Cook at one end, rotisserie at the other ...

NICE ARTICLE

The recent lottery at the other end to Cook is somewhat reminiscent of Australia's early 1970s struggle to find a replacement for Lawry to partner Stackpole, after Lawry was unceremoniously ditched, although England has not yet plumbed the same depths.

From memory, over the period early 1971 - early 1974 Stackpole would have walked out to open with: Ken Eastwood, Bruce Francis, Graeme Watson, Ashley Woodcock, Ross Edwards, Ian Redpath, Paul Sheahan, and perhaps even Rodney Marsh. Of these, only Redpath was an unqualified success, and even he had been better suited down the order for the bulk of his career.

I can dimly remember Watson and Stacky batting through the first day of a tour game in Pomgolia. Watson - the most recent half decent cricketer of that name-got a test or two but failed and was dropped. He was also a bloody good AFL player.

That game was against Hampshire - from recall Watson smashed 176 and Stackpole made 119. Unfortunately Francis remained in the opening position after making 210 v some malnourished and hungover university students, andd in the first in the first Test Watson batted at #4, where he was not suited.

Watson was also a much better bowler than his latter day namesake - he swung the ball a lot, as a lot of WA bowlers did back then (Ian Brayshaw, Les Varis,Laurie Mayne were others). I would have loved to have seen Watson and Massie bowling in tandem at Lords, although it would most likely have robbed Massie of his 16-137 analysis.

Thanks again. Yep he was a good bowler. Moved to wasp central so he could a game and his form picked up after the move.

I was expecting some kind of spit roast from this thread.

(Sorry.)

And Shami (Kebab) bowling.

Partnership list
Partners Wkt Runs In Out Inns Opposition Ground Start DateAscending
KH Eastwood, KR Stackpole 1 11 - 1/11 2 v England Sydney 12 Feb 1971 investigate this query
KH Eastwood, KR Stackpole 1 0 - 1/0 4 v England Sydney 12 Feb 1971 investigate this query
BC Francis, KR Stackpole 1 68 - 1/68 2 v England Manchester 8 Jun 1972 investigate this query
BC Francis, KR Stackpole 1 9 - 1/9 4 v England Manchester 8 Jun 1972 investigate this query
BC Francis, KR Stackpole 1 1 - 1/1 2 v England Lord's 22 Jun 1972 investigate this query
BC Francis, KR Stackpole 1 20 - 1/20 4 v England Lord's 22 Jun 1972 investigate this query
BC Francis, KR Stackpole 1 16 - 1/16 1 v England Nottingham 13 Jul 1972 investigate this query
R Edwards, KR Stackpole 1 15 - 1/15 3 v England Nottingham 13 Jul 1972 investigate this query
R Edwards, KR Stackpole 1 10 - 1/10 1 v England Leeds 27 Jul 1972 investigate this query
R Edwards, KR Stackpole 1 5 - 1/5 3 v England Leeds 27 Jul 1972 investigate this query
KR Stackpole, GD Watson 1 24 - 1/24 2 v England The Oval 10 Aug 1972 investigate this query
KR Stackpole, GD Watson 1 16 - 1/16 4 v England The Oval 10 Aug 1972 investigate this query
IR Redpath, AP Sheahan 1 3 - 1/3 2 v Pakistan Adelaide 22 Dec 1972 investigate this query
IR Redpath, AP Sheahan 1 60 - 1/60 1 v Pakistan Melbourne 29 Dec 1972 investigate this query
IR Redpath, AP Sheahan 1 18 - 1/18 3 v Pakistan Melbourne 29 Dec 1972 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 56 - 1/56 1 v Pakistan Sydney 6 Jan 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 29 - 1/29 3 v Pakistan Sydney 6 Jan 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 66 - 1/66 1 v West Indies Kingston 16 Feb 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 161 - 1/161 3 v West Indies Kingston 16 Feb 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 2 - 1/2 1 v West Indies Bridgetown 9 Mar 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 79 - 1/79 3 v West Indies Bridgetown 9 Mar 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 1 - 1/1 1 v West Indies Port of Spain 23 Mar 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 31 - 1/31 3 v West Indies Port of Spain 23 Mar 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 5 - 1/5 2 v West Indies Georgetown 6 Apr 1973 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 135* - 0/135 4 v West Indies Georgetown 6 Apr 1973 investigate this query
R Edwards, IR Redpath 1 50 - 1/50 1 v West Indies Port of Spain 21 Apr 1973 investigate this query
R Edwards, IR Redpath 1 37 - 1/37 3 v West Indies Port of Spain 21 Apr 1973 investigate this query
AP Sheahan, KR Stackpole 1 75 - 1/75 1 v New Zealand Melbourne 29 Dec 1973 investigate this query
AP Sheahan, KR Stackpole 1 20 - 1/20 2 v New Zealand Sydney 5 Jan 1974 investigate this query
AP Sheahan, KR Stackpole 1 10 - 1/10 4 v New Zealand Sydney 5 Jan 1974 investigate this query
KR Stackpole, AJ Woodcock 1 21 - 1/21 1 v New Zealand Adelaide 26 Jan 1974 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 13 - 1/13 1 v New Zealand Wellington 1 Mar 1974 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 67 - 1/67 3 v New Zealand Wellington 1 Mar 1974 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 8 - 1/8 1 v New Zealand Christchurch 8 Mar 1974 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 12 - 1/12 3 v New Zealand Christchurch 8 Mar 1974 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 0 - 1/0 1 v New Zealand Auckland 22 Mar 1974 investigate this query
IR Redpath, KR Stackpole 1 2 - 1/2 3 v New Zealand Auckland 22 Mar 1974

9 fifty+ stands in 37 digs? Just under 25% but still, or were we just spoiled for a while?

was a shitty period

Yes, I remember it vividly. Crappelli was reasonably prolific in that period at no. 3, overcoming our lack of decent starts.

It was an unnecessarily shitty period. Keeping Lawry for two more years would have fixed it, picking either Redpath or Sheahan to partner Stackpole would have fixed it, picking Woodcock and sticking with him would likely also have fixed it.

Missing from embee's list above is the 5-match series v ROW in 1971-72, which were played with the intensity of Tests, but which again featured shitty opening partnerships with Francis, Watson, Woodcock, and (I think) John Inverarity all having a crack. In his only two innings, Watson actually looked the part until he was beamed by Tony Greig.

In that series, the starts were:

36 and 3 (with Francis)
77 (with sundries and Francis)
58 and 35 (with Watson)
55 and 32 (with Inverarity)
8 and 11 (with Woodcock)

Coincidentally I have just come across this article/interview with Jeff 'Bomber' Hammond, who toured England in 1972 and the West Indies in 1973, when this shit was going down. He doesn't say much about the opening batsmen, but it's a somewhat nostalgic piece from that period.

HAMMOND CRICINFO INTERVIEW

I think he was at a function in Cairns the other night, unless he got lost sailing up to Airlie Beach. Interesting thread after it. Didn't Barry Richards get the 300 at ten to six with a couple of overs to go? Someone should show the bloke the picture of Richards holding the bat he used and Warner's bat.

Ta muchly.

nope, not here either