In 1969-70, the Australian cricketers embarked on a revolutionary tour to India and South Africa. Not since the 1956 tourists to England returned – on the way home – to play in both Pakistan and India, had Australian players been required to play major series’ on two vastly different continents in terms of conditions and culture.
Surprisingly, the ACB only allocated fifteen positions for the tour party when sixteen or seventeen might have been preferable.
However, with a fourteen man B team touring NZ in early 1970, fifteen it was.
The team was as follows:
Batsmen: Bill Lawry(c-V), Ian Chappell(vc-SA), Keith Stackpole(V), Ian Redpath(V), Doug Walters(NSW), Paul Sheahan(V), Jock Irvine(WA).
Keepers: Brian Taber(NSW), Ray Jordan(V).
Pacemen: Graham McKenzie(WA), Alan Connolly(V), Eric Freeman(SA), Laurie Mayne(WA).
Spinners: John Gleeson(NSW), Ashley Mallett(SA).
The Aussies despatched India 3-1 in five gruelling tests. The players struggled against riots, dietary problems, umpiring debacles, heat, conditions and culture.
Chappell topped the batting averages with over 46. Stackpole and Walters also reached the 40’s. In the bowling, Mallett led the way with 28 wickets, Mckenzie 21 and Connolly 17.
Among the best Indians were F.Engineer (k), A.Mankad, A.Wadekar (vc), G.Viswanath, Nawab of Pataudi (c), A.Roy, E.Solkar, S.Venkataraghaven, E.Prasanna, B.Bedi, S.Guha, M.Amarnath (12th man).
The Australians arrived in South Africa with the series billed “The World Championship” as Australia held the Ashes, and had beaten the previous best, the West Indies. South Africa had beaten Australia in 1966-67.
The Aussie players arrived from India weary, but looking forward to playing in a country with similar conditions and culture to their own. However, the Indian leg of the tour had debilitated the Aussies more than anyone could have appreciated.
In the series against South Africa, they were smashed 0-4 by a red-hot opposition. Key Aussies completely lost form. The best batsman in India – Chappell – averaged just 11.50 runs per wicket. The best paceman – McKenzie – totally disintegrated with one wicket in three Tests for 333 runs!
Redpath was the only batsman to average over 40, with Walters the next best with 32. Connolly (20) and Gleeson (19) were the leading wicket-takers. Surprisingly, Mallett was given only one Test in which he took six wickets.
The South Africans stood at the heady summit of world cricket in 1970, only to plunge into the abyss of miserable isolation until 1992.
What a team that 1970 combo was:
Barry Richards, Trevor Goddard, Ali Bacher (c), Graeme Pollock, Eddie Barlow (vc), Lee Irvine, Denis Lindsay (k), Tiger Lance, Mike Procter, Peter Pollock, John Traicos, Pat Trimborn (12th man).
Procter batting at number nine – ridiculous! They had batting depth down to Peter Pollock at number ten.
Lone spinner Traicos was joined in the bowling attack by five pacemen of various speed and persuasion – Procter, P.Pollock, Goddard, Barlow & Lance.
It was definitely one of the best XIs in the history of the game. The only weakness being the lack of a top-line spinner.
While the Aussies were being belted in SA, the ACB selected a fourteen man B team squad to tour New Zealand. It was:
Batsmen: Sam Trimble(c-Q), Geoff Davies(vc-NSW), Derek Chadwick(WA), John Inverarity(WA), Greg Chappell(SA), Geoff Watson(V), Tony Steele(NSW), Alan Turner(NSW).
Keeper: John Maclean(Q) – just pipping Rod Marsh(WA).
Pacemen: Dave Renneberg(NSW), Alan Thomson(V), Dennis Lillee(WA).
Spinners: Terry Jenner(SA), Kerry O’Keeffe(NSW).
In the summer of 1970-71, Australia’s misery continued as they lost the Ashes to England.
But from that B team to New Zealand – G.Chappell, D.Lillee, A.Thomson, T.Jenner and K.O’Keeffe made their official test debuts along with R.Marsh, who leap-frogged over both Maclean and Taber.
A new and exciting dawn of Australian cricket was about to emerge.
sheek
Guest
There is a wonderful interview with Ali Bacher from a few years back in 'wisdencricketer.co.za', in which the opening paragraph captures perfectly both the triumph & tragedy of SA cricket in 1970 & thereafter. "You never conquer a mountain. You stand on the summit for a few minutes, then the wind blows your footsteps away." - Arlene Blum, US female mountaineer & veteran Himalayas climber.
Dave Stephen
Guest
Just an interesting story but just after that Aussie tour Johnnie Gleeson was allowed to play a game of premier league cricket in Port Elizabeth. The game was between Uitenhage (an average side of which I was the captain) and Old Grey who were the National club champions, they included both Pollocks, Chris Wilkins and several other top players. In that game Graeme scored 150 and I think Old grey topped 400, I can say for certain that Johnny Gleeson was happy to get out of there fast.
