my first day at test cricket, and wonderfully memorable. Lillee's brilliant early spell, Steele and Greig's partnership and the arrival of HM The Queen at tea.
Tell that to Phil Hughes’ family. More risk of death and injury isn’t a benchmark of authenticity. Making the game safe has improved the game and brought more people into it
@@pauldoran5945it has ruined it too with the sponsors and advertisements, nothing more boring than seeing some stupid logo of a sponsor on a players uniform, then you have the commentators of today who talk too much, Ponting is one of them, there are others, we don’t want to hear their analysis of the game, too much of it and it’s a turn off. Much better atmosphere in this video, purely cricket, that’s all, you’re right about safety though.
He was always just a 'stop gap' as there was a paucity of young upper middle order batsmen around at that time. Clive Radley could also count himself very unfortunate not to play more test cricket too.
@@geoffw1209 I was surprised how many 1st class wickets David took too. Over 600 @24.69!! Jim Laker sounded so surprised when he came on to bowl to break up that 10th wicket partnership. By todays standards David would be considered an all rounder!!
Steel ŵell deserved the tour of India - a diehard like him could well have Battered all day + ( night ) . Mind he proved he could handle Pace but what about the Indian spinners we shall never know - Sadly .
Love the attacking fields from Australia at the start of the innings. Apart from cover, everyone was in a catching position. Ian Chappell wanted to get wickets and a result. It didn't always work out, but the attitude is great.
Thanks very much for posting this, 1991Spurs. It was an absorbing series with England attempting with some success to rebound from their recent Ashes defeat in Australia. As a 15yo, I watched many sessions overnight in Melbourne on our new colour TV, as established and newly-emerged players in both teams made their marks on the series. Special mention to David Steele, who deservedly won many admirers among all cricket followers. I'd almost given up on seeing any footage so again, thank you
Greig smashes Thommo through extra cover, and Benaud, measured as always, remarks on a ‘very firmly hit stroke’. Wonderful stuff, great to see Edrich putting one of his big innings together.
I love Ian Chappell's attacking fields - based on the simple idea that it's the job of the bowlers to get the opposition out and the job of the batters to score more runs than the other side!
Can't believe the comment by ESPN Classic "England didn't have any stodgy batsmen in their ranks bar Edrich and Greig"! I never saw Tony Greig bat live but from looking at the highlights of his many innings and his record I'd say he was far from 'stodgy'!
@@jshaers96 He could block like Geoff Boycott when the time was right but more often than not he was, as you say, a buccaneering, counter attacking batter who played the game on instinct. Mike Brearley has gone on record in stating he went to Greig for any advice during the 2 series he (Brearley) was captain over Greig.
Please. painful to watch. This was the last game my hero played before being dropped until his amazing return to test cricket a year later scoring 203 against the Windies
@@stephengodsmark4353 For two years upto the 74/5 tour he was the best test opening batsman in the world. Rod Marsh was honest enough to say on that tour everything Sir Dennis touched the Aussies caught and he was a good enough player to get some touches on unplayable deliveries.. Brilliant comeback against the Windies in 76 though but was so sad within a year he was finished in test cricket
@@nigelroe4950 mine was Glenn Turner - Worcestershire fan. Dennis was one of my all time favourites for England. Gooch was another. my all time England would be Dennis and Gooch opening.
A batsman facing a fast bowler without a helmet while wearing a pair of glasses will never be seen again on a cricket field. Neither will the field placing of four slips a gully, a leg slip and a silly mid on. It was also interesting how Graham Gooch's stance at the crease changed. He held his bat high and much straighter later in his career.
Watching Barry Wood bat as an opener is to be reminded how much England missed Geoff Boycott, then in his self-imposed three year exile from test match cricket.
I'm rather mystified as to why Greig didn't declare a lot earlier in the second innings, perhaps when the lead passed 400. By batting on until the lead was 483, I think he threw away a very real opportunity to win the game.
Does anyone have the footage of Aus vs West Indies 1976 series played in Australia.I believe it to be the greatest ever test series in international cricket. It is the greatest ever series. Both teams had very good batsmen , bowlers and fielders. Remember there were no helmets arm guards etc. The pitches in Australia were fast and bouncy. The greatest fast bowlers Thomson lillee Roberts Garner Holding Croft Julian were there. Great batsmen like Ian Chappell Greg Chappell Walters, Ross edwards , Greenidge, kanhai,Roy Fredericks,clive Lloyd, Rowe, Kallicharan , spinners Gibbs and Mallet. What a treat It’s unfortunate not to have the recordings. Its a great loss to cricket lovers
I saw that series including all 5 days of the Sydney Test. I wouldn’t call it a great series as Australia won 5-1. Viv Richards was just beginning and he and other Windies batters got out too often going for the hook or rash shots. Thomson and Lillee were at their peak for Australia, along with Greg Chappell. Holding only just starting, though he did smash England a few months later.
I was at the second day of this match with my Dad, I was very young and jt was my first Test. I remember the morning session was spectacular with all the Australian wickets falling and the crowd roaring each time, and feeling a bit sad for Ross Edwards, out on 99. Then I was fascinated to see the Evening Standard headlines on the way home about something I had witnessed with my own eyes just a few hours earlier. Makes me a little sad now, I guess that’s why I searched this out. Thanks Dad for the memories.
No advertising on shirts, pure stumps free from writing, no advertising on the actual playing surface. No helmets. The pure glory of the summer game spoiled by the greedy marketing men , what a comical spectacle it now is.
Ian Chappel said when he went out to play in the 1970's the man who opened the gate when he walked out onto the field got more money than he did when he played 5 days playing for Australia. You could not support a family playing cricket for Australia in the 1970's
Interesting time - Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, he resigned surprisingly seven months later, and Margaret Thatcher was still finding her feet as Tory leader. Derby County under Dave Mackay had surprisingly won the First Division championship, Leeds had lost controversially to Bayern Munich in the European Cup Final. The IRA were brutally active in London, with the Balcombe Street siege and other atrocities soon to come. Niki Lauda was on his way to be the first Ferrari World F1 champion for 11 years, Graham Hill had just retired in July to run his own team with the brilliant Tony Brise as his driver, both were killed in a plane crash in November. Tom Watson had just won his first Open Championship. Queen would soon release Bohemian Rhapsody. Tiger Woods and Ronnie O'Sullivan would both be born in December.
Good point. Greig played considerably few test matches than Botham, Flintoff and Stokes due to him going to WSC in 1977 and then never playing another test. However, his batting average - 40.43 - is higher than any of the other three. Stokes is closest on 36.41. Greig's bowling average is 32.2, very similar to Flintoff and Stokes and higher than Botham on 28.40 Greig's legacy is under rated, he was one of England's greatest cricketers.
Such a joy to watch this. Such classical stroke-making by the likes of Edrich and Steele, the wonderful bowling actions of Lillee, Thomson and Snow, and even a streaker.
On Australia's fast pitches, England's batsmen struggled for runs. But,as Lillee,Thomson and co soon discovered, cricket becomes a different game when the pitches are slow. A really great performance from John Edrich,in particular.
Yes, cricket was a men's game back in the day - more action, less histrionics. Watch the West Indian bowlers taking wickets in the same era. They were more muted.
