure, with only Border coming through with his reputation enhanced, inducing Sir Leonard Hutton to pronounce him the best left hand batsman in the world.
Two drawn series’ against the West Indies and New Zealand in 1981/82 were followed by a heavy 3-0 series loss in Pakistan, which confirmed the Australians as an inferior side away from home.
However, the end of a sound if not spectacular period for Australian cricket was capped by a 2-1 Ashes triumph at home in 1982/83.
It would only eventuate to be the single reign for the Australians, a blip in a ten year period of domination for the English.
This would spur them to defeat Sri Lanka at Kandy before accounting for Pakistan in a five Test series on Australian soil. It was at this time that Australia lost Rod Marsh, Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell – the Baggy Greens’ leading Test wicket taker, keeper and run scorer of all time.
Australia then travelled to the West Indies, and without these legends were spanked 3-0 in the five Test series.
On the return series in Australia, the premier side in world cricket continued their domination of Australia, winning the first two Tests of the three match series. It would be a sequence of defeats that read 10 wickets, innings and 36 runs, 10 wickets, innings and 112 runs, and 8 wickets.
It would be in November of 1984 that Australian captain Kim Hughes broke down in tears at the end of the second Test, and he would resign his captaincy in Brisbane.
With what some regarded as reluctance, Allan Border accepted the captaincy.
Australia would lose the following test – but under Border would regain some face with a draw, followed by a strong win in Sydney.
It was the first time since 1981 that Australia had defeated the West Indies.
westy
Guest
James i feel compelled here to submit that the current Australian cricketing public seem to be somewhat unforgiving of ponting. In you future articles if space permits it may be pertinent to remind people of his extraordinary batting record. It is difficult to overcome some bias that he is basically second to Bradman. Whatever one may say about his tactical captaincy I had one prat on radio question whether Ponting would have come into bat in similar circumstances to Smith. I find it sad that one of our greatest and most courageous batsman would have this even raised.It is difficult to establish in many current cricket followers just how good Ponting's batting really is
James Mortimer
Guest
Sheek, I think that is the fascinating point in reflecting on the last three decades is that without such turmoil from the WSC or the rebel tours that Australian cricket could have been challenging the West Indies alot earlier. It is internal rumblings that always cause the upset of balance or ability to maintain or begin supremacy. Even now, it is Australia's lack of ability to make sharp and painful decisions off the field which I feel is contributing to their decline. Sometimes the simplest decision can be made which can have shocking reverberations around a team. I think one of the great issues now is the selectors in ability not only to make the bold decisions, but to identify early the talent moving through the system - a system that is not being used to it's full potential. In this, I feel that the biggest problem is that 1) underperforming players are not being "demoted" to try and regain form or match fitness and mindset 2) but that Australian Test players themselves are now rarely seen playing amongst the state ranks. Away from cricket, one of New Zealand rugbys great power has been (not so much recently, but it did happen in 2008) the strength of their domestic system, but the willingness of national coaches and selectors to put All Blacks back into their provincial ranks. The strength of the top teams in the world is never based on the side itself, but rather it's system, coaches, and the decision makers. And Westy, you make a comment about not truly appreciating the greatness of Border. This article (part 1 of 3) focuses so heaviliy on him because he was a glue in the side unlike any other man in any other team or sport I can think of. I often thought it was through his own sheer bloody mindedness that made Australia the power that they became, and I am sure that players such as Taylor and Waugh became who they are, from being groomed by the great man. But equally, as you make the point about how few series were won in India or Pakistan - as well as the Windies going for close to 15 years without technically losing a series - that in the era that Australia was building towards the finest hour, that the world was blessed with many fine fine players, of legendary qualities. There are good players going around now, but no Greenidges, Gavaskars, Viv Richards, Kapil Devs, Richard Hadlees, Akrams, Younis's, Marshall's, and so on. Compare our current World XI with a world XI of the seventies and eighties, and the latter would contain some of the greatest players the world has ever seen - whereas now, there are some good players, but hardly any legendary ones.
westy
Guest
James oh we of short memory. Sam Gannon opening the bowling, who can forget Watkins bowling those wides in Sydney. Yallop probably the worst player against genuine pace pace ever to play for Australia , No backlift Cosier Froggy thompson opening the bowling you have no idea how terrible we were. It is to the shame of many that they do not truly appreciate the greatness of Border. God how many times did he have to come in to fight a rear guard action that often started from the openers onwards. Wood and Darling an even money bet as to who would run each other out first. Ray Bright Benaud said he saw him spin it once. Just the once.We are very quick to judge our current crop of spinners. Do we really comprehend how good Warne and MacGill were and sadly how they had the misfortune of parallel careers. Do we really appreciate how few series we ever won in India or Pakistan even with strong teams. Bill Lawry and then a very long wait until Taylor. . As James alludes the past decade has been unusual for Australian cricket.
sheek
Guest
James, Australia's inconsistent results from the late 70s to early 80s (when they still had a formidable team on paper) were in part attributed to remaining residual resentment from the ACB-WSC split. Many of the key players were part of WSC, while many of the ACB members from that time also remained. The WSC dominated test team also resented having Hughes hoisted on them as vice-captain, when many felt Rod Marsh deserved the honour. Further, Greg Chappell started being picky about which tours he went on, which didn't help stability. He went to England in 1980, but not 81 or 83 (WC). He went to Pakistan in 1980, but not 82. An unhappy team will display inconsistent results, & that's what happened. I think the people running Australian cricket from the early 70s to late 80s were an ordinary bunch, who were responsible for a lot of bad blood between themselves & the players. Firstly, there was the ruckus with WSC. The players jumped in droves because the ACB failed to appreciate the greater financial strain brought about by more tests & more tours in the 70s, the revenue from which didn't flow onto the players. Then there was the ruckus with the Rebel tours of South Africa. Again, the ACB failed to appreciate the financial strain on players caused by the heavy international workload. In the latter case, Kerry packer went from whore to pimp. The money he paid under the table to Graeme Wood, Wayne Phillips, Dirk Wellham & Murray Bennett stopped those 4 players from joining the Rebel tour. The ACB's behaviour towards Kepler Wessels was also disgraceful, forcing him to return home to SA. Australia had plenty of fine cricketers from 1977 to 1988, but the internal rumblings prevented us from putting our best team on the field, & in a clear frame of mind. We wouldn't have toppled the Windies, who were ahead of everyone else, but we could have expected better results against all other comers. Anyway, it's history now.