Bill Lawry
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | William Morris Lawry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Thornbury, Victoria, Australia | 11 February 1937|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Left-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Opening batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side |
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Test debut (cap 219) | 8 June 1961 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test | 3 February 1971 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Only ODI (cap 4) | 5 January 1971 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1956/57–1971/72 | Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 8 March 2008 |
William Morris Lawry
A left-handed opening batsman with a reputation for resolute defence, he had the ability to spend long periods of time at the crease. As his career progressed, he wound back his strokeplay to the point where he was described by an English journalist as "the corpse with pads on". Lawry was unceremoniously dumped as captain and player for the final Test of the 1970–71 Ashes series in Australia. Lawry's sacking is regarded as one of the more distasteful incidents in Australian cricket history—he was not informed personally of the selectors' decision before the decision was first broadcast on radio and he only became aware of his fate when confronted by reporters.[1] Lawry was part of the Nine Network cricket commentary team until 2018, by which time he had been in the role for 45 years.[2]
Early career
Lawry was born in the
A few months before turning nineteen, Lawry made his debut for Victoria, against
Lawry was dropped completely in 1957–58 and did not play a match for his state even though they were depleted with Test representatives overseas in South Africa. The left-hander stayed on the sidelines for the first half of the following season when the Test players returned.
In 1959–60, the national team were away on an eight-Test tour of the
His batting form remained modest at the start of the 1960–61 season, scoring only 148 runs in the first seven innings of the summer.[6] In the first match of the season against South Australia, he took a wicket in each innings, the only time he took more than one wicket in a first-class match. His summer's total of two wickets was the most he ever took in a season.[6]
He made his major breakthrough in the fifth match of the season when he hit 266 (after being dropped on 12) against New South Wales at Sydney in 1960–61, shortly before the Australian selectors chose the team for the 1961 Ashes tour.[4][6] It was more than half of his team's 4/457. Lawry followed his double-century with scores of 66, 83 and 85 in consecutive innings, and then ended the interstate season with a 134 against Queensland.[6] He had scored 840 runs at 56.00 up to that point in the season and was selected for the tour of England.[6] He scored 202 runs at 50.50 in three warm-up matches before the Australians departed for the British Isles.[6]
Test debut
Lawry was sent to England as a backup opening batsman for the incumbent pair of
Consequently, the selectors moved Simpson down the order to number six to accommodate Lawry for his Test debut in First Test at
Lawry then scored a pair of 28s as England squared the series at 1–1 in the Third Test in a low-scoring, three-day encounter at Headingley. He then scored against Northamptonshire.[6] In the Fourth Test at Old Trafford, Lawry played a part of innings that was crucial in Australia winning the series. After making 74 in the first innings, he and Simpson put on an opening partnership of 113 in the second, the first century opening partnership of the series. Lawry went on to make 102, helping to set a match-winning target before skittling England on the final afternoon.
After the match-winning performance in Manchester, the latter stages of Lawry's tour were comparatively unproductive. He made a duck in his only innings in the drawn final Test at
Nevertheless, Lawry topped the batting aggregates with 2,019 runs at 61.18 in first-class matches and 420 at 52.50 in five Tests. He struck the most centuries on tour, with nine triple-figure scores. Only Bradman and Neil Harvey had made over two thousand runs in an English tour since the Second World War. As a result, he was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1962.[4][10]
Later career
1961-62
Upon his return to Australia, he became the captain of Victoria for the 1961–62 season following the retirement of Test opener McDonald.
