In the Australian summer of 1970-71 the only certainties were hot days and heat rash. Less certain was the likelihood of Australia winning the Ashes contest against England.
This was a period of watching Test matches on black and white ABC television with two camera angles and no advertisements. Imagine that, not a single promotion of a renovation or cooking show! The series also featured seven Test matches (one abandoned) with Alan ‘Froggy’ Thompson as one of the Australian fast bowlers.
During the series the first one-day cricket match (40 overs a side) was played. At the time cricket was played with eight-ball overs. Australia were strong favourites, particularly after a shining moment of hope when in an early tour match Victoria beat the visiting England side, the English then referred to as the Marylebone Cricket Club. Further hope had come from South Australia scoring 649 against the tourists, even if Barry Richards, the South African opener playing for that state at the time, contributed an impressive 224.
But England had John Snow. Snow was a ferocious pace bowler with the intent of a serial killer as he charged in. Snow captured 31 wickets at an average of 22.83 in the Tests. Skilled in bowling short, fast balls, during the Sydney Test he’d been cautioned for intimidatory bowling by umpire Lou Rowan.
Australian leg spinner Terry Jenner – later Shane Warne’s coach – ducked into a delivery that felled him. Three English players escorted him from the field as Snow took up his position on the boundary to field. There he was abused and pelted with cans and even meat pies. One spectator grabbed him, dragging him closer to the fence, and appeared to attempt to slap him.
English captain Ray Illingworth then ordered his entire team from the field. It was a dramatic moment that contrasted with a feeling that the series had been dull and tedious, with often slow centuries from English opener Geoff Boycott. Perhaps that slow play explained over 36,000 cans of beer consumed in the first three days of the Brisbane Test.
If our batting survived John Snow, there was the accuracy of Keith Shuttleworth or Peter Lever to contend with, plus their gangly pace bowler Bob Willis. Willis later went on to become one of the few fast bowlers to captain their country.
Australian captain Bill Lawry’s opening partner was Keith Stackpole. On his way to a score of 207 in Brisbane, photographs showed he had been run out for 18. Later in the series Geoff Boycott was given out following a run-out and in disgust hurled his bat to the ground. No-one at that game is likely to forget the volume of booing that greeted Boycott that day.
England won the series 2-0, achieving the rare outcome of Australia not winning a Test in a home series. But in doing so the aggressive bowling of John Snow would open the doors to Australia’s retaliation and in particular Jeff Thomson’s threat: “I enjoy hitting a batsman more than getting him out. I like to see blood on the pitch”.
In the 1974 tour of Australia, as the wickets and injuries piled up in the English team, they may well have pondered the monster they had unleashed in 1970.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
Where there's a will there's a way eh. Me and a few mates did the tangerine trick with a watermelon and a bottle of gin at an ODI in Sydney many years ago. It didn't taste the best but it was still way better than hot, flat over-priced beer in plastic cups you get at the ground. It was also satisfying to put one past the fun police too. Actually, that was the best thing about it really. I've never been a big drinker. Can't stand hangovers so I avoid them like the plague.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
DungerBob, as a kid my father took me to the SA VS Aus Wanderers Test in 1970.. As far as I can recall there was no alcohol allowed inside the stadium.. But some very creative ways were devised getting it in.. One was injecting your Naartjies (tangerines) or oranges with Vodka or cane spirits.. Others were drilling tiny holes in the seam of your colddrink can and replacing the contents with your favorite whiskey.. But the authorities were very strict in SA 1970..still a lot left the ground pretty well oiled.
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
Karma indeed. Is it true we dislike opposition players at times for a number of reasons, the main one being they are successful? I'm thinking Stuart Broad. Or maybe because he didn't walk that time...but I'm getting off topic. When Snow arrived at the fence there were a couple of people also trying to shake his hand and pat him on the back. I think at times captains like their fast bowlers on the boundary so the crowd can fire them up. Not that Snow needed much of that.
DJM
Roar Rookie
And sorry,I made a mistake. It was the 4th test, also played in Sydney, not the last test. Cricinfo says he batted 140 minutes, so he was out 20 minutes after lunch.
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
Ah yes, the hill. I'm sure many miss it. I recall sitting on the grass there watching England playing NSW. England thrived in that match as it was the series against the likes of Lillee and Thomson and without needing to face those two, they batted with confidence. David Lloyd and Mike Denness were amongst the runs. I seem to recall Lloyd being out early but the NSW captain called him back, believing him not out. That alone makes it a different time.
