171-442: Frank Holmes Tyson (6 June 1930 – 27 September 2015) was an England international cricketer of the 1950s, who also worked as a schoolmaster, journalist, cricket coach and cricket commentator after emigrating to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed " Typhoon Tyson" by the press, he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets at an average of 18.56 in 17 Test matches . In 2007,
342-454: A Gentlemen v Players match at Scarborough in 1957 the captain Godfrey Evans insisted Trueman bowl into the headwind so as to give the faster Tyson the advantage of the tailwind. Dickie Bird , the famous England umpire , wrote "he was certainly the quickest bowler I ever seen through the air, and on one occasion the quickest bowler I never saw through the air". When playing for Yorkshire vs
513-414: A 121-run win. He then finished the summer strongly, and ended the season with 811 runs at 62.38 and 35 wickets at 30.54. Benaud was the only bowler selected for all five Tests of the 1954–55 series when England visited Australia . He secured his place after scoring 125 against Queensland at the start of the season, although his lead-up form in two matches against England for his state and an Australian XI
684-538: A Keyboard Operator and Cypher. Sportsmen were generally retained on headquarters staff and he played cricket for his platoon , squadron , regiment , area command and the Army . He served at the Headquarters Squadron 4 Training Regiment where he controlled the movements of men transferring in and out of Catterick , but not very well. He abhorred guns and when he took his rifle training he made sure that he always missed
855-472: A Test century in just 70 minutes. England regained the Ashes in 1904 under the captaincy of Pelham Warner . R. E. Foster scored 287 on his debut and Wilfred Rhodes took 15 wickets in a match. In 1905–06, England lost 4–1 against South Africa. England avenged the defeat in 1907, when they won the series 1–0 under the captaincy of Foster. However, they lost the 1909 Ashes series against Australia, using 25 players in
1026-507: A ball from Tyson which spat up at him and splashed off his bat to Cowdrey". Ray Lindwall had bowled Tyson for a duck in the England first innings and was bounced again, so in the second innings the Australian fast bowler took his revenge: "He let me have a very fast, short-pitched delivery ...Instinctively I turned a defensive back on the ball which skidded through and hit me a sickening blow on
1197-584: A batsman. In November 1948, at the age of 18, Benaud was selected for the New South Wales Colts, the state youth team. He scored 47 not out and took 3/37 in an innings win over Queensland. As a specialist batsman, he made his first-class debut for New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground against Queensland in the New Year's match of the 1948–49 season. On a green pitch which was struck by
1368-540: A best of 4/118 in the Fourth Test in Adelaide when he was given a heavy workload, totalling 58 overs, when Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller broke down during the match. In another match for New South Wales against the touring team, he took a total of 5/95. Up to this point, his first-class batting average was below 30 and his bowling average close to 40, and he had never taken more than four wickets in an innings or six in
1539-577: A bit and made 27 not out in England's 246. New Zealand spectacularly collapsed and were out for 26 to lose by an innings and 20 runs, the lowest completed score in Test cricket, Tyson taking 2/10 in the debacle. See Main Articles English cricket team in Australia in 1958–59 , 1958–59 Ashes series and Umpiring in the 1958–59 Ashes series Tyson returned to England a hero, but Northants refused to pay for
1710-418: A break in the international calendar of a year, the 1957–58 tour to South Africa heralded the start of a phase of three international seasons when Benaud was at his peak. The tour saw his bowling talents come to the fore when he took 106 wickets, surpassing the previous record of 104 by England's Sydney Barnes . He scored 817 runs including four centuries, two of them in Test matches. The first of these came in
1881-710: A civic welcome, though the Supporters Club arranged a Welcome Home function at the Northampton Repertory Theatre . Northamptonshire was an unfancied county known for its "cabbage patch" home wickets which reduced the effectiveness of Tyson's bowling and would shorten his career. Management ignored his pleas for a faster wicket because of their spin bowlers George Tribe , Jack Manning and Micky Allen . Len Hutton advised him to move back to Lancashire to team up with Brian Statham , but county transfers were difficult in those days and Tyson stayed at Northants . In
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#17328690922712052-409: A defendable target. During England's chase on the final afternoon it became apparent that, with Ted Dexter scoring quickly, Australia would lose the Test unless England were bowled out. Benaud went around the wicket and bowled into the footmarks, having Dexter caught behind and then Peter May bowled around his legs. Benaud's 5/13 in 25 balls instigated an English collapse which saw Australia retain
2223-484: A downpour on the opening day, Benaud's spin was not used by Arthur Morris , and he failed to make an impression with the bat in his only innings, scoring only two. New South Wales were the dominant state at the time, and vacancies in the team were scarce, particularly as there were no Tests that season and all of the national team players were available for the whole summer. Relegated to the Second XI after this match, he
2394-404: A draw when Benaud ordered Bill Lawry and Peter Burge to play out the last afternoon for a draw that would retain the Ashes . They were booed and heckled as they left the field and Benaud's reputation as a "go ahead" cricket captain was badly tarnished. The draw meant that the series was shared 1–1, the first time he had drawn a series after five successive wins. It was another lean series with
2565-421: A further operation on his knees in 2001 rendered him practically immobile for a short time. In his autobiography A Typhoon Called Tyson he wrote: "To bowl fast is to revel in the glad animal action, to thrill in physical power and to enjoy a sneaking feeling of superiority over the mortals who play the game". He was no simple bowler, but thought hard how to dismiss and deceive batsman. John Arlott wrote "This
2736-506: A great attraction to the British public. With Australia sending a weakened team and the South African bowlers being ineffective England dominated the tournament winning four of their six matches. The match between Australia and South Africa at Lord's was visited by King George V , the first time a reigning monarch had watched Test cricket. England went on one more tour before the outbreak of
2907-451: A large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. R. I. P. As a result of this loss, the tour of 1882–83 was dubbed by England captain Ivo Bligh as "the quest to regain the ashes". England, with a mixture of amateurs and professionals, won the series 2–1. Bligh was presented with an urn that contained some ashes, which have variously been said to be of a bail , ball or even
3078-513: A lower-order batsman. Tyson was chosen for the MCC tour of Australia in 1954–55, seen as a replacement for Fred Trueman who was controversially left behind. Freed of rationing Tyson increased his weight from 161 lb (73 kg) to 182 lb (83 kg) within a month of leaving the UK. Hutton won the toss, put Australia in to bat and watched England drop 14 catches as Australia made 601/8 declared. Tyson
3249-609: A major contributor to the series win, scoring 329 runs at 54.83 and taking 30 wickets at 21.93, establishing himself as one of the leading leg spinners of the modern era. When Ian Craig fell ill at the start of the 1958–59 season, Benaud was promoted to the captaincy ahead of vice-captain Neil Harvey . Harvey and Benaud had been captains of their respective states until Harvey moved in the same season for employment purposes from Victoria to New South Wales and became Benaud's deputy. Benaud had little prior leadership experience, and faced
3420-509: A margin of "very few notches". Such matches were repeated on numerous occasions for the best part of a century. In 1846 William Clarke formed the All-England Eleven . This team eventually competed against a United All-England Eleven with annual matches occurring between 1847 and 1856. These matches were arguably the most important contest of the English season if judged by the quality of
3591-457: A match against St. Marys for 65. Lou later moved to Parramatta region in western Sydney, and played for Cumberland . Benaud also used to live in Coraki, NSW. It was here that Richie Benaud grew up, learning how to bowl leg breaks , googlies and topspinners under his father's watch. Educated at Parramatta High School , Benaud made his first grade debut for Cumberland at age 16, primarily as
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#17328690922713762-481: A match. The selectors persisted in Benaud despite his unproductive Test performances, selecting him for the squad for the 1953 Ashes tour of England. He had been seventh and eighth in the domestic run-scoring and wicket-taking aggregates for the season, but was yet to convert this into international performance. He justified their decision prior to the team's departure, scoring 167 not out and taking match figures of 7/137 for