1962-63
Lawry made his Test debut on Australian soil in the First Test of the 1962–63 Ashes series at Brisbane. After making half-centuries in consecutive lead-in matches,[6][10] he narrowly missed making a century in the drawn series opener, being dismissed for 98 in the second innings. Between Tests, Lawry scored 177 and 26 in a losing effort against the MCC for Victoria, and then made 133 in the next match against New South Wales, helping Victoria to an eight-wicket win, although he was jeered by an impatient gallery fed up with his slow batting.[6]
The Second Test, his first in his home town of Melbourne saw two 50s, but an unhappy result as Australia went 1–0 down after losing by seven wickets. Lawry did not pass fifty again in the series, ending the drawn series with 310 runs at 34.44.[10] Australian crowds became impatient with his dour and defiant style of batting. In the Fifth Test, Lawry had been ordered by captain Richie Benaud to occupy the crease and play out for a draw. He obliged with an unbeaten 45 in four hours on the final day, even though "the crowd booed, barracked and slow-clapped".[12] At one point, he struck two fours in succession, prompting the crowd to yell "lightning does strike twice!"[13] The unbeaten knock was part of barren run of 12 innings in which Lawry passed 20 only twice.[6] The Victorian captain played in five of his state's Shield matches as they won the title and ended New South Wales' nine-year run. He ended the Australian season with 990 runs at 39.60.[6]
1963-64
1963–64 saw a tour to Australia by South Africa. Lawry began well with 43 and 87* in a drawn First Test at Brisbane overshadowed by the no-balling of Ian Meckiff.[14] Between Tests, the Victorian skipper continued his strong run with 73 and 130 not against Queensland and 94 against New South Wales.[6] He then made his first century on home soil with 157 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the first innings of the Second Test. This helped propel Australia to a 173-run first innings lead and an eventual eight-wicket win that gave them a 1–0 lead. He made another half century in the Third Test in Sydney, scoring 89 in the second innings to help Australia to a safe position after they had ceded a 42-run first innings lead.[6] Lawry then struck an unbeaten 187 for Victoria against the South Africans, but his form tailed away in the remaining two Tests, scoring 77 runs in the last two matches as the tourists won the Fourth Test by ten wickets to square the series.[6] He ended the series with 496 runs at 55.11.[10] The series was highlighted by new ball battles between Lawry and South African pace spearhead Peter Pollock. Pollock attempted to repeatedly bounce Lawry out, but removed Lawry in only three of ten innings. Pollock later nominated Lawry as one of the two hardest openers that he had ever bowled to.[13] The Victorian skipper ended his Sheffield Shield campaign with 119 in a ten-wicket triumph over Western Australia but it was not enough for his team to hold onto their titles.[6][11] He totalled 1340 runs at 67.00 for the season.[6]
1964
1964 saw Lawry return to England, the venue of his first Test series. He started where he left off last time, scoring 50 and 79 against
After failing to pass 20 in the first two Tests, he scored 78 in the first innings of the Third Test at
He made five centuries in the first-class matches on the tour.[13]
1964-65
Australia made a visit to the
The season ended with a tour to the West Indies. He managed only 79 runs in five innings in the first three Tests as Australia trailed 2–0, as both he and Simpson struggled against the express pace of Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith on grounds with no sightscreens.
However, they recovered to combine in a 382-run partnership in the Fourth Test in
1965-66
Lawry had one of his best seasons in the 1965–66 Ashes series and "always seemed to be batting",[17] his 592 runs (84.57) were the most in an Ashes series since Don Bradman in 1946–47 and his three centuries the most since Arthur Morris in 1948.[18] He was in fine form in the four lead-up matches, hitting 160 in the opening game of the season against South Australia and 153 and 61 for the Victorians against the Englishmen. The Victorian skipper added fifties in the other two matches.[6]
His 166 in the First Test in Brisbane helped Australia, in the absence of the incapacitated and unavailable Simpson, to set a total of 6/443 declared and force England to follow on, but they managed to hold on for a draw. Lawry continued his run scoring in the Second Test at Melbourne, compiling 88 in the first innings. Australia ceded a 200-run first innings lead and he made 78 in the second innings to help the hosts to 426 and safety.[6] In the Third Test, Simpson was again sidelined and Lawry failed; his duck and 33 coincided with Australia losing the match in Sydney by an innings. After the match, Brian Booth, who was the regular vice-captain of the team to Simpson, and led the team in the First and Third Tests, was sacked after a barren run with the bat, and Lawry became the deputy.[19] Between Tests, the Victorian ran into form in a match for the Tasmania Combined XI against England. He made 47 as the hosts collapsed for 199 in their first innings and then compiled an unbeaten 126 in the second innings to help wipe out a deficit of 272 and prevent defeat.[6] Lawry scored 119 after combining in a record opening stand of 244 with Simpson in the Fourth Test in Adelaide to help level the series with an innings victory,[20] the highest opening partnership for Australia against England and still the highest opening partnership against England at home. A further 108 in a 212 run stand with Bob Cowper in the Fifth Test helped ensure the match was drawn and the Ashes retained.[20] Lawry scored 592 runs at 84.58.[10] Including the tour matches against England, Lawry scored 979 runs at 97.90 against the touring side, occupying the crease for over 41 hours in a typically attritional style.[13]
The 1965-66 Victorian District Cricket final
Lawry continued his marathon season with a remarkable performance in the final of the Victorian district cricket season, playing for Northcote Cricket Club against the Essendon Cricket Club. In 2000, the Victorian Cricket Association's Umpires Association voted it The District Match of the Century.[21] The Essendon team included Ian Monks (captain), John Grant, Greg Brown, Barry Davis, Daryl Foster, Keith Kirby, and John Swanson; and, apart from Lawry, the team's captain, the Northcote team included Frank Brew, Ian Cowley, and Paul Shanahan.
