Free The Ashes by John Miller

2–191 with Ashes debutante Derek Randall on 87 and Amiss 34.
    On the final day the third wicket stand reached 166 before Amiss fell, Randall having reached his century. Soon after he was felled by a lifting delivery from Lillee only to spring back upright with a grin and a rub of the head. With his departure for 174 the end was predictable, and when Lillee (5–139) trapped Knott lbw, England had lost but given an admirable effort.
World Series Cricket
    The euphoria was soon forgotten, as within weeks it transpired that while the Centenary Test was being played moves were afoot to set up a ‘commercial cricket circus’ involving almost all the Australians, key English players and dozens from other countries. In the 1970s many players believed they were grossly underpaid and wanted to see changes made to a game they believed was becoming set in its ways. Their rumblings about keeping jobs and making ends meet while playing Test cricket coincided with Australian media baron Kerry Packer’s irritation at the intransigent behaviour of the Australian Cricket Board, which would not let him buy exclusive television rights to Tests. Packer and many players formed a breakaway system called World Series Cricket (WSC) that saw players paid more and the game commercialised for television purposes.
    The WSC ‘revolution’ disjointed international cricket with separate international competitions played and most of the best players contracted to WSC. Despite the scepticism of many experts, who believed WSC and its focus on the one-day game could be the death of Test cricket, the traditions associated with Tests overcame the setbacks; today—thanks also to the increased flow of money, the influence of one-day cricket and the influx of new supporters it has brought—Test cricket has never been stronger. England’s dynamic Ian Botham also helped refocus attention on Tests.

Chapter 8
SWASHBUCKLING BOTHAM
    In 1977, a few months after the World Series Cricket ‘revolution’, the Australian team, including thirteen with WSC contracts, toured England. The drawn first Test at Lord’s, staged to commemorate the 25-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II, saw Mike Brearley as England captain, replacing Tony Greig who was stood down for his WSC involvement. Bob Willis took his Test best of 7–78 in Australia’s first innings while Bob Woolmer scored 120.
    Woolmer was again to the fore in England’s nine-wicket win at Old Trafford, scoring 137. They repeated the dose in the third Test by seven wickets. The match featured the comeback of Geoff Boycott after three years of self-imposed exile and the Test debut of Ian Botham, who took 5–74 in Australia’s first innings of 243. Knott’s score of 135 in England’s first innings was the highest by an English wicketkeeper against Australia while Boycott was the first player to bat on each day of a five-day Ashes Test. At Leeds England confidently regained the Ashes, and the Oval Test was drawn thanks mainly to the weather.
    Australian fears that the 1978–79 team, depleted by the WSC exodus, would be no match for England without Knott, Underwood, Greig and Woolmer, were borne out in the opening session in Brisbane, when captain Graham Yallop won the toss and batted. Australia was 6–26 before the lower order dragged them to 126. England also struggled against new paceman Rodney Hogg (6–74) but the effort of Derek Randall with 75 took them to 286. When three second-innings wickets were lost for 49 Australia seemed doomed, but then came the sturdy resistance of Kim Hughes (129) and Yallop (102), whose century marked a unique feat in that it was by a player not only in his first Ashes Test, but captaining his side. England’s target was 170 and at 3–74 it looked tricky but Randall (74 not out) and David Gower (48 not out) saw them home.
    England went two up in Perth and Gower went even better with 102 in a first innings of 309 in which Hogg took 5–65. Australia’s batting was abysmal as