50 Years ago today

The tied Test at the Gabba.

Australia needed 233 runs to win on the final day, by tea they were 6-110 and looking gawn.

The small crowd who stuck around to the end witnessed something they'll never forget, and Australia wide, radios blared out the commentary for cricket fans who wished they were there.

The match set the tone for one of the greatest series ever played, and one in which both teams (as Richie Benaud syas) 'tried to bowl as many overs as possible in a day without dawdling or time wasting, and to play exciting cricket for the paying public.'

The grainy black and white footage of this series should be compulsory viewing for evey player before they play international cricket, and captains should be made to watch it annually until they get the message that 13-point-something overs an hour is pissweak.

Great moment in world cricket.

PeterCS wrote:Great moment in world cricket.

aye Pete. One of Bradman's few triumphs as Board Chairman - he consistently urged both skippers to play positively & to their great credit, that's exactly how it played out.

Imagine what would happen these days if James Sutherland came out and said that to a visiting team. He'd be told where to get off.

Sutherland doesn't quite have Bradman's cache though.

wonderful Test and series

3 runouts in the Oz 2nd innings with a wonderful throw by Joe Solomon to run out Meckiff at the end denied Oz an earlier-seeming improbable victory (they were 92-6 before Benaud and Davidson came together to put on 134 for the 7th wicket). That game and the Centenary Test in 1977 must rank as the greatest Tests of all times in terms of the ebb and flow of the contest throughout the whole period of the match.

Allan D wrote:3 runouts in the Oz 2nd innings with a wonderful throw by Joe Solomon to run out Meckiff at the end denied Oz an earlier-seeming improbable victory (they were 92-6 before Benaud and Davidson came together to put on 134 for the 7th wicket). That game and the Centenary Test in 1977 must rank as the greatest Tests of all times in terms of the ebb and flow of the contest throughout the whole period of the match.

aye. The tie in India wasn't half bad either.It tends to be forgotten with so little written and spoken about it.

Mick Sawyer wrote:

Allan D wrote:3 runouts in the Oz 2nd innings with a wonderful throw by Joe Solomon to run out Meckiff at the end denied Oz an earlier-seeming improbable victory (they were 92-6 before Benaud and Davidson came together to put on 134 for the 7th wicket). That game and the Centenary Test in 1977 must rank as the greatest Tests of all times in terms of the ebb and flow of the contest throughout the whole period of the match.

aye. The tie in India wasn't half bad either.It tends to be forgotten with so little written and spoken about it.

There is a rumour that Dean Jones may have scored some runs in that match ...

There is a rumour that Dean Jones may have scored some runs in that match ...

..... compounded by the story that Greg Matthews took some important wickets. Myths, surely.

There is a rumour that Dean Jones may have scored some runs in that match ...

That's funny, I don't belive I've heard Dean Jones talk about that...

Spoiler:

Zat wrote:

There is a rumour that Dean Jones may have scored some runs in that match ...

That's funny, I don't belive I've heard Dean Jones talk about that...

Spoiler:

Bet he didn't mention wanting to wimp out halfway through it.

The Melb SPFSP ran a retrospective on this game today - the headline read:

'IT WAS FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY...'

Fortunately it's doubtful that many of the SPFSP's regular punters would have noticed....

(BTW GSC's first-up ton (and Redders' all time greatest 'second fiddle' innings) WERE 40 years ago today. Right headline wrong story?)

Right story, wrong brains?

embee wrote:

Mick Sawyer wrote:

Allan D wrote:3 runouts in the Oz 2nd innings with a wonderful throw by Joe Solomon to run out Meckiff at the end denied Oz an earlier-seeming improbable victory (they were 92-6 before Benaud and Davidson came together to put on 134 for the 7th wicket). That game and the Centenary Test in 1977 must rank as the greatest Tests of all times in terms of the ebb and flow of the contest throughout the whole period of the match.

aye. The tie in India wasn't half bad either.It tends to be forgotten with so little written and spoken about it.

There is a rumour that Dean Jones may have scored some runs in that match ...

and he crapped in his pants too, by his own account. At least present Ozzie batsmen have something in common with the greats of the past!

and he crapped in his pants too, by his own account. At least present Ozzie batsmen have something in common with the greats of the past!

Dean Jones a great? Just another bitter vomit.

harvey, horrie, hodge, jones .........

maybe he meant a grate

Hodge has been doing a radio gig each morning...often very funny when they get him to talk about Hildy...yesterday he was incredibly optimistic about our prospects in perth..."it is the Autralian way to bounce back after a bad defeat and I am expecting one of the great Aussie bouncebacks in history"...he was a little more circumspect today...

when asked about Clarke's prospects as future captain..he was very diplomatic but conceded he was fighting his own demons when batting

he was also a bit mystified why Phews was selected given he is out of form

Did he have an alternative to Phews?

Surely pushing Huss up to open or putting in S Marsh were better alternatives.

no...did say tho that now smith had been selected he should be given a good run to see if he was up to standard..like pretty much everyone else he is supporting a proper renewal policy - wants younger players in...

also it is clear he rates MYTYT as a player and leader...if Ricky stood down he would support Haddit in the interim

there seems to be very little support or respect for Clarke down here and people are worried that CA has had him annointed for so long that they will inevitably make him captain...maybe this is an argument to keep Ricky on

Paul Keating wrote:Surely pushing Huss up to open or putting in S Marsh were better alternatives.

OK, I've got hindsight on my side but the feckin phews selection was ludicrous. A mental pygmy to begin with, no technique, no form, no runs against a team that bashed him last time on one of the worlds most fast bowler friendly wickets.

S Marsh has some runs.

Clarke's dismissal was quite possibly the worst shot in the history of test cricket.

His twee manic pixie girl routine is wearing a bit thin even for the likes of skully

Has Hussey any FC captaincy experience?

G.Wood wrote:Clarke's dismissal was quite possibly the worst shot in the history of test cricket.

His twee manic pixie girl routine is wearing a bit thin even for the likes of skully

...agreed