- There was nothing unusual about Bill Lawry pulling off seemingly unending rearguard actions, but his marathon innings in the Victoria Cricket Association Premiership final of 1965-66 was perhaps the most outrageously unbelievable."[22]
The match was played at the Albert Cricket Ground over four days — 2 April 9 April (Easter Saturday), 11 April (Easter Monday), and 16 April 1966 — to reach a first innings result: Essendon declared at 9/514 at tea on Day 2, and Northcote chased the total, making 5/516, with Lawry finishing 282 not out, having been at the crease for 509 minutes, faced 454 balls, and hit 32 fours.[20][23][24][25][26]
1966-67
He was less successful in 1966–67 as Australia toured South Africa and lost the five Test series 3–1. In his first trip to Africa, Lawry struggled. In five first-class matches leading up to the Tests, he made starts without converting them into big scores, scoring 334 runs at 41.75 with four scores between 35 and 60.[6]
Lawry's best score was 98 in the First Test in
Captaincy
Lawry started the 1967–68 home series against India well. After compiling 42 and a duck in the First Test win, he made an even 100 in the Second Test in Adelaide to help secure an innings victory.[10] After the Test, Lawry became Australian captain when Simpson stood aside having announced that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the series.[27] His form remained consistent, scoring 64, 45, 66 and 52 in the two remaining Tests as Australia completed a 4–0 clean sweep. He had a productive summer with 369 runs at 52.71.[10] In all first-class matches, Lawry made 805 runs at 47.35, adding a second century for the season in a vain attempt to prevent a Victorian defeat at the hands of Western Australia.[6] Throughout the summer, Lawry made many start without converting them into large scores. In 17 innings, he made six half-centuries, all less than 70, and four scores in the forties.[6] Under his leadership, Victoria won three and lost two of their seven Shield matches for the season.[6]
Lawry's first full series in command was the 1968 Ashes tour of England. With Simpson now retired, the Australians were expected to struggle. The new Australian captain was in good touch in the opening tour matches, scoring three fifties in consecutive innings and aggregating 258 runs at 51.60 in a series of six rain-truncated lead-in matches.[6]
He scored 81 in the first innings of the First Test as Australia took a 192-run advantage and complete a 159-run win to take a 1–0 lead. After failing in the next two drawn Tests, Lawry missed three weeks of cricket and the Fourth Test having sustained a broken finger in the previous Test.
In his absence, Barry Jarman led the team and adopted ultra-defensive tactics at the orders of Lawry, playing for a draw that guaranteed Australia would retain the Ashes.[28] Lawry returned and made 27 and 46 in county matches before the final Fifth Test at The Oval.[6]
In the first innings, he scored 135 in seven and a half hours as Australia fell behind by 170 runs. The innings was the first time that Lawry attracted the derisive description of a "corpse with pads on".[28] In the second innings, he made four as Australia collapsed to be all out for 125 and lose by 226 runs. Rain had again threatened to deny England but they managed to finish off the tourists with five minutes to spare.[29] He finished the series with 270 runs at 38.57.[10] Lawry also struggled for form in the tour matches after the start of the Tests, with only one century and fifty in 12 innings, including 135 against Essex.[6]
The five-Test series against the West Indies at home in 1968–69 saw the peak of Lawry's career as a batsman. After a fortuitous retention of the Ashes and patchy form in England, Lawry was back in form on Australian soil.