3933-478: A noted hooker of fast bowling, mistimed his stroke due to the speed of the ball and his cheek bone was broken. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) were thereby convinced of the speed and hostility of Tyson's bowling and decided to take him to Australia. He was selected to play for England against Pakistan at the Oval in 1954, taking 4–35 and 1–22 and making 3 runs in each innings batting at number eight, but Pakistan won
4104-516: A panel of judges declared Tyson Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for 1955 due to his outstanding tour of Australia in 1954–55 where his 28 wickets (20.82) was instrumental in retaining the Ashes . Tyson coached Victoria to two Sheffield Shield victories and later coached the Sri Lankan national cricket team . He was a cricket commentator for 26 years on ABC and Channel Nine . Tyson's mother
4275-713: A procedure now followed by his successors after he retired. Benaud then led Australia on its first full tour of the Indian subcontinent , playing three and five Tests against Pakistan and India respectively. Benaud took 4/69 and 4/42 in the First Test in Dacca (now in Bangladesh ), sealing Australia's first win in Pakistan. He took four wickets in a Second Test in Lahore that sealed the series 2–0,
4446-579: A professional cricketer Tyson played for Middleton in the Central Lancashire League , Knypersley in the North Staffordshire League, Durham University and the Army . Although invited for trials by Lancashire at Old Trafford he was turned down 'because he dipped at the knee', so he qualified for Northamptonshire in 1952 through residence. Tyson made his first-class debut against the Indian tourists in 1952, after his first ball
4617-404: A public who had increasingly regarded it as boring. Benaud was not a large spinner of the ball, but he was known for his ability to extract substantial bounce from the surface. In addition to his accurate probing consistency, he possessed a well-disguised googly and topspinner which tricked many batsmen and yielded him many wickets. In his later career, he added the flipper , a combination of
4788-499: A record breaking stand of 359 between Hutton and Cyril Washbrook . The decade ended with England drawing the Test series against New Zealand, with every match ending in a draw. Their fortunes changed on the 1953 Ashes tour as they won the series 1–0. England did not lose a series between their 1950–51 and 1958–59 tours of Australia and secured famous victory in 1954–55 under the captaincy of Len Hutton , thanks to Frank Tyson whose 6/85 at Sydney and 7/27 at Melbourne are remembered as
4959-399: A score of 77 in the first innings. With Davidson back, Australia won the final Test by two wickets, after a controversial incident in which Australian wicketkeeper Wally Grout was not given out hit wicket when a bail was dislodged and the umpires did not notice. Australia won the series 2–1, and although Benaud was below his best, scoring at 21.77 and taking 23 wickets at 33.87, the series
5130-639: A single "The Ashes (Australia vs MCC 1955)" lauding Tyson's contributions to England's victory. On 4 March 1956 Tyson appeared on Programme 20 of the third series of the radio version of Hancock's Half Hour , "The Test Match", with Tony Hancock and Sidney James , with guests, cricket commentator John Arlott and his England teammates Godfrey Evans and Colin Cowdrey . English cricket team Test kit ODI kit T20I kit The England men's cricket team represents England and Wales in international cricket . Since 1997, it has been governed by
5301-473: A university graduate, Tyson was unusual among professional cricketers in the 1950s. He was a qualified schoolmaster and used to read the works of Geoffrey Chaucer , George Bernard Shaw and Virginia Woolf on tour. Instead of sledging batsmen he quoted Wordsworth : "For still, the more he works, the more/Do his weak ankles swell". He completed his National Service in the Royal Corps of Signals in 1952 as
Frank Tyson - Misplaced Pages Continue
5472-443: A victory by four wickets. The first Test match on English soil occurred in 1880 with England victorious; this was the first time England fielded a fully representative side with W. G. Grace included in the team. England lost their first home series 1–0 in 1882, with The Sporting Times printing an obituary on English cricket: OF ENGLISH CRICKET , WHICH DIED AT THE OVAL ON 29th AUGUST, 1882, Deeply lamented by
5643-501: A view was expressed in the press that their elevation had proved a mistake although Learie Constantine did the double on the tour. In the 1929–30 season England went on two concurrent tours with one team going to New Zealand (who were granted Test status earlier that year) and the other to the West Indies. Despite sending two separate teams England won both tours beating New Zealand 1–0 and the West Indies 2–1. The 1930 Ashes series saw
5814-426: A woman's veil, and so The Ashes was born. A fourth match was then played which Australia won by four wickets. However, the match was not considered part of the Ashes series. England dominated many of these early contests, with England winning the Ashes series 10 times between 1884 and 1898. During this period England also played their first Test match against South Africa in 1889 at Port Elizabeth . England won
5985-519: A young Don Bradman dominate the tour, scoring 974 runs in his seven Test innings. He scored 254 at Lord's, 334 at Headingley and 232 at The Oval . Australia regained the Ashes winning the series 3–1. As a result of Bradman's prolific run-scoring the England captain Douglas Jardine chose to develop the already existing leg theory into fast leg theory, or bodyline , as a tactic to stop Bradman. Fast leg theory involved bowling fast balls directly at
6156-646: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club (the MCC) since 1903. England , as a founding nation, is a Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test , One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) status. Until the 1990s, Scottish and Irish players also played for England as those countries were not yet ICC members in their own right. England and Australia were
6327-477: The First World War , beating South Africa 4–0, with Barnes taking 49 wickets in the series. England's first match after the war was in the 1920–21 season against Australia. Still feeling the effects of the war England went down to a series of crushing defeats and suffered their first whitewash losing the series 5–0. Six Australians scored hundreds while Mailey spun out 36 English batsmen. Things were no better in
6498-767: The ICC T20 World Cup in 2010 and 2022 , and were runners-up in 2016 . As of September 2024 , England are ranked third in Tests, seventh in ODIs and fourth in T20Is by the ICC. The first recorded incidence of a team with a claim to represent England comes from 9 July 1739 when an "All-England" team, which consisted of 11 gentlemen from any part of England exclusive of Kent , played against "the Unconquerable County" of Kent and lost by
6669-753: The Lancashire League in 1961, the Prime Ministers XI in 1963–64, International Cavaliers in 1968, Old England vs Old Australia in 1980 and Footscray Cricket Club . He was recruited as the Director of Coaching for the Victorian Cricket Association , taking them to two Sheffield Shield victories, and helped establish the Australian National Accreditation Scheme in 1974. From 1990 to 2008 he travelled to India to teach
6840-493: The Melbourne Cricket Ground came to be regarded as the inaugural Test match. The combined Australian XI won this Test match by 45 runs with Charles Bannerman of Australia scoring the first Test century. At the time, the match was promoted as James Lillywhite's XI v Combined Victoria and New South Wales . The teams played a return match on the same ground at Easter, 1877, when Lillywhite's team avenged their loss with
7011-731: The Sheffield Shield . At the Aeronautical College in Wellington, New Zealand in 1955 metal plates were attached to a cricket ball and a sonic device was used to measure their speed, with Tyson's bowling measured at 89 mph (143 km/h), but he was wearing three sweaters on a cold, damp morning and used no run up, Brian Statham bowled at 87 mph (140 km/h). He certainly bowled faster than 89 mph in matches, and Tyson claimed that he could bowl at 119 mph (192 km/h), but this cannot be proven. The best that can be said
Frank Tyson - Misplaced Pages Continue
7182-413: The 1890 Ashes series 2–0, with the third match of the series being the first Test match to be abandoned. England lost 2–1 in the 1891–92 series, although England regained the urn the following year. England again won the 1894–95 series, winning 3–2 under the leadership of Andrew Stoddart . In 1895–96, England played South Africa, winning all Tests in the series. The 1899 Ashes series was the first tour where
7353-458: The 1950s and he had to be helped off the field with a large bump on his head that was visible from the stands. He was taken to hospital for x-rays, but returned to loud applause only to be bowled by Lindwall for 9. The Australians needed 223 to win, but were afraid that Tyson would send down a barrage of fast, short-pitched bowling, but he was intelligent enough to bowl full-length deliveries that caught them unprepared. While Brian Statham bowled "up
