I've seen spin bowlers bowl with sunglasses on but never a fast bowler with prescription glasses , before or since . Have sneaked in to O.T. cricket ground on occasion. Used to get in over the wall next to the score box.. to the left as you look at the box, round the side at the back, used to be some barbed wire but still got in. Went to the front/boundary kept quiet and watched the cricket. 1975 ( I think ) got in as a Stretford Grammar schoolboy ( free pass) on last day of game against Lancashire, no result to be had but saw something quite amazing...Jeff Thomson bowling! What an action ! Sat in seats behind Rodney Marsh when Thommo was bowling. Saw him seemingly trot up, feet cross just before final stride, totally side-on, arm go behind his back then it seemed instantly Marsh was jumping high in the air catching the ball !! What I realised then was how far back Marsh was stood !! I found out later how fast Thommo was in that period, and that he was faster in previous years. Seen many a bowler before and after that not one for me made such an impact. Strange to have an Aussie as your cricket hero for a young English lad ha ha .
I wonder if Brearley would have declared England's innings at lunch on the 4th day if Paul Allott hadn't got out? He must have been remembering the test match at the Oval 2 years beforehand when England, with a first innings lead of 103, almost lost the test match after Gavaskar's great innings. I do wish ESPN classic had interviewed the main protagonists of the test series - it would have provided a fascinating take on a great test match and test match series.
Great to see these highlight shows of an unforgettable series...the commentators are great. Nice to hear the much lamented Christopher Martin Jenkins doing a t.v stint. Jim Laker, Ritchie of course and Tom Graveney. Who was the last one?...he sounds like he should be on Gardeners World and not a test match.lol.
@@garytarr8216 He didn't last long as a summariser! I think the BBC may have been looking for a new summariser that year - Tony Lewis is heard for the first time in the Oval test match!
This 'upload' just shows how much cricket has changed in almost 40 years. England took the whole session to score 59 runs (just under 2 runs an over) despite the fact that the weather was conducive to batting, the bowling wasn't incredibly threatening and England already had enough runs on the board to declare overnight.
@@ajs41 Yes, I do too. I do think England intended to score quicker but Knott was out early on. I think England had a 400 run total in mind for the 3rd innings.
Having read Brearley's 'The Art of captaincy' book I'm sure the reason Brearley batted on for the whole session was almost entirely psychological. Australia, already tired from the previous days play, had to bowl a further 29.4 overs and England, getting past 400, knew they (Australia) had to chase a World record score to win. A sort of mental and physical disintegration!! This was also the first year that English cricket 'experimented' with Sunday play. From the crowds it looked like it was a success back in '81 - quite surprising therefore it wasn't for another 10 years before it became permanent.
@@ajs41 The Edgbaston and Old Trafford tests had Sunday Play in 1981. From the crowds it looked like it was popular back then!! Surprised it took 10 years to make it permanent (except when the test match clashed with the Wimbledon finals) even this was phased out in the late 90's. There's a clue in the newspaper that Kim Hughes is reading (News of the World!!) a publication which came out on a Sunday.
Arthur I think we all miss Richie he was a lovely man and a great commentator .I loved to hear his voice I also liked to listen to John Arlott who loved his red wine .And let's not forget Brian Johnston what joker and storyteller all much loved and at my age it may not belong before we're playing on a celestial pitch together .and I've been told that the umpire up there has keen eye and not much gets past him .he also likes a bit of sledging .
We won't get to see the likes of Richie and John again. The commentary teams are now packed full of women of colour whose gender and genetics plays a more important selection choice than cricketing knowledge
I'm only now appreciating Laker's humour! Check out the highlights of the Trent Bridge test of 1977. Boycott was playing a typically obdurate innings and scored his first boundary to which Laker replied ' Oh, Boycott's scored a four!!' said in a tone of completely astonishment.
@@JP1234815 My favourite Jim Laker line is from a Sri Lanka v England match (early 1980s). Botham was trying to bounce Mendis, who dispatched him into the crowd for several sixes. Botham was moaning at captain Gower (as he often did) about field placings, overlooking the fact that he was bowling a lot of short, medium paced rubbish. Jim Laker said "I don't know what Botham is complaining about. He can't put a man in the crowd to catch them".
@@portcullis5622 My favourite Jim Laker line is from this match.... what a wonderful way to go to a six... of Ian Botham. He if course meant century but I think the Gin and the wine had got the better of him by that stage
It would be fascinating to see if someone could calculate the effect DRS would have had on this test. Whilst I expect England to still win it, I'm sure some of the decisions made (involving both sides) would have been overturned.
He was. It was a terrible decision by Ken Palmer as was the Hughes lbw. Woods bat was far away from the ball and the commentators had a duty to point that out. Bothams lbw to Hughes was not even close to pitching in line. Two awful decisions from one umpire. When you consider that the Aussies had two centurions in this innings how close would they have come without the pathetic decisions of an umpire. Hughes and Wood were two of the most attacking batsmen in the team. Im English and grew up loving the 81 series.....but Australias second innings at Old Trafford has always made me uncomfortable as they were hard done to.
