The triumph of the Australian team was mainly due to its aggressive captain
Alan Davidson had previously underperformed against England, but now realised their full potential. Benaud took 31 wickets (18.83), the most by an Australian in an Ashes series since Monty Noble in 1901–02
The First Test was, I honestly think, the dullest and most depressing I have ever watched...Even at this range of time one finds the gorge rising at the recollection of a piece of cricket for which there was no tactical or technical justification whatever. Did England think the pitch was going to go? Did they hope to bat out a draw? The answer is that the pitch at the end was perfect, and Australia's eight wicket win was gained with a day and a bit to spare.
Compared to the Fifth Test against New Zealand at the Kennington Oval in 1958
Queensland against the MCC and had swung the ball prodigiously. After vice-captain Neil Harvey captained an Australian XI to a 345 run defeat against the MCC the selectors made the surprise choice of Richie Benaud as Australian captain.[3] He had just succeeded Craig as the captain of New South Wales, but had yet to lead his state. There was a thunderstorm before the match which precluded net practise and the air was heavy, which made the loss of Trueman's swing bowling all the more meaningful.[4]
England first innings
Four years before
Alan Davidson (3/36) and England were 16/2. Tom Graveney (19) was beaten several times by Davidson and was dropped by Norm O'Neill, who then damaged a finger fielding and was sent to hospital for x-rays. He added 46 with May (28) before wicket-keeperWally Grout snapped them both up. Cowdrey (13) fell a great catch by Lindsay Kline and Godfrey Evans to another by Peter Burge. Benaud had made his new ball bowlers stay on for over an hour in their opening spell, and called them back for more until they were exhausted. He had been bowling to give them a rest, but now started on the long England tail. "The Boil" Trevor Bailey (Bailey was pronounced "Boiley" by the Australians) took two hours to make 27 in his own dull way, but hit a couple of boundaries after seeing Jim Laker do so. Davidson had to leave the field exhausted and Benaud (3/46) had Bailey stumped to end the innings for 134.[10][11]
Australia first innings
There was only time for two overs before stumps and
Alan Davidson (25), last man out to Laker.[12][13]
England second innings
Even
scorer George Duckworth, "Today or yesterday?" was the reply.[15] Just before stumps Bailey suddenly rushed down the pitch to take a swipe at Mackay, missed and was bowled for 68. It was a strangely reckless end as a few more minutes would have allowed Peter May the use of the heavy roller in the morning to break up the wicket for his bowlers. Bailey had batted for 458 minutes and scored from only 40 of the 427 balls he faced.[14] Only 106 runs were made in a full day's play, the lowest in an Ashes Test.[16][17]
Australia second innings
Coming back on the fifth and penultimate day Australia needed 146 runs to win and did so in style thanks to Norm O'Neill. The spinners Jim Laker and Tony Lock were brought on early as May's only hope was that the pitch would take spin, but few balls turned and he maintained his defensive field placings. Laker had McDonald out for 15, and Lock dismissed Harvey for 23. Jim Burke looked uncomfortable and dug himself in while O'Neill started to hit the ball and ran for singles when other batsmen in the match were content to stand still. He rattled up 71 not out in under two hours and hooked Loader for his seventh boundary for the winning runs, Burke having spent over four hours making 28 not out, even slower than Bailey.[14][18]
Result
Sir Donald Bradman who retorted "And what of the action of the England bowlers Tony Lock and Peter Loader?" and that they should "first of all put their own house in order".[21] It was an inauspicious start to the brighter cricket May had promised, which was needed to revive the fortunes of Australian cricket that was being ignored by its youth. "The Future of Australian Cricket at Stake...the average young Australian is inclined to spend most of his weekends under water...and caring for his lady-friend. There are many other things to do in the sunshine than play cricket".[22]
The events of the Melbourne Test at the New Year would have tested the philosophical detachment of any cricket writer, of whatever school. I'm glad to see in my preview before the game I noted that the increase in doubtful actions had been the most remarkable aspect of Australian cricket on the tour, and I named three suspects—Meckiff, Slater and Burke. I said that both Slater and Burke had been no-balled, once in each case, for throwing, and that I hoped the Australian umpires would do their unpleasant duty if the 'be not entirely satisfied', as the Law ordains. Vain Hope!