7524-471: The 1956 tour to England, he helped Australia to its only victory in the Lord's Test, when he scored a rapid 97 in the second innings in 143 minutes from only 113 balls. His fielding, in particular at gully and short leg, was consistently of a high standard, in particular his acrobatic catch to dismiss Colin Cowdrey . He was unable to maintain the standards he had set in the West Indies, contributing little apart from
7695-478: The 1962–63 Ashes series 1–1, meaning Australia retained the urn. Despite beating New Zealand 3–0, England went on to lose to the West Indies, and again failed in the 1964 Ashes, losing the home series 1–0, which marked the end of Dexter's captaincy. However, from 1968 to 1971 they played 27 consecutive Test matches without defeat, winning 9 and drawing 18 (including the abandoned Test at Melbourne in 1970–71). The sequence began when they drew with Australia at Lord's in
7866-438: The 20th century saw mixed results for England as they lost four of the eight Ashes series between 1900 and 1914. During this period, England lost their first series against South Africa in the 1905–06 season 4–1 as their batting faltered. England lost their first series of the new century to Australia in 1901–02 Ashes. Australia also won the 1902 series, which was memorable for exciting cricket, including Gilbert Jessop scoring
8037-458: The Ashes after Australia clinched the series 2–1. England hosted the World Cup in 1983 and reached the semi-finals, but their Test form remained poor, as they suffered defeats against New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies. Gower took over as skipper in 1984 and led the team to a 2–1 victory over India. They went on to win the 1985 Ashes 3–1, although after this came a poor run of form. Defeat to
8208-482: The Ashes. He finished the innings with 6/70. Benaud then took four wickets in the drawn Fifth Test to end the series 2–1. Benaud had a poor series with the bat, scoring 45 runs at 9, but was more successful with the ball, taking 15 wickets at 32.53. He finished the first-class tour with 627 runs and 61 wickets at 23.54. He was appointed an OBE in that year and in 1962 was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of
8379-549: The Australians departed for England. On arrival in the British Isles, Benaud quickly made an impression with both bat and ball. After scoring 44 and taking 2/66 in the opening first-class match against Worcestershire , the all-rounder starred in his next match, against Yorkshire . He scored 97 in Australia's only innings and then took 7/46 in the hosts' first innings as the Australians took an innings win. Although his form with
8550-401: The Benaud captaincy had been a resounding success, with Australia winning eight, drawing four and losing only one Test. Benaud's personal form was a major factor in this success. In the previous seasons when he and his team were at their peak, he had scored 636 runs at 31.8 with taken 108 wickets at 20.27 in eighteen Tests, averaging six wickets a match. Benaud took over when Australian cricket
8721-507: The Caribbean. He had managed, in the 14 Tests since then, 559 runs at 27.95 and 67 wickets at 24.98. Benaud took part in Australia's tour of New Zealand from February to March 1957. The tour included seven first-class matches, three of which were unofficial Tests. Benaud was the top wicket-taker on the tour, with 32 wickets at 19.31, and Australia's top wicket-taker in the three matches against New Zealand , with 15 wickets at 21.73. Early in
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#17328690922718892-540: The England team, can be largely split into three parts. Early in the decade, Illingworth's side dominated world cricket, winning the Ashes away in 1971 and then retaining them at home in 1972. The same side beat Pakistan at home in 1971 and played by far the better cricket against India that season. However, England were largely helped by the rain to sneak the Pakistan series 1–0 but the same rain saved India twice and one England collapse saw them lose to India. This was, however, one of (if not the) strongest England team ever with
9063-551: The Fifth Test at Port Elizabeth , where he took 2/38 and 6/40 bowling off a five-yard run up. In 1957 he took his best first-class bowling; 8/60 against Surrey at the Kennington Oval with 5/52 in the second innings to return 13/112, his best match figures. Wisden reported '...nearly half the runs scored off him came from the edge'. Tyson toured Australia again in 1958–59 , but the pitches were slower than four years before and
9234-457: The First Test at Johannesburg , where after conceding 1/115, Benaud struck 122, his highest Test score, to see Australia reach a draw. In the Second Test at Cape Town , Benaud took 4/95 and then 5/49 in the second innings to secure an innings victory after the home team were forced to follow on. He followed this with 5/114 in a drawn Third Test, before a match-winning all round performance in
9405-412: The Fourth Test in Adelaide to take an unassailable 3–0 series lead and regain the Ashes, before scoring 64 and match figures of 5/57 to help take the Fifth Test and a 4–0 series result. Benaud contributed 132 runs at 26.4 and 31 wickets at the low average of 18.83, as well as his shrewd and innovative captaincy. According to Neil Harvey, he also was the first captain who started hosting team meetings,
9576-516: The Fourth Test in Johannesburg. Benaud struck exactly 100 in the first innings, before taking 4/70 in South Africa's reply. When South Africa followed on, Benaud took 5/84, which left Australia needing only one run to win. He took 5/82 in the second innings of the Fifth Test, the fourth consecutive match in which he had taken five wickets in an innings, as Australia took a 3–0 series win. He had been
9747-465: The Indian batsman wore solar toupées instead of caps to protect themselves. Australia won the 1934 Ashes series 2–1 and kept the urn for the following 19 years. Many of the wickets of the time were friendly to batsmen resulting in a large proportion of matches ending in high scoring draws and many batting records being set. England drew the 1938 Ashes, meaning Australia retained the urn. England went into
9918-458: The Lord's Test. He ended the series with 200 runs at 25 and eight wickets at 42.5. Benaud's bowling reached a new level on the return leg of Australia's overseas tour, when they stopped in the Indian subcontinent in 1956–57 en route back to Australia. In a one-off Test against Pakistan in Karachi , he scored 56 and took 1/36 as Australia fell to defeat. He claimed his Test innings best of 7/72 in
10089-468: The MCC and the counties appointed a selection committee. There were three active players: Grace, Lord Hawke and Warwickshire captain Herbert Bainbridge . Prior to this, England teams for home Tests had been chosen by the club on whose ground the match was to be played. England lost the 1899 Ashes series 1–0, with Grace making his final Test appearance in the first match of the series. The start of
10260-659: The MCC at Scarborough in 1958 "I opened the innings against him and hit his first three deliveries through the off side for four. With supreme confidence I went on to the front foot for the fourth ball. Tyson dropped one short. It reared up and hit me on the chin. I went down as if I'd just been on the receiving end of a right hook ...I still carry the scar to show my folly that day. There was blood all over and I saw stars. I could hear bells ringing in my head...". Dickie came back to score his then-highest first-class score of 62 and Tyson took 4/30. When they met in Australia in 1998–99 Tyson joked 'You're looking well Dickie. See you still have
10431-450: The MCC, which lost by an innings and 80 runs, the state's biggest win against the English team. Benaud started the series with seven wickets and a half century as the First Test in Brisbane was drawn. This was followed by three unproductive Tests which yielded only 5/360 and a win apiece. Benaud returned to form with match figures of 5/142 and 57 in the Fifth Test at Sydney, which ended in
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#173286909227110602-457: The New Zealand first innings of 200. When he joined Len Hutton on 164/7 the home side looked like getting a first innings lead and one gentleman even booked a flight to Auckland in the hope of seeing New Zealand's first Test victory. Hutton told Tyson to "Stick around for a while Frank, we may not have to bat again", a prediction that Tyson later thought verged on second sight . He did hang round
10773-550: The Richmond End. His 7/27 in the innings was his best Test innings analysis, the best by an England bowler in Australia since Wilfred Rhodes took 8/68 in 1903–04 and has not been bettered since. Australia added only 36 runs, were dismissed for 111 and England won by 128 runs. The game finished well before lunch and the caterers were left with thousands of unsold pies when the crowd deserted the ground. The Ashes were decided at Adelaide, Hutton cunningly changing his bowlers to mix
10944-462: The Second Test at Lord's known as the "Battle of the Ridge". In all he missed a third of the matches due to injury. Despite this impairment to his bowling shoulder, his team played with an aggressive strategy leading them to lose only one Test match and no other matches during the tour, honouring his pre-series pledge. The First Test at Edgbaston was drawn with Benaud taking three wickets. After Harvey led