After registering a century and a fifty in five lead-in matches,[6] he made 109 in the First Test in Brisbane but was unable to prevent defeat, as Australia trailed in a series for the first time under his leadership. He responded with 205 in the Second Test at Melbourne, setting up a total of 510 after asking the tourists to bat first and forcing an innings victory to square the series. After the Third Test saw a convincing ten-wicket victory, the captain making 29 in the first innings, Lawry scored 62 and 89 in a drawn Fourth Test in Adelaide. With Australia needing 360 to win, the captain got them off to a good start but they fell away and the last pair had to survive 26 balls at the end to save the match, 21 runs adrift of the target.[30]
With the series at 2–1 leading into the Fifth Test in Sydney, Lawry struck 151 in the first innings after Australia were sent in to bat. The hosts made 619 and took a 340-run first innings lead, but their cautious captain let his team bat until they reached 8/394 to declare with a lead of 734, making 17 runs himself. The Australians still had enough time to take 382-run win and complete a 3–1 series win. His 667 runs at 83.38 was the highest series aggregate of his career.[10] Lawry had expected a pace onslaught after Australia's last trip to the Caribbean had ended in defeat, but Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith had begun to slow down, taking their wickets at an average over 40.[31]
India in 1969–70: historic win and riots
Lawry's last success as captain came during the five-Test tour to India in 1969–70. The 3–1 win was to be Australia's last Test series victory in India for 35 years, standing out among a series of subsequent failed attempts by Australian leaders to conquer the subcontinent. However, at the time, Lawry and Australia's victory was overshadowed by the public relations disasters that beset the tour.
The tour started with a stop in Ceylon, where the Australians played three non-limited-overs one-day matches and an unofficial Test.[32] They won one of the one-dayers and the others were drawn, with much time lost to tropical downpours.[6] Lawry made three fifties in his five innings.[6]
Before the Tests got underway, Australia faced
After scoring 22 in an innings win over Central Zone, the teams played in the Second Test in Kanpur.[6] Lawry made 14 in the first innings and was on 56 in the second innings as Australia reached 0/95 after the Indians set them 285 to win during the final day. After the drawn Test, Lawry rested himself from the match against North Zone.[6]
The teams proceeded to
During the Fourth Test at Eden Gardens in Calcutta, a surge in the demand for tickets caused a last day stampede, which resulted in running battles between fans and police, leaving six dead and hundred injured.[42] This was exacerbated by protests by the Communist Party of India (CPI), a major political party in West Bengal, against Australian batsman Doug Walters. Walters had been conscripted during the Vietnam War period, although he was never sent to Vietnam to fight against the communist Viet Cong.[31] Nevertheless, CPI activists erected posters across the city claiming that Walters had killed women and children.[42] Around 10,000 communists picketed the Australian hotel and some eventually broke in and vandalised it.[42][43]
On the field, after Lawry made 35 of Australia's 335 to create a 123-run lead,[6] there were more riots following a second innings Indian batting collapse. Spectators on the top deck of the stands threw rocks, prompting those in the lower stands to invade the playing arena. This interrupted Australia's pursuit of 39 runs for victory, which was achieved without the loss of a wicket. During the stoppage, Lawry had an on-field altercation with a local photographer who had run onto the ground, pushing the pressman away with his bat.[31] The Indian newspapers reported that Lawry had knocked the man over and then struck him with his bat. Lawry and his batting partner Keith Stackpole claimed that he had tried to shepherd the photographer from the playing area, who then stumbled and fell histrionically.[38][43] The Australians reached their target of 39 with Lawry on 17 and all their wickets intact.[6]
In any case, the crowd responded by stoning the Australian team bus as they left the ground following their victory.[16] Following the incident, the Indian media began to wear black armbands and incited the populace against the Australians.[38]
Even in the non-international tour matches, Lawry's team could not escape controversy. The next match against
Following the match, many former Australian players called for the tour to be abandoned, citing the safety of the team.[43][48] Nevertheless, the series continued and Lawry's men received a positive welcome upon arrival for the Fifth Test in Madras. Lawry made 33 as Australia batted first and made 258, taking a 95-run lead. He then fell for 2 as Australia collapsed for 153 in the second innings to give the hosts an opening,[6] but they won the match in just over three days by 77 runs to clinch the series 3–1,[43] but Lawry's team left India with Australia's reputation severely dented.[16][47] Perhaps as a result of the controversy, Lawry could only manage 239 runs at 34.14 for the series.[10] On reflection, Lawry stated "It was the toughest tour I've ever been on. There were very pleasant memories on the field, but very unpleasant ones from the accommodation, the type of travel, the food we were getting and lack of support we were getting from the board."[49]