The loss of the First Test was not the end of the series and
Western Australia in the first match of the tour and could bowl both fast-medium and off-spin. In the end he was twelfth man instead of the talented batsman Bobby Simpson, who made his Ashes debut.[24]
England first innings
The wicket was greener than usual for the
Willie Watson undone by a yorker on his fourth ball and Tom Graveney for a golden duck by a brute of a ball that swung viciously and caught him leg before wicket. Peter May came in at 7/3 to survive the hat-trick and rebuild the innings, bringing up his first runs with a magnificent drive off Meckiff. Davidson bowled neatly and made the ball move, but "Meckiff used the whole bowling crease, delivering balls from near the stumps and as wide as possible to the return crease"[25] and could find no swing. Fortunately for EnglandTrevor Bailey was full of confidence and hit 6 fours in two and a half hours on his way to 48. Ken Mackay replaced Meckiff and almost had May caught in the slips, and Richie Benaud who replaced him missed a caught and bowled with his first delivery, but Davidson was kept on until lunch, when he was exhausted. They returned after lunch and the crowd saw the unprecedented sight of "The Boil" hitting Benaud for successive boundaries, but he was caught by the Australian captain off a slower ball from Meckiff, who had finally replaced Davidson and England were 92/4. Colin Cowdrey came in low at number 6 and stuck in for another do or die partnership with May, both playing disciplined innings with classical strokes. With Neil Harvey and Norm O'Neill dominating the covers runs were hard to come by and they ended the day on 173/4. Benaud delayed asking for the new ball as his fast bowlers were tired and May and Cowdrey attacked the slow bowling, particularly that of Lindsay Kline. The captain reached his century by pulling Kline to the mid-wicket boundary and hitting the next ball with such power that Mackay, 50 yards away, did not have time to move before it flew past him for another four. It was the first Test hundred by an English captain in Australia since Archie MacLaren made 116 in the First Test at Sydney in 1901–02. The new ball was now taken with England 206/4 and Davidson and Meckiff returned to the attack, Meckiff (3/69) bowling May for 113 with an extra fast delivery that swung in and crashed into his stumps. Meckiff reckoned this to be the best ball he ever bowled[26] "the sun was shining, and May was batting beautifully at the time. Yet he explained it later that he had completed lost the ball from the instant it left the hand".[27]Godfrey Evans (4) could not cope with Meckiff's pace and Cowdrey (44) was caught by Grout off Davidson and England collapsed to 218/7. Jim Laker (dropped off his first ball) stayed in for over an hour making 22 not out, but Davidson bowled Brian Statham and Peter Loader and they were all out for 259.[28][29]
Australia first innings
Despite the
Alan Davidson (25) pulled the score to 282/6 by the end of the day, but Statham (7/57) had them out in the morning, then cleaned up tail for 308. He became only the sixth England bowler to take seven wickets in a Test innings in Australia after Tom Richardson (8/94), George Lohmann (8/35 and 8/58), Wilfred Rhodes (7/56 and 8/68), Doug Wright (7/105) and Frank Tyson (7/27). Once again Neil Harvey had scored over half the innings for Australia, but they were only 49 runs ahead.[31][32]
England second innings
I never saw anything so blatant as
Sunday Times
, thought Meckiff should have been called... England had a grievance, without a doubt.
