The England cricket team of today has been taking on India in a feisty five-Test series, but half a century ago, Australia were visiting for a four-Test Ashes defence; SJA secretary and historian Philip Barker looks back on July, August and September 1975, and how sports journalists covered an unusual contest…
This summer’s Test series has at times reached boiling point, with India and England players condemned on radio, television and social media.
Consider then, this report.
“You knew they’d been at each others’ throats, but you couldn’t believe it was
this uncompromising, this violent or this uncouth.”
These words were not written this week, but fully 50 years ago by the Daily Mail’s legendary columnist Ian Wooldridge after an Ashes Test.
Australian fast bowlers Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson tore England apart on home soil and Thomson had infamously intimated that he liked to see blood on the pitch.
In 1974, a home series against India really was considered as, ahem… a ‘warm-up’ for the Ashes. A 3-0 victory and a drawn series against Pakistan gave no indication of the trials to follow in Australia.
There were no stump microphones to record Thomson’s reaction when 42-year-old Colin Cowdrey proffered his hand. Cowdrey had been called up to reinforce England’s batting after injuries.
England ultimately lost 4-1 to surrender the Ashes, but there was to be another series in England the following summer of 1975, over four Tests.
Australia had taken part in the inaugural men’s World Cup, hosted by England in June, but lost a classic final to the West Indies.
This was covered by BBC television, which came on air five minutes before play began.
Transmissions were often interrupted by news flashes, horse racing or, as during the first Test at Edgbaston, the Open Golf Championship.
Rain was forecast in Birmingham, but England captain Mike Denness invited Australia to bat. Australia enjoyed the best batting conditions to total 359 before the thunderstorm came.
Only the ends of the wickets were then covered. Australia’s bowlers exploited an enlivened pitch. England were bowled out for 101 and 173, losing by an innings and 85 runs.
“Denness’s decision to put Australia in to bat on an overcast Edgbaston morning is assured of a permanent place among the game’s great disasters,” wrote John Woodcock in The Times.
Denness was replaced as captain by Tony Greig.
“I want blokes who are prepared to go out there and die on the field,” Greig told Henry Blofeld, in The Guardian.
For the second Test, there was a recall for Lancashire opener Barry Wood. Northamptonshire’s silver-haired, bespectacled 33-year-old David Steele was also summoned.
Glamorgan and England captain Tony Lewis was in his first season as a Sunday Telegraph writer. He spoke of “Renovations of Wood and Steele.”
On a hot steamy morning at Lord’s, Greig won the toss and batted, yet it soon seemed like a recurring nightmare.
First wicket down, Steele took a wrong turn into the pavilion toilets as he walked out. Naturally, the Australians had a suitable greeting ready.
In The Sun, Clive Taylor described Steele as “the bank clerk who went to war.”
England subsided to 49-4 when Steele was joined by Greig. They added only 96 runs but raised morale by the manner in which they did so.
Steele scored 50. Greig hit 96, every boundary cheered to the echo as England totalled 315. In reply, Australia tottered at 81-7, rescued by 99 from Ross Edwards and 73 from Lillee.
In England’s second innings, John Edrich hit a monumental 175, and Steele proved he was no flash in the pan with 45. Australia, set 484, batted out the last day.
“It had been noted with distress that some members at Lord’s were removing their jackets in the long room.”
On Test Match Special, John Arlott described a magical moment.
“We’ve got a freaker down the wicket, not very shapely, and it’s masculine, and I would think it’s seen the last of its cricket for the day,” said Arlott, to guffaws from summariser Trevor Bailey.
Between Tests, Steele scored a century against Australia for Northamptonshire.
In the third Test at Headingley, Steele made 73 and 92, while Phil Edmonds of Middlesex took five wickets.
Australia were 135 all out. Set 445 to win, they were 220 for 3 by the close of the fourth day.
On the fifth, BBC presenter Peter West informed viewers of “one of cricket history’s most diabolical acts”.
A group had infiltrated the ground and poured oil on a good length. They claimed George Davis had been unjustly jailed for bank robbery.
The only consolation was that rain shortly after midday would have ended play in any case.
BBC went “off air” and displayed a caption with the astonishing news.
As the series outcome was still in doubt, the final Test at the Oval was scheduled for six days.
Australia amassed 532 for 9. England were all out 191, followed on with almost three days to bat.
Edrich made 96 in over six hours, his Surrey teammate Graham Roope 77, in over four hours.
Bob Woolmer spent eight and a quarter hours at the crease, making 149.
England’s total was 538. Australia played out the final hour for the draw, and won the series 1-0 to retain the urn.
Steele’s accomplishments that summer made him a household name beyond cricket.
His total of 365 runs earned him a chop from the local butcher for each run, and he went on to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
Each county played 20 three-day Championship matches complemented by three limited-over competitions, two of them sponsored by tobacco companies.
Newspapers typically carried full scorecards and often reports of many matches and not a coloured uniform or crisp sponsorship in sight.
The SJA is interested in your sports media industry news and views. Keen to reach an engaged audience, including over 70,000 followers across social media? We welcome your enquiries – contact us here. We also offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
For information on how to apply as a Full or Associate Member of the SJA, plus details of our free-to-enter SJA Academy, click here.