Following the tour, Lawry wrote a series of newspaper articles that criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and their treatment of the Australian team.[43] The BCCI complained to the Australian Board of Control, objecting to Lawry's "exaggerated and baseless" statements.[38] The ABC replied to express "appreciation at the high level of hospitality and interested exhibited by Indian cricket authorities and the public".[43] Lawry's official report to the board criticised the level of security and insurance for the players.[43] Lawry said
I think any criticism I got in India was probably right. Normally I take those sorts of things in my stride, but I think I had an attitude that had been ingrained in by...[people] who'd told me about their tours there. So I was a bit outspoken when I shouldn't have been, because I was really on edge to make sure that the food was adequate and the hygiene was all right. Which it wasn't. It was disgraceful really and I think we were badly let down. It was probably all right if you were a drinker on that tour because at least you could write yourself off. But the Redpaths and Lawrys and Stackpoles and Sheahans, who weren't big drinkers, who were just trying to be dedicated sportsmen, found it hard. Relaxing on a tour was nearly impossible.[50]
Whitewashed by South Africa
It was in
Australian Board of Control in the light of adverse reports from the authorities of both India and South Africa. I believe Bill Lawry had developed a sizable chip on his shoulder before the summer of 1970–71.[51]
Lawry's men left directly for South Africa. Already tired, they confronted fast and bouncy pitches in contrast to low, slow and dusty spinning pitches in India. Upon arrival, Lawry declared
After two weeks of preparation, the tour went awry for the Australians.
In the four Tests, sixteen catches were dropped, with around 60 dropped in a total of 12 first-class matches,[56] while the tired pace spearhead Graham McKenzie took 1/333 and was thought to be suffering from hepatitis. Behind the scenes, the South African Cricket Board approached the Australian Cricket Board attempting to organise a Fifth Test. The players were unreceptive to this after spending five months overseas in what was then an amateur sport. The proposed extra match fell through after a pay standoff led behind the scenes by Ian Chappell, later to spearhead the breakaway World Series Cricket (WSC), which offered players substantial remuneration. The dispute was the genesis of WSC, and on the team's return to Australia, Lawry sent the Board a letter expressing player grievances. According to Chappell, "That was the end of Lawry as captain of Australia. Then it was just a matter of finding any excuse to get rid of him."[49][57] Lawry was largely ineffective, with 193 runs at 24.13 with only one half century in the First Test.[10] Apart from media criticism of the team's performances, Lawry was also slated for refusing to make a speech at the end of the series and refusing a gift from an umpire at the end of the Fourth Test.[58] Lawry also had personal differences with Ian Chappell, Doug Walters, Ashley Mallett and Brian Taber, which reduced morale and led to a deterioration in Australia's performances on the field.[59]
Sacking
Bill Lawry, a defensive captain, had failed so far to defend the Ashes. Was he more likely to be able to regain the ascendancy? Of course not. Was he more likely to return to his former batting form, his early club and Shield batting form, if he were diplomatically relieved of the responsibility of leadership? Of course, yes. All the more likely if he were undiplomatically removed, because he would be nursing a grudge, burning to stage reprisals...[60]
The 1970–71 home series against England was the longest in Test history, with six Tests scheduled and another added when the Third Test was washed out. Lawry was to bow out of international cricket in one of the most acrimonious series in Test history. Lawry had gone through a difficult phase on the previous tour, with only 432 runs at 28.80 in nine Tests on the tour of India and South Africa. With Australia losing, and as a non-smoker and non-drinker, he became more distant from many of his own teammates. Lawry had been under pressure after a highly critical report by team manager Fred Bennett.[61] Australia went to the series with confidence after the tourists were unable to win any of their four opening tour matches.[62] Lawry had success in his preparation, scoring 87 and 58 not out in a ten-wicket win over Western Australia at the start of the season.[6]