The 49 run deficit was thought to be counterbalanced by the runs
"The Claw" at short-fine-leg. Peter May joined Trevor Bailey, who was back to his usual stone-walling self and had stayed in for an almost an hour for 14 when he was finely caught by Jim Burke, also at short-fine leg, off a brute of a ball from Meckiff that rose high and hit his glove and bat-handle. Meckiff was bowling with far more accuracy than normal, but retained his fast pace and both he and Davidson bowled left-arm over the wicket, an unusual type of delivery that unsettled the England team. Benaud had also set a short-fine-leg with a short-leg behind him to catch the rising ball as the batsmen fended it off their body. Colin Cowdrey stayed in for 19 minutes before he played at a ball slanting wide across him and was caught by Wally Grout. Godfrey Evans went for a run which wasn't there and cracked his finger as his flung himself at the crease trying to make his ground. May, who had played a typically self-denying innings of 17 in 98 minutes when he was caught by Davidson off Meckiff, again the ball was angled awkwardly across his body. Now there was only the tail to dismiss and they fell quickly; Tony Lock caught and bowled by Davidson, Jim Laker caught by in the slips by Harvey off Davidson and Peter Loader bowled by Meckiff for a duck to leave England 87 all out. Ian Meckiff (6/38) took the best Test figures of his career, backed up by superlative catching from the Australian fielders and Davidson's 3/41.[33][34]
Australia second innings
Australia needed 42 to win and were 9/1 at stumps, with Colin McDonald lbw to Brian Statham (1/11). After the rest day nightwatchmanWally Grout was stumped by Evans off Jim Laker (1/7) despite the wicketkeeper's broken finger, but this was inadequate consolation for the easy Australian win as they made the 42/2 required.[35]
Result
Australian Board of Control and had the support of his captain Richie Benaud. With no other game coming between the two Tests the teams proceeded to Sydney for the Third Test.[36][37]
. Bailey had a word with Benaud, no doubt asking him not to move when the bowler was running up to bowl. I thought he was so close that if Bailey had put his bat out to swing at a ball he would have hit him.
Willie Watson was dropped in favour of the newly arrived Cambridge and Sussex batsman Ted Dexter, who was also a more than useful swing bowler. May also had his final trump card, the fast bowler Fred Trueman, who had been ill at Brisbane and left out at Melbourne. He is widely considered to be England's greatest fast bowler and with good reason; he was the first man to take 300 wickets in Tests—307 at (21.57)—had tremendous stamina and bowled with a near perfect side on action that produced late swing at high pace.[39] He was full of confidence and believed that he could get any batsman out on any wicket.[40]Australia made changes as well, dropping Lindsay Kline who had taken 0/77 in two Tests and Bobby Simpson who had made a duck but was retained as twelfth man for his fielding. Instead they brought in the dual purpose fast-medium seamer and off-spinner Keith Slater, who had been twelfth man in the Second Test, but who had been accused of throwing by the MCC and Keith Miller.[41]Mel McInnes kept his place as umpire even though Peter May and Freddie Brown had pointedly asked if it was necessary for him to officiate in all the Tests.[42]
England first innings
"The Claw" at leg-slip, both chances off Benaud. The young wicket-keeper used his feet to go down the wicket, so when he padded up he could not given l.b.w., and began to make some runs with Cowdrey stroking the ball through the covers. After tea the vice-captain (34) gave Harvey another catch off Benaud, but Swetman and Tony Lock saw England safely to stumps with 190/6. The next day's start was delayed to past tea because of rain, made worse by the inadequate covering of the infield. When they finally resumed Benaud was spinning the ball more than ever and declined to take the new ball. Lock was out l.b.w. to Mackay, who ended Swetman's fine innings of 41 with another great catch off Benaud. Harvey also accounted for Jim Laker when he knocked the ball up into the air on the first attempt and ran five yards to catch it. Seeing the end was near Fred Trueman scattered the close fielders with a few powerful strokes and heaved the ball into the stands, but he was caught by Burke off Benaud to give the Australian captain 5/83 and England were out for 219. The first day was watched by John Mills and Trevor Howard, who were acting in Australia at the time. Howard compared the England collapse to the final act of the play he was in, saying "Hamlet was never like this".[43][44][45]
Australia first innings
There was time for three overs before the end of the day, but