Jason Cave
Guest
In the book ESPN's Legends of Cricket, South African wicketkeeper Denis Lindsay said the hour-long partnership between Graeme Pollock and Barry Richards in the 2nd Test was the 'greatest hour in South African cricket history'. Two of the best batsmen in the long and proud history of South African cricket went stroke for stroke, run for run. Richards made 140, Pollock 274. The Australian bowling attack was helpless against the Springbok bombardment: Gleeson 3-160, McKenzie, 0-92, Freeman 2-120, Walters 0-44, Stackpole 2-75, Connolly 2-104. South Africa ended up victorious by an innings and 129 runs.
Brendan
Guest
Sheek Thanks for an interesting article. Regards, Brendan
sheek
Guest
Stan, Graeme Pollock made his 1st class debut in 1961 at age 17! He retired from 1st class cricket in 1987 after playing against the Australian Rebels at age 43! The Aussies couldn't believe how good Pollock was - still - despite passing 40. Pollock played 5 of the 7 Rebel 'tests' against Kim Hughes' men (missing 2 to injury). He scored 490 runs at an even 70 including 2 centuries. He was by far the best batsman on either team. At a gala farewell dinner in 1987, a telegram from Sir Donald Bradman was read out, declaring Pollock the "best left-handed batsman in the history of the game". The comment didn't receive huge press in Australia, due to the strong anti-apartheid feeling towards the SA government at the time. Back to the 1970 series, & Pollock's place as the best batsman in SA was being threatened by the young pup, Barry Richards (although Richards was only 18 months younger). In the 2nd test, Richards hit 94 before lunch (only 3 or 4 batsman have hit a century before lunch in tests). Richards reckons if he knew this would be his only test series, he would have gone for it. Anyway, Pollock came to the crease in the last over before lunch, following the dismissal of Bacher. After lunch, Pollock & Richards hit a century partnership of 103 in just on 60 minutes (an hour). Despite blazing to 140 before getting out, Pollock just shaded Richards in run-scoring during their partnership. Pollock had just passed 50 when Richards was out. Pollock went on to score 274, & Sa 9-622 declared. I have no hesitation in suggesting that both Pollock & Richards are among the best 12 batsman to ever play the game. By the mid-70s, SA would have still had a strong team, although not quite as strong as 1970, but it's a marginal call. Barlow would have assumed the captaincy, & Richards, Pollock, Procter & Irvine from 1970 would still have been around. Hylton Ackerman, who played for the Rest of the World in Australia in 1971-72 would probably have been one of the batsman. Clive Rice would have been another all-rounder to compliment Procter & Barlow & Vince van der Bijl was a white Joel Garner type (in height, size, style & ability) who broke all of the all-time SA domestic bowling records. Blond haired Rupert Hanley was the fastest bowler in SA in the mid-70s. Rounding out the team probably would have been keeper-batsman Tony Smith & leggie Denys Hobson or slow left-armer Peter de Vaal. John Traicos is indeed the same player who appeared firstly for SA in 1970, when representing Rhodesia, & then for Zimbabwe in 1992-93. He was 23 in 1970, & still going around at 45 in 1992.
Stan Morris
Guest
Tony Greig reminds Bill Lawry of this series every summer! G Pollock must have been an incredible batsman, I think his average is 60 something and is second only to the Don. A pity int cricket were robed of this golden generation of SA cricketers. I often wonder how they would have gone against the great Windies and Australian teams of the 70's. Is that the same John Traicos who many years later played for Zimbabwe?
sheek
Guest
Tony, Sorry, it was Graeme Watson. Watson was selected for the SA tour in 1966-67 as Walters' replacement, who was doing national service. Like Walters, Watson was a batting allrounder in his early days, also bowling lively medium fast pace. The captain of the B team in 1970 - Trimble - was a longtime servant of Qld cricket. He toured the Windies in 1965 without playing a test. Vice-captain Davies also toured NZ in 1967, & was 12th man in a test in 1968-69, without ever making the final XI. Apart from Watson, the other two players in the 1970 B team who had played in tests were Inverarity & Rennebeg. Both Watson & Inverarity again made the 1972 Ashes touring team, each playing a couple of tests. As mentioned, G.Chappell, Lillee, A.Thomson, Jenner & O'Keeffe all made their official test debuts the next summer (1970-71). The final two players to reach test status were Turner, in 1975 & Maclean, in 1978 (during WSC). Chadwick & Steele never achieved anything higher than this B team selection.
Tony from Northbridge
Guest
Sheek, Was it Geoff Watson, or Graeme Watson, from Victoria in the B team?