Free The Ashes by John Miller Page A

Willis took 5–44. Hogg’s 5–57 restricted England to 208 in its second innings but the lead of 327 proved too much. The victory that gave Australia new hope was secured in Melbourne and inspired by a painstaking century to opener Graeme Wood as well as Hogg, who took ten for the match. Alan Border, on debut, made 29 and a duck. England returned to its winning ways in Sydney, despite Boycott being dismissed first ball for the only time in his Test career. This was the first Ashes series to feature protective helmets and it was probably just as well for Botham, who was struck while fielding close to the wicket, chipping his helmet.
    In Adelaide Yallop sent England in and his fast bowlers reduced them to 5–27 before Botham (74) saw them to 169. Australia was stunned when the fifth ball of the innings from Willis struck Rick Darling just above the heart and he collapsed. He was taken to hospital but later returned to the field. Botham took 4–42 as Australia trailed by five and when England had slid to 6–132 it seemed a thriller was developing, but a seventh wicket stand of 135 by Geoff Miller and wicket-keeper Bob Taylor took them to 360. England’s all-round superiority was again shown as Australia was dismissed for 160.
    England completed its biggest ever series win over Australia, 5–1, with ease in the Sydney Test. For the eighth and ninth times in the series Australia failed to score 200 while opening bowlers Hogg and Alan Hurst both set records: Hogg completed his first series with 41 wickets, an Ashes record, while Hurst made six ducks, the most by a batsman in a single Test series. The cry across Australia was in favour of unifying the game and sending the best eleven cricketers into the field.
Back together
    WSC and the Australian Cricket Board reached a truce in May 1979 with the board agreeing to increase players’ payments, grant exclusive television rights and introduce more one-day cricket. The game then needed to restore its credibility. A three-way series of one-day matches involving Australia, England and the West Indies was scheduled and three Tests each against England and the West Indies were to be played by Australia. The six-ball over was restored after 46 years of eight-ball overs.
    Australia won this home series 3–0 but authorities at Lord’s regarded it as makeshift and declared that the Ashes were not at stake. Lillee hit the headlines in Perth when he scored Test cricket’s only runs with an aluminium bat, which was thereafter banned. At the MCG Graham Gooch (99) became the fifth player in the series to finish in the nineties, while Botham (119 not out) hit his maiden Test century against Australia.
    The only Test of the 1980 tour to England was at Lord’s to celebrate the centenary of Test cricket in England. Ten hours were lost to rain and the Test was drawn. Wood scored 112 while Hughes (117) became the first Australian to bat on all five days of a Test. Needing 370 in 350 minutes, England was content to see the match through to a chorus of slow handclaps. There were some ugly scenes in the Lord’s Long Room when umpires and captains were jostled by members frustrated at the long delay caused by poor covering of the wicket square.
    While Botham captured the imagination of the cricket world with his all-round displays and had earned the appreciation of selectors by being made Test captain, it was his Herculean efforts in the 1981 series that gave him legendary status. Single-handedly he turned around a series which Australia appeared to have won after three of the six Tests, and in the history of the Ashes only Don Bradman’s performances in the 1936–37 series would rank higher.
    The first Test at Nottingham was the first in England with play on a Sunday and the first without a rest day. Terry Alderman took nine wickets on his Australian Test debut while the inclusion of Trevor Chappell represented the first instance of three brothers having played Test cricket for Australia.