Alan Davidson together and England needed their wickets quickly to even the first innings score. Davdison repeatedly edged the ball just off his stumps and was lucky to survive, but May kept the spinners working for an hour after the new ball was due, but with no wickets forthcoming Trueman and Statham came back into the attack. There was little life in the pitch, Swetman taking the ball about his knees, and no or little swing. The heat in Sydney reached 100 °F/38 °C and Fred Trueman was sweltering in the outfield when a man on the Hill shouted "Fred, you look in need of a beer, mate" and gave him a can of Fosters to the delight of the crowd. When he returned after his next over he found twenty beer cans waiting in a line in front of the boundary fence.[48] Davidson was playing a restrained innings instead of hitting the ball around the ground and Mackay foreswore his stonewalling to hit boundaries, so they ended up keeping pace with each other. May brought back his spinners and as the score passed 300/6 used Bailey for the first time, though like the others he found little swing. The seventh wicket finally came when Trueman (1/46) was back for a short spell when there were clouds about and bowled Mackay (57) with a swinging yorker on 323/7—a stand of 115. Davidson was in trouble for ten minutes, but finally went leg before to Lock for 71. With the last recognised batsman dismissed on 353/8 the innings was wrapped up for 357, a lead of 139.[49][50]
England second innings
There was time for one over before the end of play and Bailey and Milton survived on 1/0. Richie Benaud set a very aggressive field, himself just three yards from Bailey, close enough to be hit by the bat, and was asked not to move as the Meckiff came in to bowl in case he distracted the batsman. Meckiff did not bowl for long as he bruised his Achilles tendon and retired from the field. Milton and Bailey held out for an hour and saw off the fast bowlers, before Milton edged a Benaud googly to Davidson and Bailey, after sweeping Slater to the boundary tried to sweep Benaud and was caught by Bobby Simpson, who had come on for Meckiff, and England were 37/2. Graveney was playing consistently into the twenties and thirties and was out for 22 when he missed a full toss from Davidson and was l.b.w. May had been playing and missing several times in a row going for shots and looked vulnerable, but at 64/3 he was joined by Cowdrey for another heroic partnership. Benaud was still crowding the batsmen with close fielders and Cowdrey began to stroke powerfully to drive them away. May called for a new bat and Peter Richardson brought out three; a barracker shouting "Peter, you haven't got one there wide enough!"[51] The new bat appeared to solve his problems as May found his touch and they added 92 runs between lunch and tea. After tea they passed the deficit and Benaud became very defensive for the only prolonged period in the series, bowling ten overs of negative leg theory. Len Hutton thought Benaud was worried about being Lakered and Locked on the sixth and final day, but Bill O'Reilly called it "tossing in the towel".[52] Benaud rested Davidson the next morning after he opened the bowling and gave him the new ball with Keith Slater bowling at fast-medium pace, but it barely swung or moved off the pitch and by lunch both batsmen were on 82 and the score 231/3. Slater looked outclassed in Test cricket and after lunch he was replaced by the part-time bowling of Jim Burke, and to everyone's surprise he bowled May for 92 with a faster ball after a partnership of 182. Ted Dexter came in, but Benaud returned to a more attacking mode and had him caught behind as he tried to play his strokes. Cowdrey now played out time as the next two batsmen fell cheaply, Swetman L.b.w. to Burke and Trueman stumped first ball off Benaud. After eighty minutes in the 90s Cowdrey reached his century, May declared on 287/7 and the game was saved.[53][54]
Australia second innings
Australia needed 151 runs in 100 minutes, but Benaud did not attempt it. Laker (2/10) was soon brought on and yorked Burke. May asked McDonald, who had pulled a hamstring when playing the MCC for the Australian XI, if he wanted to retire, but as he was walking off the pitch Benaud sent out a runner and insisted that he bat, but was bowled first ball. Harvey and O'Neill batted out time and Australia finished the game on 54/2[55][56]
Result
England and Australia drew the match. England were happy that they had saved the Test, but their batting was still weak with only Graveney, May and Cowdrey capable of playing Benaud's leg-spin with any confidence. Trueman had bowled well without any luck and Laker and Lock had shown their spinning skills, but the English fielding needed to be improved. Benaud was criticised for his defensive tactics, but said he had a job to do and 2–0 up was good for him and his team.[57]
Rorke, who is six feet four inches, has a very short run which produces tremendous pace, and is another bowler whose action is subject to criticism. His delivery, to say the most, was unusual, and it was amazing to me that a bowler could generate so much pace from such a short run...he lands some four feet beyond the batting crease at the moment of delivery, with a tremendous drag, and it means he delivers the ball from some nineteen yards.