11115-570: The Second Test of the 1968 Ashes series and ended in 1971 when India won the Third Test at The Oval by four wickets. They played 13 Tests with only one defeat immediately beforehand and so played a total of 40 consecutive Tests with only one defeat, dating from their innings victory over the West Indies at The Oval in 1966. During this period they beat New Zealand, India, the West Indies, and Pakistan, and under Ray Illingworth 's leadership, regained The Ashes from Australia in 1970–71. The 1970s, for
11286-467: The South Africans following the Test, he was selected for the Second Test. He suffered a smashed gum and a severely cut top lip when a square cut by John Waite in the Third Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground hit him in the face while he was fielding at short gully. Doctors told him he was lucky: it could have broken his cheekbones, jaw or removed his eyesight if it had hit any of
11457-441: The Test arena he demonstrated the pace that had overpowered the Australians on a green wicket at Trent Bridge , taking 2/51 and 6/28 against South Africa as they fell to an innings defeat. In his first nine tests he had taken 52 wickets at 15.56, but this was effectively the end of his career as England's premier fast bowler. A badly blistered right heel forced him to miss the Second Test at Lord's and this injury would dog him for
11628-413: The Test players available. He was selected for an Australian XI match against England, in what was effectively a trial for Test selection, but suffered a chipped bone in his thumb. This put him out of action until the last match of the season, leaving him with little opportunity to impress the national selectors for his rise to international cricket. Benaud returned and scored 37 and took a total of 2/68 in
11799-542: The Test series against Australia, England play for The Ashes , one of the most famous trophies in all of sport, and they have won the urn on 32 occasions. England have also played 805 ODIs, winning 403. They have appeared in the final of the Cricket World Cup four times ( 1979 , 1987 , 1992 ), and winning their first in 2019 ; they have also finished as runners-up in two ICC Champions Trophies ( 2004 and 2013 ). England have played 199 T20Is, winning 104. They won
11970-415: The Third Test vs South Africa at Old Trafford taking 3/124 and 3/55, but missed the last two Tests. A series of injuries kept him out of the England team and he did not play until the Fifth Test against Australia at The Oval in 1956, when he took 1/34 in the first innings and did not bowl in the second. In South Africa in 1956–57 he barely bowled in the First Test at Johannesburg and was only recalled for
12141-485: The West Indies dented the team's confidence, and they went on to lose to India 2–0. In 1986, Micky Stewart was appointed the first full-time England coach. England beat New Zealand, but there was little hope of them retaining the Ashes in 1986–87. However, despite being described as a team that 'can't bat, can't bowl and can't field', they went on to win the series 2–1. Richie Benaud Richard Benaud OBE ( / ˈ b ɛ n oʊ / ; 6 October 1930 – 10 April 2015)
12312-568: The Year . The 1961–62 Australian season was purely a domestic one, with no touring international team. Benaud led New South Wales throughout a dominant season, winning the Sheffield Shield with 64 of the 80 possible points. Benaud was the leading wicket-taker of the season with 47 at 17.97. His aggressive tactical style brought large crowds throughout the season, with almost 18,000 watching one match against South Australia. In another match against Victoria, he ordered his team to attempt to score 404 on
12483-424: The absence of their World Series players, especially in 1978, when England beat New Zealand 3–0 and Pakistan 2–0 before thrashing what was effectively Australia's 2nd XI 5–1 in 1978–79. The England team, with Brearley's exit in 1980, was never truly settled throughout the 1980s, which will probably be remembered as a low point for the team. While some of the great players like Botham, Gooch and Gower had fine careers,
12654-487: The attack by Benaud after one over. Benaud did not bowl Meckiff from the other end, and at the end of the match Meckiff announced his retirement. Benaud took 5/72 and scored 43 in the First Test, but then injured himself in a grade match, so Bob Simpson captained the team for the Second Test and won the match in Benaud's absence. Upon his return, Benaud advised the Australian Cricket Board that it would be in
12825-478: The back of my head. I sank to the ground and as I slipped in and out of consciousness, I was dimly aware of the players gathering round my prostrate body. Indistinctly I heard my fellow batsman Bill Edrich saying: 'My God, Lindy, you've killed him!'...I was very, very angry with Ray Lindwall . And the whole of the Aussie team knew it...I would return the bouncer with interest!" Players did not wear protective helmets in
12996-498: The ball, Benaud's 17 wickets costing 40.47, the third consecutive series where his wickets cost more than 30. His batting was reliable, with 227 runs at 32.47. At the start of the 1963–64 season , Benaud announced that it would be his last at first-class level. The first Test of the season, against the touring South Africans, saw high drama as Australia's left arm paceman Ian Meckiff was called for throwing by Colin Egar and removed from
13167-538: The batsman's body. The batsman would need to defend himself, and if he touched the ball with the bat, he risked being caught by one of a large number of fielders placed on the leg side. Using Jardine's fast leg theory, England won the next Ashes series 4–1, but complaints about the Bodyline tactic caused crowd disruption on the tour, and threats of diplomatic action from the Australian Cricket Board , which during
13338-453: The better interests of the team if Simpson continued as captain for the remainder of the season. Benaud took 3/116 to complement scores of 43 and 90 on his return in the Third Test in Sydney. His final two Tests saw no fairytale finish, yielding only four wickets and 55 runs. His batting had been steady though with 231 runs at 33, but his bowling was less so, taking 12 wickets at 37.42. Benaud
13509-486: The boundary and young Tyson walked over to the sightscreen to begin his run up. The first ball ricocheted off the edge of Colin McDonald 's bat to the boundary, the second trapped him lbw before he could play a stroke, the third was a bouncer that flew past Graeme Hole 's nose and the fourth was a yorker that clean bowled Hole and sent his stumps cartwheeling over the wicket-keeper's head. In 1954 at Old Trafford Tyson hit
13680-496: The captaincy due to his poor form, and was replaced by Brearley. Botham returned to form and played exceptionally in the remainder of the series, being named man of the match in the third, fourth and fifth Tests. The series became known as Botham's Ashes as England recorded a 3–1 victory. Keith Fletcher took over as captain in 1981, but England lost his first series in charge against India. Bob Willis took over as captain in 1982 and enjoyed victories over India and Pakistan, but lost
13851-514: The cellar steps" and into the wind Tyson tore down the slope from the Randwick End with "half a gale" behind him and bowled "as fast as man has ever bowled". He took 6/85 in the innings and 10/130 in the match to give England a 38 run victory. The Australian captain Arthur Morris told the newspapers "Such fine bowling deserved to win". Peter Loader told Tyson, "you bowled like a ' Dingbat '" and
14022-693: The coaches at the National Cricket Academy and Mumbai Cricket Association and coached the Sri Lankan national cricket team for the World Cup. On the 1954–55 tour he had written columns for the Empire News and Manchester Evening News , and when he retired he wrote for the Observer , the Daily Telegraph and the Melbourne Age , and contributed to The Cricketer International magazine. He
14193-442: The fastest bowling ever seen in Australia. The 1956 series was remembered for the bowling of Jim Laker who took 46 wickets at an average of 9.62, including figures of 19/90 at Old Trafford . After drawing to South Africa, England defeated the West Indies and New Zealand comfortably. The England team then left for Australia in the 1958–59 season with a team that had been hailed as the strongest ever to leave on an Ashes tour but lost
14364-498: The final day to take an unlikely victory in accordance with a promise to score at 400 per day. At one stage, New South Wales were six wickets down with less than 150 runs scored, but Benaud refused to attempt to defend for a draw. He made 140, in a seventh-wicket partnership of 255 in just 176 minutes, an Australian record that still stands. In 1962–63 an English team under Dexter visited Australia . Fred Trueman with 216 Test wickets and Brian Statham with 229 were poised to overtake
14535-434: The final match of the series at The Oval 1–0 down, but won the final game by an innings and 579 runs. Len Hutton made the highest ever Test score by an Englishman, making 364 in England first innings to help them reach 903, their highest ever score against Australia. The 1938–39 tour of South Africa saw another experiment with the deciding Test being a timeless Test that was played to a finish. England lead 1–0 going into
14706-504: The final match, ending the season with 184 runs at 36.80 and 11 wickets at 34.63. The 1951–52 season saw a tour to Australia by the West Indies . Benaud was given a chance against the visiting team when New South Wales played them in Sydney after the First Test. On a green pitch, Benaud came in at 7/96 and featured in a century partnership in only an hour, making 43 himself. The Caribbeans were skittled for 134 in reply and went on to lose
