Cricket

Cricket

Aggrieved is probably the best way to describe how we felt when we arrived at The Oval for the final Test of the 1972 Ashes series. We were not happy campers because of the way, we believed, the pitch had been prepared at Headingley. The official terminology was Fusarium, a disease which all of a sudden made the pitch have absolutely no pace at all, and made it turn square. This suited England a hell of a lot more than it suited us.

We knew we were as good a team as England, if not better, and we were starting to really emerge as a unit under Ian Chappell's captaincy. We knew we had to play well in the final Test to make it right. A lot of us felt as though we'd win the series by winning that match, which was to be played over six days.

We had got reasonably close to England in the first Test on a green seamer in Manchester, and then Bob Massie took 16 wickets at Lord's. Australia hadn't won a Test match for a little while before then, so it was a relief to be able to win there. I thought we had the better of the draw at Trent Bridge, and then of course at Headingley we got stuffed, so to win at The Oval was a necessity.

Doug Walters, who never quite found the right way to play in England, was dropped before the match, but it probably helped the rest of us to see how he took it. Doug realised if that's what the tour selectors decided, then that was the way it had to be. I don't think missing out on that game changed his life too much. There were six West Australian players in that side, and it was the first team in Australia history not to include a New South Welshman. No wonder we won!

Dennis [Lillee] was still a fast bowler then, bowling fast outswing very, very well. He'd only taken four wickets opposite Bob at Lord's, but I think everyone, Bob included, would agree that 10 wickets each would have been a fairer return. Dennis always bowled very well in England. He would have the seam upright, and bowl close to the stumps, so the umpires were always...