South Australia game at Christmas had seen a green, pacey wicket. This was the only Test in which the three great England fast bowlers of the 1950s Tyson, Trueman and Statham all played together. Mel McInnes was umpire again, much to the annoyance of the England team as he had made mistakes in all his matches leading up to the Fourth Test. The 1956 Australians successfully asked for the great English umpire Frank Chester to be removed when an illness made his decisions erratic.[60][61]
Australia first innings
May won the toss for the fourth time in a row and felt obliged to bowl first so that his pacemen would get the benefit of any life there was in the pitch, but the wicket was brown and dry and full of runs. It was a gamble that relied on a quick breakthrough, though May may have been nervous about the effect of
Alan Davidson hit 43 before he became the Tyson's only wicket, caught by Bailey two feet off the ground at short-leg, a poor reward for his untiring efforts with the ball and the outfield. Evans' unhealed finger broke again, but he continued to keep wicket on the second day and raised everybody's spirits with his chirpy optimism. He was replaced after the rest day by Tom Graveney, a part-time keeper for Gloucestershire who had played the part before at Old Trafford against South Africa in 1955. Australia's 476 was the highest innings of the series and virtually won the Ashes by protecting their 2–0 lead.[63][64]
England first innings
At the end of the
Willie Watson and Brian Statham stayed at the crease for 70 minutes. Statham, who batted left-handed, hit 6 fours in a new highest Test score of 36 not out. Lindwall was given the new ball, but could only shave the stumps as Statham hit out. Davidson tripped in one of Trueman's foot marks and had to retire from the field. In the end Rorke bowled Watson to end the 52 run last wicket stand 37 runs short of their target. Rorke on debut returned figures of 18.1–7–23–3, his low economy due to his large number of almost wides and high pace and in one three over spell only one ball could have been played.[66][67]
England second innings
As the teams returned up the pavilion steps
Sir Donald Bradman called Richie Benaud to one side and reminded him that England's only chance of retaining the Ashes was it they were forced to follow on and made a lot of runs. Benaud agreed with him, but excused himself as he had to go and tell Peter May that he was going to bat again. When he reached the dressing room he consoled May with what Sir Donald had said. This was repeated by cricket commentators when a Test side in this situation must win, notably when Allan Border's Australians followed on at The Oval in 1985.[68] Watson (40) returned with Richardson (43) and together they saw off the new ball to end the day on 43/0, and produced the highest England opening stand of the series, staying for almost three hours and adding 89. Davidson could not bowl after his injury, Rorke opened the bowling with Lindwall and Benaud had to bowl himself for a spell of four hours. The partnership ended when Watson pulled a full toss from the captain and Les Favell ran in to take the catch on the boundary. Richardson fell to Benaud (4/84) padding up against a ball that didn't move having survived a l.b.w. appeal the ball before. May (59) and Graveney looked set for big scores, and the England captain struck Benaud for three successive fours before he was leg before by a torpedo from Rorke (2/78). Bailey was caught by Grout off Lindwall (2/70) on the last ball of the day, though he and Graveney thought the ball had come off the top of his pad. At 198/5 England's cause looked lost and Graveney could only look on as the lower order collapsed before him. Lock (9) stayed in for an hour as did Tyson, who made 33 in a stand of 46, but the other three tailenders only lasted 20 minutes and Graveney ended with 53 not out, having batted for over five hours. England's total of 270 put them only 34 runs ahead.[69][70]
Australia second innings
Les Favell came into open the innings and hit the winning runs on his home ground as he and Burke made the 36/0 required.
Result
Australia won the Test by 10 wickets, the series 3–0 and regained the Ashes lost in 1953.
Congratulations to Australia, they were the better team...I felt that with Laker not fit we had to gamble on the first morning. I thought this was the best way to win the match, but it did not come off. Richie Benaud has a fine team; he inspired them in the field and the team brought off some wonderful catches, and generally I thought Australia's out-cricket was some of the best I have seen. We never got the starts we would have liked and injuries on the tour generally affected the batting, but I have no excuses to offer.
And so Australia won the match by a very convincing margin of nine wickets and put the finishing touches to the biggest defeat England had suffered in a Test series for some time. It was the first time in forty-seven years that the captain on winning the toss had sent in the opposition and won a Test match in the England–Australia series. Australia had England on the run from the moment Benaud maintained an aggressive approach to the game, as well he might, being so much on top during the series.
