COMING FROM BEHIND
The amazing story of how England recovered from a devastating innings defeat to win the Ashes in Australia 70 years ago
Matthew Engel, the former Guardian cricket correspondent and editor of Wisden has called it “England’ s most astonishing Ashes tour.” We are not talking here about 1986/7 – the ‘they can’t bat they can’t bowl they can’t field’ tour. Or 2010/11 when England stuck Australia in on Boxing Day at the MCG and bowled them all out for 98 before lunch and won three Tests by an innings.
We’re not talking the 2005 Ashes either, perhaps the greatest Ashes of them all, which will be featured on this blog – for paying subscribers only (!) – in a special six-part audio and video series to be released in the next fortnight. We are talking 1954/5 – 70 years ago – when Len Hutton put Australia in in the first Test at the Gabba, conceded 601 to lose by an innings, and yet England went on to win the series 3-1. It is one of only two occasions when England have come from behind in Australia to win the Ashes (the other was in 1912.)
A new book – Victory in Australia, by Richard Whitehead – chronicles this 1954/5 series in fascinating detail. It begins with the controversy over retaining Len Hutton – A PROFESSIONAL – SCANDALOUS!!!! – as captain, to the non-selection of the mouthy Fred Trueman and the county championship-winning spin twins Jim Laker and Tony Lock. It examines how the old guard of Hutton, Compton, Edrich and Bedser are gradually superseded by the young wannabees – May, Cowdrey and Statham. And follows the intriguing development of the Durham University English Literature student and Lancashire reject Frank Tyson who recites Wordsworth on the walk back to his mark and emerges as The Typhoon - perhaps the fastest bowler (briefly) who ever lived. (Well Richie Benaud and Don Bradman said he was faster than Thommo and that’s good enough for me.)
Richard and I discussed this series on the latest Analyst podcast (below.) The discussion ranges from the extraordinary machinations of MCC-influenced selections, and the idea that the players would be away on tour for six months, to Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill’s public intervention on his 80th birthday, and a member of the opposition – Keith Miller – helping Tyson shorten his run, converting him from expensive luxury to lethal weapon. It is an incredible tale of overcoming adversity. The book is available here – https://amzn.eu/d/bbXWFMO
Our conversation is below.