14877-489: The final timeless match at Durban. Despite the final Test being 'timeless', the game ended in a draw after 10 days as England had to catch the train to catch the boat home. A record 1,981 runs were scored, and the concept of timeless Tests was abandoned. England went on one final tour of the West Indies in 1939 before the Second World War , although a team for an MCC tour of India was selected more in hope than expectation of
15048-427: The finest close-fielders of his era, either at gully or in a silly position. As a batsman, he was tall and lithe, known for his hitting power, in particular his lofted driving ability from the front foot. Johnnie Moyes said "Certainly Benaud received a little help from the roughened patches, but he could do what the off-spinners could not do: he could turn the ball, mostly slowly, sometimes with more life. His control
15219-443: The first tie in Test history, which came about after Benaud and Alan Davidson , rather than settle for a draw, decided to risk defeat and play an attacking partnership, which took Australia to the brink of victory. Australia had fallen to 6/92 on the final day chasing a target of 233 with Benaud and Davidson at the crease. Australia's chances of winning looked remote when they reached tea at 6/109 with 124 runs still required with only
15390-455: The first innings at Georgetown, Guyana , before scoring 68 (his first Test half century) as Australia moved to a 2–0 series lead. In the Fifth Test at Kingston, he struck a century in 78 minutes, despite taking 15 minutes to score his first run. He ended with 121 and took four wickets in the match as Australia won by an innings and took the series 3–0. Benaud had contributed 246 runs at 41 and taken wickets steadily to total 18 at 26.94. During
15561-598: The first innings of the First Test in Madras , allowing Australia to build a large lead and win by an innings. It was his first five-wicket haul in a Test innings. After taking four wickets in the drawn Second Test in Bombay , Benaud bowled Australia to victory in the Third Test in Calcutta , sealing the series 2–0. He took 6/52 and 5/53, his best-ever match analysis, ending the series with 113 runs at 18.83 and 24 wickets at 17.66. It
15732-503: The first of nine consecutive titles. In the opening match of the season, he struck 158 and took 5/88 and 1/65 against Queensland. He made another century in the return match, striking 144 not out and taking a total of 2/55. Midway through the season, he played in Morris's XI in a testimonial match for Hassett, who captained the other team. Benaud scored 78 and 68 and took a total of 5/238, his dismissals being Davidson and frontline Test batsmen in
15903-556: The first teams to play a Test match (15–19 March 1877), and along with South Africa , these nations formed the Imperial Cricket Conference (the predecessor to today's International Cricket Council) on 15 June 1909. England and Australia also played the first ODI on 5 January 1971. England's first T20I was played on 13 June 2005, once more against Australia. As of 26 October 2024 , England have played 1,080 Test matches, winning 398 and losing 327 (with 355 draws). In
16074-542: The first two Tests, and having taken only two wickets for 136 runs was dropped for the Third. This was part of a month-long run in which he made only 123 runs in eight innings and took only seven wickets in four matches. He was recalled immediately for the Fourth Test, but was dropped for the Fifth after managing seven runs in his only innings and going wicketless. He ended the Test series with 15 runs at 3.00 and two wickets at 87.00. It
16245-446: The following Australian season in 1952–53 , Benaud started modestly; and, in the five first-class matches before the Tests, he scored 208 runs at 26.00, including a 63 and 69, and 14 wickets at 38.64. This included figures of 2/70 and 4/90 against the touring South Africa . However, this was not enough to ensure his selection in the First Test, where he was made 12th man. After scoring 60 and 37 and taking 1/60 in an Australian XI against
16416-401: The googly and top spinner which was passed to him by Bruce Dooland . Coupled with his subtle variations in flight and angle of the delivery, he kept the batsman under constant pressure. Benaud had the tendency to bowl around the wicket at a time when he was one of the first players to do so; it had an influence on spin bowlers like Shane Warne and Ashley Giles . Benaud was regarded as one of
16587-444: The great swing bowler Fred Trueman he 'bowled straight and...never intentionally bowled an out-swinger . Instead Tyson relied on his tremendous pace to take most of his wickets, batsmen were often caught in mid-stroke by the speed of the ball coming onto the bat, or were too nervous to play fluently. On a green or crumbling wicket providing movement he could simply blast his way through the batting, and produced bounce and pace even off
16758-649: The greatest cricketing personalities as player, researcher, writer, critic, author, organiser, adviser and student of the game." Benaud was born in Penrith , New South Wales, in 1930. He came from a cricket family, with his younger brother John Benaud also going on to become an Australian Test cricketer. His father Louis, a third-generation Australian of French Huguenot descent, was a leg spinner who played for Penrith District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket , gaining attention for taking all twenty wickets in
16929-538: The injury-struck Tyson only played in the Fourth and Fifth Tests, taking 3 wickets at 64.33. His last hurrah was in New Zealand, where he took 3–23 and 2–23 in th First Test at Christchurch and 1/50 in a rain affected draw in the Second Test at Auckland , taking a wicket with his last ball in Test cricket. He toured South Africa with the Commonwealth XI in 1959–60, taking 1/80 and 4/53 against Transvaal . "His best pace
17100-480: The last time Australia would win a Test in Pakistan until Mark Taylor 's men in 1998, 37 years later. Six further wickets in the drawn Third Test saw Benaud end the series with 84 runs at 28 and 18 wickets at 21.11. Benaud made a strong start to the series against India, taking 3/0 in the first innings of the First Test in Delhi , before a 5/76-second innings haul secured an innings victory. Benaud had less of an impact on
17271-617: The late 1950s and early 1960s after a slump in the early 1950s. In 1958, he became Australia's Test captain until his retirement in 1964. He became the first player to reach 200 wickets and 2,000 runs in Test cricket, reaching the milestone in 1963. Gideon Haigh described him as "perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War." In his review of Benaud's autobiography Anything But , Sri Lankan cricket writer Harold de Andrado wrote: "Richie Benaud possibly next to Sir Don Bradman has been one of
17442-470: The likes of Illingworth, Geoffrey Boycott , John Edrich , Basil D'Oliveira , Dennis Amiss , Alan Knott , John Snow and Derek Underwood at its core. The mid-1970s were more turbulent. Illingworth and several others had refused to tour India in 1972–73 which led to a clamour for Illingworth's job by the end of that summer – England had just been beaten 2–0 by a flamboyant West Indies side – with several England players well over 35. Mike Denness
17613-464: The match between the Victoria and the M.C.C. he was photographed dragging his foot 18 inches past the crease, but Pat Crawford of New South Wales was photographed with his foot 36 inches over the crease. The caption reading "Oh Tyson. You are an Angel compared to Pat!" An enterprising Sydney newspaper paid Harold Larwood to give his name to an article declaring "Replay Tests – Tyson Not Fair". Unlike
17784-484: The match by 24 runs thanks to the bowling of Fazal Mahmood . Although he batted at number eleven in league cricket "The Middleton groundsman was a fatalist. He used to start up the roller to refurbish the wicket when I went in to bat". Tyson worked on his batting and in 1954 "was building up a reputation as an all-rounder , scoring consistently with the bat", and he batted at number seven for England . However, this did not develop as much as expected and he reverted to being
17955-400: The match, although they attacked the young leg-spinner, who took 1/130 in total from 36 overs. Benaud scored his maiden first-class century, 117 against South Australia, in the next match, two years after falling short of the milestone by seven runs. In the next four matches, Benaud passed 15 only once, scoring a 34, and took only seven wickets. Up to this point, in seven matches for the season,
18126-420: The matches being played. Test cricket resumed after the war in 1946, and England won their first match back against India. However, they struggled in the 1946–47 Ashes series, losing 3–0 in Australia under Wally Hammond 's captaincy. England beat South Africa 3–0 in 1947 with Denis Compton scoring 1,187 runs in the series. The 1947–48 series against the West Indies was another disappointment for England, with
18297-445: The next few Ashes series losing the 1921 Ashes series 3–0 and the 1924–25 Ashes 4–1. England's fortunes were to change in 1926 as they regained the Ashes and were a formidable team during this period dispatching Australia 4–1 in the 1928–29 Ashes tour. In the same year the West Indies became the fourth nation to be granted Test status and played their first game against England. England won each of these three Tests by an innings, and