Willie Watson suffered a groin strain bowling in the nets. This reduced the touring team to 13 fit players, but Jim Laker was ready to play and returned to the team with Ted Dexter and Roy Swetman. Tony Lock's 5 wickets had cost 75.20 and was dropped in favour of debutant off-spinner John Mortimore. This was a surprise for the Australians, but even more so to Lock, who heard the news on the radio. The home team dropped batsman Les Favell in favour of the fast bowler Ian Meckiff whose bruised foot had healed. Mel McInnes was replaced as umpire by Les Townsend in his only Test as umpire.[75][76]
England first innings
For the first time in the series
Alan Davidson in third slip to give him his 216th Test wicket and equal Clarrie Grimmett's Australian record. Just before the Test Bailey had given a talk to the inmates of HMP Pentridge and had been asked if he had ever been out first ball in a Test match. He said he had not, but retained his sense of humour as he ordered roast duck for dinner after his dismissal. Peter May fell to Meckiff and England were 13/2, but Peter Richardson made a dogged 68 by forgoing his favourite deflections through the slips which had cost his wicket so many times. He added 48 with Colin Cowdrey (22) and 48 again with Tom Graveney (19), taking the score to 109/3. Tom Graveney was dismissed by Benaud; "I remember him getting me out in the 1958–59 Melbourne Test by attacking my leg stump. He bowled me two half-volleys, the first of which I drove hard to Colin McDonald at mid-on. The second was just a fraction slower, and I was committed to the stroke before I spotted it. McDonald held the catch and the critics put it down to another casual shot from Graveney. They did not seem to notice the crafty part that Benaud had played in my dismissal".[77]Ted Dexter was out first ball to Meckiff (2/57), Roy Swetman for 1 off Davidson and Richardson was caught and bowled by Benaud to leave England 128/7. Debutant John Mortimore showed his all round skills with an unbeaten 44, adding 63 with Fred Trueman (21) before Benaud (4/43) and Davidson (3/38) finished off the innings for 205 early on the second day.[78][79]
Australia first innings
The pitch still had some life when
Alan Davidson (17), who was bowled for Mortimore's first Test wicket. McDonald fell to Laker (4/92) at 209/6 and England were still in the game. "Slasher" Mackay batted for two hours to reach 22 and was given a slow hand clap by the impatient crowd of 50,000. Richie Benaud (64) and Wally Grout (74, his highest Test score) hastened the scoring rate, made 115 and for the only time in the series a hundred runs was made in a session as they hooked away at the bowlers feeding them short balls. Laker got them both out in the end and Trueman was given the new ball as Ray Lindwall came to the crease. In 1953 Lindwall had hit Trueman with a wicked bouncer that "hit me so hard in the shoulder blade that I thought someone had stuck a carving knife in it".[81] Trueman had sworn revenge, but had had to wait for five years. He got Lindwall out with a ball that ricocheted off his bat handle onto his forehead into the hands of Colin Cowdrey at slip.[82] The Yorkshireman caught and bowled Meckiff and Swetman caught Benaud off Laker to finish the innings on 351, 146 runs ahead.[83][84]
England second innings
Benaud gave a suitably motivated Lindwall the new ball and he bowled as well as he ever had, making the ball swing more than the Englishmen and bowling
Alan Davidson (2/95). Tom Graveney made 54 and looked as good as ever, but he only got support from Trueman who tried to hit every ball and either pulled off a perfect stroke or missed completely in an entertaining 36. The young Gordon Rorke (3/41) took the last three wickets and England were out for 214.[86][87]
Australia second innings
Colin McDonald made most of the opportunity to make more runs with an unbeaten 51 out of 69/1, but Jim Burke was given a barrage of short balls until his missed a shooter from Frank Tyson (1/20) and was out l.b.w. for 13.
As was the convention of the time gentleman amateurs have their initials in front of their surname and professional players have their initials after their name, if used at all.[88][89] The Australians were all amateurs until the Packer Revolution, even though they played like professionals.