During the series, Lawry increasingly came under criticism for some uninspiring leadership marked by a safety-at-all-costs strategy.[62][63] The First Test in Brisbane was drawn after both teams had passed 400 in the first innings, the visitors taking a 31-run lead,[6] but not before Lawry had top-scored with 84 in the second innings as his team collapsed to be all out for 214.[62][63] The Second Test was drawn after England made 397 and Australia replied with 440, Lawry making a duck and 38 not out as the hosts batted out the match in the second innings.[6] The Third Test was washed out without a ball being bowled due to rain. In response to this, a Seventh Test was scheduled and the first-ever One Day International was scheduled in place of the washed out match. Australia won the inaugural match by five wickets with five overs to spare,[64] Lawry making 27 in his only ODI.[6]
In the Fourth Test at Sydney, England took a series lead with a 299-run win after taking a 106-run first innings lead and setting Australia 415 for victory.[65] Lawry's critics became more vocal, despite a defiant unbeaten 60 carrying his bat as Australia collapsed and fell for 116 in the second innings.[10] It was England's largest victory in terms of runs over Australia for 34 years.[66] His own batting saw him described by Ian Wooldridge as "a corpse with pads on".[61] According to Ray Robinson, Lawry "appeared to be expecting the worst and getting it often enough to expect more of the same".[56] The selectors responded by axing both of Australia's frontline pace duo of McKenzie and Connolly for the Fifth Test.[67]
Lawry declared in the Fifth Test with Rod Marsh within eight runs of a maiden Test century (and what would have been the first-ever Test century by an Australian wicketkeeper) after the hosts batted first and reached 9/493, the captain making 56 himself. Australia continued to play defensively, and after making 42 in the second innings, the skipper declared and set the tourists 271 in less than a day, and the match petered out to a draw with Australia still behind in the series.[6] Another draw in the Sixth Test meant that Australia needed a win to draw the series and retain the Ashes.[61] After taking a 235-run first-innings lead, England did not need to take a risk with their series lead with a bold declaration and set Australia a world-record 469 runs for victory. The hosts were 3/328 when time ran out, and Lawry made only 10 and 21.[6] Lawry had batted for more than 24 hours in the series, averaging around 13 runs an hour.[61]
With Lawry's defensive leadership under heavy fire, he was dropped along with three other players,[68] becoming the first Australian captain to be sacked in the middle of a series. He was not informed privately by the Board and only found out after his axing was made public.[61] The Australian selectors Don Bradman, Sam Loxton and Neil Harvey had delayed the announcement while they tried to locate Lawry at the end of the Sixth Test, but he had already left for his home in Melbourne and they were unable to find him. He first heard the news on the radio and the selectors were much maligned in the press as a result. Lawry never played for Australia again, despite being only 33 years old and averaging 47.15, but immediately began his almost 50-year career as a commentator in the Seventh Test, saying, "Well, I suppose we all have to get around to it some day".[69] Two days earlier, after lengthy discussion, the ACB had voted 7–6 to acknowledge and respond to Lawry's letter following the South African tour, although their reply did not directly address Lawry's concerns.[70] His successor, Ian Chappell, condemned the Board's actions as "unbelievable".[61] Immediately after his appointment, the Chappell told his then-wife, "The bastards won't get me the way they got Bill,"[71] and he later went out on his own terms.[71] Victorian and Australian teammate Paul Sheahan said of Lawry, "The fact that no-one had the courage to tell him he was to lose his job as Australian captain was disgraceful."[61][72] At the same time, Sheahan said that Lawry was "a bit of an autocrat" and "not the sort of captain who stood alongside you and drew the best out of you."[72]
Lawry was publicly dignified, later reflecting:
I've no anger at all about being dropped. I hadn't been playing well in that series and I had no compassion when I was dropping players as a selector."[61]
Australia went on to lose the final Test and the series 2–0.[7] Lawry played out the remaining two matches of the season for Victoria, scoring two fifties.[6]
The following season, Lawry continued playing for Victoria, leaving himself available for an international recall. He scored 116 not out against Western Australia and added four further fifties, three against South Australia.[6] He added his only limited-overs century during the summer, scoring 108 not out in a win over South Australia. He totalled 488 runs at 44.36 for the first-class season, but was not recalled to the Test team during the summer.[6] Neither was Lawry recalled for the 1972 tour of England, and in his absence Australia was unable to find a reliable opening partnership. Australia's opening stand exceeded 24 only once in the Test series.[73] He retired at the end of the 1971–72 season, bowing out of the sport with a three-wicket win over South Australia.[6]