18468-464: The next season, England toured Australia, and with the Test players back, Benaud was initially forced out of the team. He was recalled for a match against the Englishmen. He was attacked by the touring batsmen, taking 1/75 from 16.5 overs in his first outing against an international outfit. His only wicket was that of the all-rounder Trevor Bailey . He scored 20 not out and was not called on to bowl in
18639-411: The next two Tests, which Australia lost and drew, totaling 6/244. He returned to form with 5/43 and 3/43 as India were defeated by an innings after being forced to follow on in the Fourth Test in Madras . A further seven wickets from the captain in the Fifth Test saw Australia secure a draw and the series 2–1. Benaud had contributed 91 runs at 15.16 and 29 wickets at 19.59. The first two seasons of
18810-483: The nickname 'Dingers' stuck". The Third Test cemented the "Typhoon" reputation. He took 2/68 in the first innings and at the end of the fourth day Australia needed 240 to win and were 75–2, with Tyson on 1/11. Over 50,000 Australian fans came on the fifth day to see Neil Harvey and Richie Benaud knock off the remaining 165 runs, but what they got was 'the fastest and most frightening sustained spell of fast bowling seen in Australia'. as Tyson took 6/16 off 6.3 overs from
18981-488: The nickname 'Typhoon'. Roaring off a long run, he generated tremendous pace that unnerved and unhinged even the greatest batsmen." His fast bowling gave him the nickname "Typhoon Tyson", and despite his short career he achieved status as the fastest England bowler in living memory. Don Bradman called him "the fastest bowler I have ever seen" and Richie Benaud agreed, writing "For a short time, Frank Tyson blasted all-comers". Tom Graveney wrote 'I cannot believe any bowler
19152-503: The opposing team fielding more than 11 players to make for a more even contest. This first Australian tour was mostly against odds of at least 18/11. The tour was so successful that Parr led a second tour in 1863–64 . James Lillywhite led a subsequent England team which sailed on the P&;O steamship Poonah on 21 September 1876. They played a combined Australian XI, for once on even terms of 11-a-side. The match, starting on 15 March 1877 at
19323-570: The pace of Tyson and Brian Statham with the spin of Bob Appleyard and Johnny Wardle . Tyson took 3/85 and 3/47 as Australia fell for 111 in the second innings to lose the Test by five wickets and the series 3–1. It was the first time England had won a series in Australia since 1932–33, they would not win another until 1970–71. Despite three days lost to rain, an aggressive England team almost made it 4–1. Tyson took 2/45 and 0/20 as Australia followed on , needing 32 runs to make England bat again with only four wickets left. Tyson had taken 28 wickets in
19494-408: The placid Northamptonshire wickets. Tyson believed that a bouncer should 'pin the batsman against the sightscreen' and frequently used them to intimidate batsmen, even tailenders . His ungainly action and quest for raw speed took a toll on even his strong body and he suffered from a series of injuries which brought a premature end to his career. In 1994 he had operations to his right arm and knees and
19665-784: The players. The first overseas tour occurred in September 1859 with England touring North America . This team had six players from the All-England Eleven, six from the United All-England Eleven and was captained by George Parr . With the outbreak of the American Civil War , attention turned elsewhere. English tourists visited Australia in 1861–62 with this first tour organised as a commercial venture by Messrs Spiers and Pond, restaurateurs of Melbourne . Most matches played during tours prior to 1877 were "against odds", with
19836-399: The process. England also lost to South Africa, with Jack Hobbs scoring his first of 15 centuries on the tour. England toured Australia in 1911–12 and beat their opponents 4–1. The team included the likes of Rhodes, Hobbs, Frank Woolley and Sydney Barnes . England lost the first match of the series but bounced back and won the next four Tests. This proved to be the last Ashes series before
20007-474: The record of 236 Test wickets set by the assistant-manager Alec Bedser . Benaud was another contender with 219 wickets, but it was Statham who broke the record (only to be overtaken by Trueman in New Zealand) and Benaud had to be content with breaking Ray Lindwall 's Australian record of 228 Test wickets. In an early tour match Benaud took his best first class innings haul of 18–10–18–7 for New South Wales against
20178-421: The remainder of his career. It was thought at the time that this was due to his violent pounding his foot received when he delivered the ball, but it was later found to be caused by the friction of his heel turning in ill-fitting boots. His place was taken by his Yorkshire rival Fred Trueman and Tyson's last eight Tests were played intermittently over a period of four years before he retired. He returned to play in
20349-524: The scars though'. Frank Tyson met his wife Ursula Miels (born in 1936) in Melbourne on the 1954–55 tour, and they married in a Melbourne church on 22 November 1957 with much publicity. They had three children, Philip (a non-Typhoon medium-paced bowler), Sara and Anna, and eight grandchildren. He retired from first-class cricket in 1960 and emigrated to Australia as a ten-pound pom , as his hero Harold Larwood had done ten years earlier. "It had struck me while I
20520-403: The score to 226, a seventh-wicket partnership of 134. Only seven runs were required with four wickets in hand as time was running short. Benaud hit a ball into the covers and the pair attempted a quick single when a direct hit from Joe Solomon saw Davidson run out . Australia needed six runs from the final over, in which Benaud was caught and the last two wickets fell to run outs while attempting
20691-410: The second innings when a ball landed in a crack and skidded through onto his foot. He ended with 3/56, the first time he had taken three wickets in a match. In the next match against South Australia, he made 48, took 4/93 and 1/29 and suffered three dropped catches by the wicketkeeper in successive balls. Benaud was cementing his position and was in the senior team for four consecutive matches even with
20862-446: The second innings, when nine West Indian wickets had fallen and Australia were on the verge of an inevitable victory. Leading opposition batsman Everton Weekes edged Benaud in his first over, but Gil Langley dropped the catch. Benaud went on to dismiss tail-ender Alf Valentine for his first Test wicket, conceding 14 runs from 4.3 overs. Benaud ended his season with 97 and a total of 3/39 in an innings win over South Australia. For
21033-406: The second innings, which remained his highest Test score. Taking advice from his old coach Alf Gover , who was in Australia as a journalist, Tyson stopped using his laborious 38-yard run up and returned to a shorter run up used in league cricket with ten short then ten long final strides. With this he took 4/45 in the first innings, described vividly by Margaret Hughes : "Harvey received a beast of
21204-507: The second innings. In the next Shield match against Victoria, led by Australian captain Lindsay Hassett , Benaud came in for attack. Hassett was known for his prowess against spin bowling, being the only batsman to score centuries in a match against the leg-spin of Bill O'Reilly , regarded as the finest bowler of his age. Hassett struck 179 in four hours, and took 47 runs from Benaud's seven overs. The young leg spinner claimed Hassett in
21375-419: The series 4–0 as Richie Benaud 's revitalised Australians were too strong, with England struggling with the bat throughout the series. On 24 August 1959, England inflicted its only 5–0 whitewash over India . All out for 194 at The Oval, India lost the last test by an innings. England's batsman Ken Barrington and Colin Cowdrey both had an excellent series with the bat, with Barrington scoring 357 runs across
21546-505: The series and Cowdrey scoring 344. The early and middle 1960s were poor periods for English cricket. Despite England's strength on paper, Australia held the Ashes and the West Indies dominated England in the early part of the decade. May stood down as captain in 1961 following the 1961 Ashes defeat . Ted Dexter succeeded him as captain but England continued to suffer indifferent results. In 1961–62, they beat Pakistan, but also lost to India. The following year saw England and Australia tie
21717-573: The series at 20.82 and was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1956. Stokes McGown, a Botany Bay Sports Goods manufacturer made autographed cricket balls in his honour; ironically 'The Typhoon' ball was good for swinging, unlike its namesake. After Australia, England toured New Zealand , who had yet to win a Test match. Tyson took 3/23 and 4/16 in the First Test as New Zealand were dismissed for 125 and 132 and England won by 8 wickets despite making only 209/8 declared in their first innings. In this extraordinary Test Tyson took 2/41 in
21888-421: The side losing 2–0 following injuries to several key players. England suffered further humiliation against Bradman's invincible side in the 1948 Ashes series. Hutton was controversially dropped for the third Test, and England were bowled out for just 52 at The Oval. The series proved to be Bradman's final Ashes series. In 1948–49, England beat South Africa 2–0 under the captaincy of George Mann. The series included
