My favourite SCG Tests: Part 1

I have not missed watching a single Sydney Test from 1970 onwards. Here are a few of my favourite SCG Tests.

The first one is for sentimental reason, being my first Test on the SCG turf; all the previous Tests I had attended were at Brabourne Stadium in Bombay. It was also one of the most controversial.

The second one is selected for topicality, as it was for the Frank Worrell Trophy and there were a number of records broken – especially by West Indies great Brian Lara, in January 1993.

Part 2 will recall three more of my SCG favourites: Steve Waugh stopping the nation with a century off the last ball of the day in January 2003, the Peter ‘Who’ classic of January 1987, and Stuart MacGill’s magic of January 1999.

No rain, more Snow (February 1971)
This was the seventh and final Test in the longest rubber in Test history. England won by 62 runs after many dramas and traumas.

There was throwing of beer bottles at England’s fielders, a brief walk-out by England’s captain, and bouncers galore by a “piranha” named Snow.

There was drama even before the Test commenced, as the Australian selectors dumped Bill Lawry and handed the captaincy to Ian Chappell.

Not to forget the crowd disturbance after England fast bowler John Snow’s bouncer hit Australian tail-ender Terry Jenner on the head after pelting him with short-pitched bumpers.

Outraged, the hill crowd hurled beer cans and one irate spectator manhandled Snow. This prompted England’s captain Ray Illingworth to lead his team off the field, the first ‘walk off’ in Test history and 35 years before the ‘walk over’ by Pakistan in the 2006 Oval Test.

But the England players returned soon when the field was cleared of the missiles, and the controversial Test continued.

Set 223 runs to win, Australia collapsed for 160 to lose the Test and the Ashes 0-2.

Snow captured 31 wickets in the series, including a menacing 7-40 in the previous Sydney Test a month ago. He was “like a piranha among perch”, to quote Ray Robinson.

This led to a newspaper headline on the eve of the final day: “Bleak forecast. No rain, more Snow”.

When the Lara legend was born (January 1993)
The current West Indies team are crying out for a Brian Lara right now.

Lara’s first Test hundred, which turned into a double century (277), was one of the best innings I have watched on the SCG. It was sublime.

His masterpiece lasted 474 glorious minutes and featured 38 exquisite fours off 372 deliveries, as he top-scored in the series.

It was then the second-highest score by a visiting batsman in Australia, the third-highest against Australia, the fourth-highest in Australia and the fourth-highest maiden Test knock.

It was a high-scoring Test overall, producing the highest average runs per wicket (64.5) for any Test in Australia, and was then the sixth instance of both Test teams scoring more than 500 runs in the first innings.

Australia declared at 9 for 503, with Steve Waugh hitting 100.

The Windies lost 2 for 31 but skipper Richie Richardson (109) and Lara added 293 runs for the third wicket. Then with Lara and Keith Arthurton (47) putting on 124 for the fourth wicket, the tourists totalled 606 to lead by 103 runs.

But once ‘The Prince of Port of Spain’ was run out for 277, the interest faded and the match ended in a draw.

Still, those lucky to have seen his masterpiece will never forget Lara’s dazzling array of shots.