Playing style
When Australia batted, Lawry, their stumbling-block-extraordinary, took root, and in an interminable left-handed stand with Cowper effectively droused English prospects. When this relentless fellow, having reached his sixth Test hundred against England, at length took a liberty he had made 592 runs in the Tests, average 84, the highest aggregate since Bradman's in 1946–47: not only that, he had scored 979 against M. J. K. Smith's side since they landed in Perth, and had occupied the crease for forty-one and a half hours. There was a gayer side to Lawry as we had seen at Adelaide—but he didn't let it obtrude too often. He just kept that long, sharp nose religiously over the ball, accumulating at his own deliberate gait, and in particular tucking everything away off his pads whenever the English bowlers bowled there, as all too often they did.[74]
Along with Bob Simpson, he formed an opening partnership that was regarded as one of the finest in Test history. Lawry was fast between the wickets, and the pair were especially well known for their understanding, as exemplified by their fluency in rotating the strike with quick singles. Lawry was known for his peculiar stance. He had little bend in his knees, and as a result batted with a stoop over his bat. He used his long reach to blunt spin bowling. He played with a very straight bat, combining well-organised defence with a somewhat limited range of strokes, marked by an efficiency of placement and an unusually heavy reliance on the hook shot.[4] His strengths were regarded as his composure and intense concentration which powered a relentless single-mindedness. His defiant style was accentuated by his habit of tugging on his cap after every ball, as though starting afresh. John Snow wrote that 'He always had to be got out and even if you managed to knock all three stumps over he still stayed at the crease a moment looking round for some excuse to continue batting before reluctantly starting his walk back to the dressing room'.[75] Lawry was also a left-hander during his winter baseball recreation, which equipped him with a powerful throwing arm.[1][4][76]
Commentary career and later work
After retiring from playing, Lawry worked as a commentator on radio and television, firstly with
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lawry was the cricket manager of the
From 2013, Lawry scaled back his ball-by-ball commentary to international matches played in Melbourne such as the Boxing Day Test, and in Sydney for the New Year Test. In May 2018, he confirmed his retirement from broadcasting and commentary.[2]
Legacy
In Australia a bottle opener is sometimes called a Bill Lawry, on account of him being a famous opener. Also a breed of pigeon (racing) is commonly known as the Lawry bird after his love of pigeon racing.[78]
The
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cashman; Franks; Maxwell; Sainsbury; Stoddart; Weaver; Webster (1997). The A–Z of Australian cricketers. pp. 167–168.
- ^ a b "Lawry confirms commentary exit". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ Douglas Aiton, 10 Things you didn't know about Bill Lawry, Weekend Australian magazine, 15–16 January 2005, p. 15
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Wisden 1961 – Bill Lawry". -Wisden. 1962. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
- ^ Perry, p. 252.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct "Player Oracle WM Lawry". CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
- ^ Cricinfo. Archived from the originalon 24 December 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2007.
- ^ a b c d Perry, p. 253.
- ^ a b Perry, p. 254.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "WM Lawry – Tests – Innings by innings list". Statsguru. ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Cricinfo. Archivedfrom the original on 25 November 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2007.
- ^ pp. 115–116, Fred Titmus with Stafford Hildred, My Life in Cricket, John Blake Publishing Ltd., 2005
- ^ a b c d Perry, p. 255.
- ^ Perry, p. 222.
- Cricinfo. 17 January 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Premachandran, Dileep (4 October 2004). "Drawing inspiration from Benaud". Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
- ^ p480, David Firth, Pageant of Cricket, MacMillan Company of Australia, 1987
- E.W. Swanton, Swanton in Australia, with the MCC 1946–75, Fontana, 1977
- ^ cross ref
- ^ a b c Perry, p. 256.
- ^ Ryan, T., "The Greatest Game of Cricket you Never Saw", The New Daily, 26 February 2016.
- ^ Mukherjee, Abhishek,"1965-66: Bill Lawry helps Northcote chase 515 against Essendon", Cricket Country, 11 March 2016.
- ^ Greg Buckle (26 February 2016). "Bill Lawry's epic stand for Northcote against Essendon still has people talking 50 years later". Herald Sun. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ^ Mitchell, Tim, "Northcote greats set to remember the club’s historic 1965-66 Victorian Cricket Association premiership win", Northcote Leader, 24 February 2016.
- ^ Rees, M., "Shanahan, Lawry and the breaking of the drought", The Footy Almanac, 23 February 2016.