22059-475: The sightscreen with the ball after it bounced once on the pitch. He is one of only four bowlers to have achieved this feat in the history of the game, the others being Charles Kortright , Roy Gilchrist and Jeff Thomson . and he was given his county cap in the same year, his first full first-class season. Tyson reckoned that he received his Test call up when ex-England captains Gubby Allen and Norman Yardley saw him hospitalise Bill Edrich at Lords . Edrich,
22230-458: The slips moved back an extra five yards and his first wicket was that of the Test batsman Pankaj Roy for a duck. Tyson's second first-class match was against the Australians in 1953. Richie Benaud was told that the unknown Tyson was a bowler fresh out of Durham University who would give them no trouble. They began to revise this estimation when they saw the wicket-keeper take position halfway to
22401-448: The strain, the right arm is straight ready for delivery and the left leg kicks out menacingly'. Australian newspapers had accused Tyson of dragging his right foot over the popping crease on the 1954–55 tour and an English newspaper responded; "Will Tyson be "sacrificed" to avoid any risk of giving the Australians a chance to scream that Tyson persistently bowls no-balls by foot-drag over the crease?" with pictures of his bowling action. In
22572-455: The surgery. This was the only match he played for the second-string state team that summer. In his early career, Benaud was a batting all-rounder, marked by a looping backlift which made him suspect against fast bowling but allowed him to have a wide attacking stroke range. At the start of the 1949–50 season, he was still in the Second XI, but when the Test players departed for a tour of South Africa soon afterwards, vacancies opened up. Benaud
22743-442: The surrounding areas. It could have killed him if it had struck him where his skull was previously fractured. He married after the match and had to mumble his wedding vows through a swathe of bandages. Benaud went on to play in the final four Tests. He made 124 runs at 20.66, making double figures in four of seven innings, but was unable to capitalise on his starts, with a top score of 45. His leg spin yielded ten wickets at 30.60, with
22914-432: The tailenders to follow. Despite this, Benaud told chairman of selectors Don Bradman that he would still be going for an improbable victory in accordance with his policy of aggression. With an attacking partnership, the pair took Australia to within sight of the target. Both men were noted for their hitting ability and viewed attack as their most effective chance of survival. Regular boundaries and quickly-run singles took
23085-411: The target. In 1952–53 he worked felling trees, which John Snow regarded as an excellent exercise for developing the muscles of a fast bowler and attended Alf Gover 's East Hill Indoor School for cricketers. In 1954–55 Gover covered the Ashes tour as a journalist and advised Tyson to use the shorter run-up from his league cricket days, which proved to be a turning point in the series. Before he became
23256-450: The task of recovering the Ashes from an England team which had arrived in Australia as favourites. He led from the front with his bowling, taking match figures of 7/112 in his debut as captain as Australia claimed the First Test in Brisbane . Benaud's men won the Second Test, before he took 5/83 and 4/94 in the drawn Third Test. Benaud produced an all-round performance of 46, 5/91 and 4/82 in
23427-439: The team seldom succeeded in beating good opposition throughout the decade and did not score a home Test victory (except against minnows Sri Lanka) between September 1985 and July 1990. Botham took over the captaincy in 1980 and they put up a good fight against the West Indies, losing a five match Test series 1–0, although England were humbled in the return series. After scoring a pair in the first Test against Australia, Botham lost
23598-465: The team to victory at Lord's, Benaud had an unhappy return in the Third at Headingley scoring two runs in two innings and taking match figures of 2/108 as Australia lost within three days. With the series balanced at 1–1, the Fourth Test at Old Trafford initially brought no improvement, with Benaud scoring 2 and taking 0/80 in the first innings. He made 1 in the second before a last-wicket partnership between Davidson and Graham McKenzie of 98 yielded
23769-475: The tour sent the following cable to the MCC in London: Bodyline bowling assumed such proportions as to menace best interests of game, making protection of body by batsmen the main consideration. Causing intensely bitter feeling between players as well as injury. In our opinion is unsportsmanlike. Unless stopped at once likely to upset friendly relations existing between Australia and England. Later, Jardine
23940-552: The tour, when the team visited Timaru to pay a minor match, Benaud went to a pharmacy to see if he could get something to soothe his spinning-fingers, which had been torn by his spinning action for many years. The pharmacist, Ivan James, suggested a treatment with calamine lotion and boracic acid . It worked at once, and Benaud used it thereafter. "Meeting Ivan James was a remarkable piece of luck," he wrote later; "walking into that chemist's shop in Timaru saved my bowling career." After
24111-414: The touring team against a Tasmania Combined XI, his wickets including Test batsmen Miller, Ian Craig and Neil Harvey . He also put on 167 in a partnership with Alan Davidson , the first collaboration between the pair, who would later go on to lead Australia's bowling in the last five years of their career. Benaud struck an unbeaten 100 and totalled 1/64 in the next match against Western Australia before
24282-474: The war. The 1912 season saw England take part in a unique experiment. A nine-Test triangular tournament involving England, South Africa and Australia was set up. The series was hampered by a very wet summer and player disputes however and the tournament was considered a failure with the Daily Telegraph stating: Nine Tests provide a surfeit of cricket, and contests between Australia and South Africa are not
24453-408: The wicket of Queensland batsman Bill Brown in his third match of the season. Benaud erroneously recalled in an autobiography that this was his maiden wicket—it was, in fact, his fourth—and described the ball as "the worst I ever bowled". He had more success with the bat, scoring 93 and narrowly missing a century against South Australia . He added another fifty and ended with 250 runs at 31.25. For
24624-400: The wicket. When he moved to first-class cricket this increased to 38 yards, starting near the sightscreen and over 200 feet from the wicket-keeper , who was often reduced to an athletic long stop . With a final leap to the wicket he released the ball with a high arm action and a heave of his shoulders, 'the ferocity of his delivery' was described as 'every muscle is in use, the right foot takes
24795-491: The willow dropped off in his remaining six matches before the Tests—a 35 was his only score beyond 20 in seven attempts—Benaud continued to strike regularly with the ball. He took 18 wickets in these matches, including 3/20 and 3/37 against Oxford University , 5/13 against Minor Counties and 4/38 against Hampshire . This was enough for him to gain selection for the start of the Tests. He managed only eight runs in four innings in
24966-485: The winning run. The Test was tied when Solomon ran out Ian Meckiff with a direct hit. Benaud had an ineffective match with the ball, taking 1/162. He took 4/107 in a seven-wicket victory in Melbourne, before the West Indies levelled the series with a 22-run win in Sydney. Benaud had a heavy load in the match, taking 8/199 after Davidson tore a hamstring mid-match. In Adelaide, with Davidson absent, Benaud bowled long spells to take match figures of 7/207 in addition to
25137-404: The young all-rounder had only scored 307 runs at 27.90 and taken ten wickets at 64.80. Despite this, Benaud was chosen for his Test debut in the Fifth Test against the West Indies in 1951–52 in Sydney. At this point, Australia had already taken an unassailable 3–1 series lead and decided to try out some young players. Selected as a batsman, he scored 3 and 19. Hassett allowed him to bowl only in
25308-507: Was Violet Tyson (born 1892) and his father worked for the Yorkshire Dyeing Company, but died before his son was selected for England . As a boy he played cricket with his elder brother David Tyson, who served in Australia during the war ; at school he practised his run-up on the balcony. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School , Middleton , and studied English literature at Hatfield College , Durham University As
25479-569: Was a success for cricket. The unprecedented public interest saw the Caribbean touring party farewelled with a ticker-tape parade by the Australian public. Along with the West Indian captain Frank Worrell , Benaud's bold leadership enlivened interest in Test cricket among a public who had increasingly regarded it as boring. On his third and final tour to England in 1961, he was hampered by damaged tendons in his right shoulder, which forced him to miss
25650-503: Was admirable, and when Benaud gets a batsman in trouble he rarely if ever gives him a loose one. He keeps him pinned down, probing and probing until the victim is well and truly enmeshed." After the 1956 England tour, Benaud stayed behind in London to take a BBC presenter training course. He took up a journalism position with the News of the World , beginning as a police roundsman before becoming
