Australian batting legends Greg Chappell and Doug Walters set the foundations for England’s miseries at the WACA.
Chappell scored his maiden Test ton on debut in the first Ashes Test ever played in Perth in 1970, and Walters picked a Bob Willis delivery off his eyebrows off the last ball of the day to post a century in a session in the second Ashes Test at the WACA.
All up there have been 11 Ashes Tests at that magnificent ground. Australia’s won seven, three have been drawn, and England’s won just one, in 1978 by 166 runs.
Hardly the venue for Alastair Cook’s troops, down two-zip, to avoid another loss and save the Ashes.
As it happened:
1970 – drawn
Greg Chappell scored the first of his 24 Test tons on debut, but ABC radio stuffed it up big time.
When Chappell was in his late 90s, ‘Aunty’ switched to a rural report and didn’t return until Chappell had passed his 100. ABC switchboards around the country were in meltdown as thousands of irate listeners vented their anger.
There was no man-of-the-match award, but Chappell would have been a special.
1974 – Australia by nine wickets
Walters’ massive six right out of the ground off the very last ball of the day gave him a century in a session.
Again, no man-of-the-match award but Walters and Jeff Thomson, with 2-45 and 5-93, would have been leading contenders.
1978 – England by 166 runs
England’s only success in the west, by 166 rubs, but even then Australian paceman Rodney Hogg won the first man-of-the-match award with 5-65 and 5-57.
1982 – drawn
Derek Randall man-of-the-match with 78 and 115.
1986 – drawn
Chris Broad, father of Stuart, man-of-the-match with 162.
Then the rot really set in.
1991 – Australia by nine wickets
Current Australian bowling coach Craig McDermott man-of-the-match with 8-97 and 3-60.
1995 – Australia by 329
Steve Waugh man-of-the-match with an unbeaten 99, and 80.
1998 – Australia by seven wickets
Damien Fleming man-of-the-match with 5-46 and 4-45.
2002 – Australian by an innings and 48
Damien Martyn man-of-the-match with 71.
2006 – Australia by 206
Mike Hussey man-of-the-match with 74 not out, and 103, his maiden Test ton, the first of 19.
2010 – Australia by 267
Mitchell Johnson man-of-the-match with 6-38, 3-44, and 62.
That paints a pretty gloomy picture for the tourists, looking down the barrel of losing the Ashes in the quickest possible time.
And just when Australian skipper Michael Clarke is celebrating his 100th Test.
In short, England has nothing going for them, let’s see how much pride and passion they can dig up over the next five days.
In the recent Ashes series in England, the Australian scoreboard read 89 wickets lost for 2,737 – England 85-2,856.
Australia averaged 30.75 a wicket, England 33.6 to win 3-0.
In this series, Australia hass lost 29 wickets for 1,398, England 40-799.
Australia averaging a whopping 48.21 a wicket, England 19.97 – Australia leading 2-0.
So who do we salute for the astonishing improvement?
Th selectors for a stable side, the on-field executive of Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin for the leadership, Darren Lehmann as coach, or the players for restoring prude and passion in the baggy green cap?
My bet is ‘Boof’.
He answers all the questions, He’s a selector, he is the confidant of the leadership group and tactical advisor, he’s the head coach, and nobody had more pride and passion playing for Australia than he had during his career, and it’s rubbing off.
Time will prove, if it hasn’t already, that Lehmann is the saviour of Australian cricket.
The WACA will be the final proof, and the final nail in England’s coffin.
After Rajasthan opener Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a boundary off the first ball, the Punjab player got revenge a few balls later - and ultimately…
"No cricketer that has ever lived hit the ball so often, so fast and with such a bewildering variety of strokes.” - HS Altham…
Featuring Aussie cricket star Usman Khawaja and taking inspiration from multiple horror films, Amazon Prime's promo for the 2024 T20 World Cup has certainly…
After a career that has spanned more than two decades, James Anderson leaves cricket as a legend of the game, up there with the…
Calvin Harrison mixed things up in his delivery stride starting behind the-non-striker, then going between the umpire and the stumps to deliver the ball…
Backing up too far, the Dehli Capitals batsman was caught out of his crease when Shai Hope hit the ball to the bowler who…