- ^ Hobbs, Greg, "Century to Lawry Warning to Dons' Bowlers, The Age, (Monday, 28 March 1966), p.20; Hobbs, Greg, "Monks Overcomes Illness with Brilliant 136", The Age, (Monday, 4 April 1966), p.22; Hobbs, Greg, "Lawry, Robinson Face Giant Batting Task", The Age, (Monday, 11 April 1966), p.12; Hobbs, Greg, "Northcote on Way to Glorious Cricket Win", The Age, (Tuesday, 12 April 1966), p.18, plus photograph and text at The Age, (Tuesday, 12 April 1966), p.20; Hobbs, Greg, "'One of the Biggest Thrills'—Lawry", The Age, (Monday, 18 April 1966), p.24.
- ^ Perry, p. 242.
- ^ a b Perry, p. 257.
- ^ Haigh, p. 341.
- ^ Haigh, p. 342.
- ^ a b c d Perry, p. 258.
- ^ Mallett, p. 110.
- ^ Robinson, pp.286–287.
- ^ a b Mallett, p. 117.
- ^ Mallett, p. 118.
- ^ Mallett, p. 119.
- ^ a b Harte, p. 521.
- ^ a b c d e f Robinson, p. 287.
- ^ Robinson, p. 286.
- ^ Mallett, pp. 128–129.
- ^ Mallett, pp. 130–131.
- ^ a b c Mallett, p. 133–134.
- ^ a b c d e f g Harte, p. 522.
- ^ Mallett, p. 135.
- ^ Mallett, p. 136.
- ^ a b Mallett, p. 137.
- ^ a b Perry, p. 259.
- ^ Mallett, pp. 138–139.
- ^ a b c d Williamson, Martin (4 September 2004). "A tour too far". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
- ^ a b c Haigh, p. 309.
- ^ p. 34, Richard Whitington, Captains Outrageous, Cricket in the seventies, Stanley Paul, 1972
- ^ Mallett, pp. 141–143.
- ^ a b Harte, p. 523.
- ^ Mallett, pp. 150–153.
- ^ Mallett, pp. 154–155.
- ^ a b Robinson, p. 288.
- ^ Mallett, pp. 160–162.
- ^ Mallett, pp. 163–164.
- ^ p. 115, Richard Whitington, Captains Outrageous, Cricket in the seventies, Stanley Paul, 1972
- ^ p. 181, Richard Whitington, Captains Outrageous, Cricket in the seventies, Stanley Paul, 1972
- ^ a b c d e f g h Williamson, Martin (16 December 2006). "The end of a Victorian hero". Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
- ^ a b c Harte, p. 527.
- ^ a b Mallett, pp. 172–173.
- ^ Harte, p. 528.
- ^ Harte, p. 529.
- ^ Mallett, p. 179.
- ^ Mallett, p. 181.
- ^ Mallett, p. 183.
- ^ p. 208, Richard Whitington, Captains Outrageous, Cricket in the seventies, Stanley Paul, 1972
- ^ Harte, p. 525.
- ^ a b Haigh, p. 320.
- ^ a b Haigh, p. 319.
- ^ a b Perry, p. 260.
- ^ pp. 141–142, E. W. Swanton, Swanton in Australia with MCC 1946–1975, Fontana/Collins, 1975
- ^ p. 108, John Snow, Cricket Rebel, Hamlyn, 1976
- ^ Pollard, Jack (1969). Cricket the Australian Way.
- ^ "Sexist cricket comment". The Canberra Times. 24 January 1984. p. 2. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
- ISBN 0-7333-1540-2, p. 14, recording the term in Perth
- ^ "Lawry and McKenzie gain places in Hall of Fame". ESPN Cricinfo. 14 February 2010. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
References
- Skipper Says Good-Bye, The Age, (Thursday, 25 April 1968), p.20.
- ISBN 0-340-69648-6.
- Cashman, Richard; Franks, Warwick; ISBN 0-9756746-1-7.
- Coleman, Robert (1993). Seasons In the Sun: the Story Of the Victorian Cricket Association. North Melbourne, Victoria: Hargreen Publishing. ISBN 0-949905-59-3.
- ISBN 978-1-921116-00-1.
- ISBN 1-875847-44-8.
- ISBN 978-1-74175-029-4.
- ISBN 1-74051-174-3.
- ISBN 1-74066-064-1.
- ISBN 0-207-16124-0.