25821-505: Was also a cricket commentator on ABC television for 26 years, and for Channel Nine from 1979 to 1986, forming a partnership with Tony Greig . Following his full retirement, Tyson enjoyed his house on the Gold Coast , where he could "wake up every day in the sun". He went to the gym three times a week, enjoyed swimming, and spent his time making oil paintings of cricketers and cricket grounds. The calypso singer Lord Kitchener released
25992-423: Was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia . Following his retirement from international cricket in 1964, Benaud became a highly regarded commentator on the game. Benaud was a Test cricket all-rounder , blending leg spin bowling with lower-order batting aggression. Along with fellow bowling all-rounder Alan Davidson , he helped restore Australia to the top of world cricket in
26163-486: Was awarded life membership by the New South Wales Cricket Association , but he returned it in protest in 1970 when his younger brother John was removed from the captaincy. In 1967–68 he captained a Commonwealth team against Pakistan, playing in his last five first-class fixtures. During Benaud's captaincy, Australia did not lose a series, and became the dominant team in world cricket. His success
26334-463: Was based on his ability to attack, his tactical boldness and his ability to extract more performance from his players, in particular Davidson. He was known for his unbuttoned shirt, and raised eyebrows with his on-field exuberance. Benaud embraced his players when opposition wickets fell, something that was uncommon at the time. Benaud's bold leadership coupled with his charismatic nature and public relations ability enlivened interest in Test cricket among
26505-440: Was faster than Tyson at that time'. When fielding in the slips he had 'to stand 40 yards off the bat, and still . the ball was often going over our heads from edged shots'. His Northants colleague Jock Livingston said 'When really firing, Tyson was the quickest of all over a period of three or four overs'. Livingston had seen Harold Larwood bowl Bodyline and batted against the Australian fast bowlers Miller and Lindwall in
26676-418: Was hit for 1/160 off 29 eight ball overs and England lost by an innings and 154 runs. Even so, Tyson hit Arthur Morris and Neil Harvey repeatedly with the ball and they were badly bruised. More to the point he bounced Ray Lindwall after the Australian all-rounder knocked several boundaries off the fast bowler on his way to 64 not out . Tyson also managed to run out Graeme Hole and made 37 not out in
26847-456: Was in a low phase with a young team. His instinctive, aggressive captaincy and daring approach to cricket – and his charismatic nature and public relations ability – revitalised cricket interest in Australia. This was exhibited in the 1960–61 Test series against the visiting West Indians , in which the grounds were packed to greater levels than they are today despite Australia's population doubling since then. The First Test in Brisbane ended in
27018-429: Was intelligence, rhythm and strength merged into the violent craft of fast bowling" and "He is intelligent beyond the usual run of fast bowlers: he is the type of cricketer whom improves rapidly through thinking about the game". "Frank Tyson, at his peak, was possibly the fastest bowler of all time. In 1954–55, England convincingly beat Australia by three Tests to one, mainly thanks to devastating bowling that earned Tyson
27189-495: Was made temporary captain. He also made 113 against the touring side for the Prime Minister's XI. Australia's selectors persisted and selected him for the squad to tour the West Indies in 1954–55. Their faith was rewarded by an improvement in performances. Benaud contributed 46 and match figures of 2/73 in a First Test victory at Kingston . After a draw in the Second Test, he took three wickets in four balls to end with 4/15 in
27360-434: Was not encouraging. At this stage of his career, he had played 13 Tests with mediocre results. Selected as a batsman who could bowl, he had totalled 309 runs at 15.45 without passing 50, and taken 23 wickets at 37.87 with only two four-wicket innings hauls. Even so, he was promoted to vice-captain above several senior players when Ian Johnson and Keith Miller missed the 2nd Test at Sydney through injury and Arthur Morris
27531-451: Was nothing short of startling to batsmen and spectators alike. He represented an elemental force obscuring the details of his technique and the highest tribute he received was the gasp of incredulity frequently emitted by the crowd as the ball passed from his hand to the distant wicket-keeper." In League, university and Army cricket Tyson had used a 'short' run up of 18 or 20 yards consisting of ten short steps and ten long final strides to
27702-460: Was over there that it was a wonderful country to bring up a family, with the open spaces, the climate and the job opportunities". He became a schoolmaster at Carey Baptist Grammar School in Melbourne, teaching English, French and History, later becoming a housemaster and the head of languages. Tyson worked as a cricket coach in Melbourne and was the captain-coach of University of Melbourne Cricket Club . He also played for Todmorden Cricket Club in
27873-543: Was over, Benaud added a further half-century in addition to the century against Pearce's XI, and took 22 more wickets, including 4/20 against the Gentlemen of England . After returning home from his first overseas tour, Benaud was prolific during the 1953–54 Australian season, which was purely domestic with no touring Test team. He contributed significantly with both bat and ball in New South Wales' Sheffield Shield triumph,
28044-602: Was probably the 1976–77 win over India in India. When Greig was discovered as being instrumental in World Series Cricket, he was sacked, and replaced by Mike Brearley . Brearley's side showed again the hyperbole that is often spoken when one side dominates in cricket. While his side of 1977–80 contained some young players who went on to become England greats, most notably future captains Ian Botham , David Gower and Graham Gooch , their opponents were often very much weakened by
28215-523: Was recalled to the New South Wales First XI in late December for the Christmas and New Year's fixtures. With Ray Lindwall , Keith Miller and Ernie Toshack , three of Australia's leading four bowlers from the 1948 Invincibles tour of England unavailable, Benaud bowled heavily in some matches. However, he did not have much success in his five games, taking only five wickets at 54.00. He took
28386-464: Was removed from the captaincy and the Laws of Cricket changed so that no more than one fast ball aimed at the body was permitted per over, and having more than two fielders behind square leg was banned. England's following tour of India in the 1933–34 season was the first Test match to be staged in the subcontinent. The series was also notable for Stan Nichols and Nobby Clark bowling so many bouncers that
28557-461: Was struck in the head above the right eye by a ball from Jack Daniel while batting against Victoria in Melbourne , having missed an attempted hook. After 28 X-rays showed nothing, it was finally diagnosed that the crater in his forehead had resulted in a skull fracture and he was sidelined for the remainder of the season, since a second impact could have been fatal. He spent two weeks in hospital for
28728-417: Was that he was noticeably faster than his contemporaries Ray Lindwall , Keith Miller , Fred Trueman , Brian Statham , Peter Heine and Neil Adcock . His great fast bowling rival Fred Trueman 'was forever being told that when it came to bowling I was very fast, but on his day Frank Tyson was faster than me' and it was Tyson who kept Trueman out of the England team in 1954–55. When they played together in
28899-414: Was the first of his successes against India , against whom he took his wickets at an average of 18. This put him in a small group of spinners whose career averages were inferior to their performances against India, generally regarded as the best players of spin in the world. At this stage of his career, he had yet to perform consistently with bat and ball simultaneously, apart from his breakthrough series in
29070-524: Was the surprising choice but only lasted 18 months; his results against poor opposition were good, but England were badly exposed as ageing and lacking in good fast bowling against the 1974–75 Australians, losing that series 4–1 to lose the Ashes. Denness was replaced in 1975 by Tony Greig . While he managed to avoid losing to Australia, his side were largely thrashed the following year by the young and very much upcoming West Indies for whom Greig's infamous "grovel" remark acted as motivation. Greig's finest hour
29241-511: Was thought that the surface at the Oval would favour pacemen, but Australia's selection proved to be a blunder as England's spinners took them to the only win of the series, allowing them to regain the Ashes. He also showed his hitting ability in a tour match against T.N. Pearce's XI at Scarborough . Opening the batting, he struck 135 in 110 minutes in the second innings, including an Australian record of eleven sixes, four of them in one over. In eight first-class matches after his Test campaign
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