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
That's such an interesting comment because so many people link a significant moment in their lives against a backdrop of a particular test series going on at the time. If I have something to announce to my friends I sometimes save it for during the test match as it seems the right occasion for important matters.
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
You're right to say it's like another planet. I suppose one of the changes that did arrive was the first ever limited overs match, a game Australia won during one of their few moments of joy in that series. It was well received and whilst a novelty back then, of course is one of the mainstays of the game today.
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
That would have been a bit out of character for him! If memory serves, he had the best batting average of either team at the conclusion of the series.
Paul
Roar Guru
Taber was streets ahead as a keeper and in those days, that's what counted,at least to people from NSW, most of whom had never seen Iron Gloves bat.
bigbaz
Roar Guru
Did my medical for the RAAF that day and wandered down to the SCG and into the Snowmobile . Great days indeed.
DJM
Roar Rookie
It was Packer who changed Australia to 6 ball overs - more opportunities for ads on TV.
DJM
Roar Rookie
But strangely, in that last Sydney test, Boycott played quite a dashing innings. Out, caught on the boundary of all things, for 77 not that long after lunch on the first day.
1DER
Guest
Thanks for your insights and memories. It was also a wild one as we travelled on the Empress of Australia to Sydney at the time the southerly hit the SYD to HBT fleet. Sixteen at the time and there were certainly some characters about on the hill. No replays in those days and missed a couple of wickets lining up for drinks. The Aussie pace attack was pretty weak at the time although Graeme McKenzie was my favourite during the 60's. Plenty of memories listening to the radio late at night and early morning hours of test matches against England and South Africa in 60's.
DJM
Roar Rookie
Like a couple of others have said, I was on the Paddo Hill on the day of the Snow Jenner incident. Snow was a horror to the tail because his short balls were normally off cutters, so the ball chased the right handlers. A couple of things that aren’t usually mentioned. The previous couple of overs Snow had only been fielding 3/4 of the way to the boundary. After he hit Jenner he went right out to the fence - certainly seemed to me at the time that he was being deliberately antagonistic. And next day when Jenner resumed his innings the first ball, from Peter Lever I think, nearly took his head off. I have often wondered what would have happened if it hit him. And of course oddly, in the second innings Snow injured himself when his hand got caught in the fence at nearly the same spot. Karma?
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
I was alive but too young to be into sport in 1970, so I don't actually remember the shirt grabbing incident. The first thing I thought of when I read the article was how much times have changed. Steel beer cans at the cricket for one thing. My, my, the good old days eh. I suppose most of the drunken fans jumped into their cars and drove home after the days play as well. Pretty sure we didn't have breathalysers back then so there wouldn't be much to stop them. It was only 50 years ago but seems like another planet.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
If you look at someone sideways the fun police will be all over you like a rash these days.
Paul
Roar Guru
I think the issue with Snow was how many bouncers he bowled at the tail and how soon after a 9,10, or 11 came to the crease. You're right, if a tail-ender hung around, they could expect some short stuff, but the batting in those days from the bottom order wasn't flash.
Paul
Roar Guru
I think there was an attitudinal change which that tour helped push Dave. In the decade or so prior to that, Australia really lacked aggro on the field. Remember our go-to quick in the latter part of the 60's was Garth McKenzie, a great bowler but certainly more gentle giant than gladatorial adversary. We also had relatively meek captains in Simpson & Lawry, certainly nowhere near as aggressive as Chappelli was, but he was only skipper for that last Test. I think the role Illingworth played in that series as an onfield captain can't be understated. He really pushed the boundaries with the umpires and encouraged Snow to do likewise with his bowling. His antics were copied pretty much by Chappell in later series, though I'm sure he didn't need much help to stir the pot.
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
Appreciate your comments Ron. Your interest in the game certainly started at a young age. You are right to say D'Olivera played and when he was out there with John Edrich it was a tough partnership to break. I suspect Thommo has made so many references to hitting batsmen there's probably a few different versions of what he said. At an MCG event a few years ago I remember hearing him refer to it and whilst the words he chose may have varied, there's not much doubt about the intent he had. I still find it incredible to think there were 7 tests scheduled in that series, even though one was washed out.
Paul
Roar Guru
some blokes thought they could throw a half full beer the best part of 100 metres. A bloke in front of us ended up putting his esky on his head and I remember the clang as a can hit it!