@@wolves7655 Hmmm. The ball does appear to hit Hughes in line with off stump, which is what counts. Richie is clearly skeptical about something, though, but doesn't say what. Height, maybe, but Hughes is pretty much on the crease, so that doesn't help his case.
I've seen spin bowlers bowl with sunglasses on but never a fast bowler with prescription glasses , before or since . Have sneaked in to O.T. cricket ground on occasion. Used to get in over the wall next to the score box.. to the left as you look at the box, round the side at the back, used to be some barbed wire but still got in. Went to the front/boundary kept quiet and watched the cricket. 1975 ( I think ) got in as a Stretford Grammar schoolboy ( free pass) on last day of game against Lancashire, no result to be had but saw something quite amazing...Jeff Thomson bowling! What an action ! Sat in seats behind Rodney Marsh when Thommo was bowling. Saw him seemingly trot up, feet cross just before final stride, totally side-on, arm go behind his back then it seemed instantly Marsh was jumping high in the air catching the ball !! What I realised then was how far back Marsh was stood !! I found out later how fast Thommo was in that period, and that he was faster in previous years. Seen many a bowler before and after that not one for me made such an impact. Strange to have an Aussie as your cricket hero for a young English lad ha ha .
Only other person (fast medium pacer) I can think who wore glasses while bowling was South African all rounder Eddie Barlow.
I wonder if Brearley would have declared England's innings at lunch on the 4th day if Paul Allott hadn't got out? He must have been remembering the test match at the Oval 2 years beforehand when England, with a first innings lead of 103, almost lost the test match after Gavaskar's great innings. I do wish ESPN classic had interviewed the main protagonists of the test series - it would have provided a fascinating take on a great test match and test match series.
Great to see these highlight shows of an unforgettable series...the commentators are great. Nice to hear the much lamented Christopher Martin Jenkins doing a t.v stint. Jim Laker, Ritchie of course and Tom Graveney. Who was the last one?...he sounds like he should be on Gardeners World and not a test match.lol.
It was Peter Parfitt
@@garytarr8216 He didn't last long as a summariser! I think the BBC may have been looking for a new summariser that year - Tony Lewis is heard for the first time in the Oval test match!
I miss Richie.
This 'upload' just shows how much cricket has changed in almost 40 years. England took the whole session to score 59 runs (just under 2 runs an over) despite the fact that the weather was conducive to batting, the bowling wasn't incredibly threatening and England already had enough runs on the board to declare overnight.
In general I prefer slow and tense cricket to the alternative.
@@ajs41 Yes, I do too. I do think England intended to score quicker but Knott was out early on. I think England had a 400 run total in mind for the 3rd innings.
Having read Brearley's 'The Art of captaincy' book I'm sure the reason Brearley batted on for the whole session was almost entirely psychological. Australia, already tired from the previous days play, had to bowl a further 29.4 overs and England, getting past 400, knew they (Australia) had to chase a World record score to win. A sort of mental and physical disintegration!! This was also the first year that English cricket 'experimented' with Sunday play. From the crowds it looked like it was a success back in '81 - quite surprising therefore it wasn't for another 10 years before it became permanent.
Really? I Thought 1991 was the first year Sunday play was brought in. Interesting.
@@ajs41 The Edgbaston and Old Trafford tests had Sunday Play in 1981. From the crowds it looked like it was popular back then!! Surprised it took 10 years to make it permanent (except when the test match clashed with the Wimbledon finals) even this was phased out in the late 90's. There's a clue in the newspaper that Kim Hughes is reading (News of the World!!) a publication which came out on a Sunday.
Arthur I think we all miss Richie he was a lovely man and a great commentator .I loved to hear his voice I also liked to listen to John Arlott who loved his red wine .And let's not forget Brian Johnston what joker and storyteller all much loved and at my age it may not belong before we're playing on a celestial pitch together .and I've been told that the umpire up there has keen eye and not much gets past him .he also likes a bit of sledging .
Don't hold your breath.🤗
We won't get to see the likes of Richie and John again.
The commentary teams are now packed full of women of colour whose gender and genetics plays a more important selection choice than cricketing knowledge
'Textbook shot' from Emburey...without any foot movement whatsoever. And fielded by 'Doug' Welham. Not Parfitt's finest moment in the comm box.
Justin Timberlake
I might have misheard - but I think he calls him Doug Wellan!!!
Love Jim Laker’s sarcasm at 4.50
I'm only now appreciating Laker's humour! Check out the highlights of the Trent Bridge test of 1977. Boycott was playing a typically obdurate innings and scored his first boundary to which Laker replied ' Oh, Boycott's scored a four!!' said in a tone of completely astonishment.
@@JP1234815 My favourite Jim Laker line is from a Sri Lanka v England match (early 1980s). Botham was trying to bounce Mendis, who dispatched him into the crowd for several sixes. Botham was moaning at captain Gower (as he often did) about field placings, overlooking the fact that he was bowling a lot of short, medium paced rubbish. Jim Laker said "I don't know what Botham is complaining about. He can't put a man in the crowd to catch them".
@@portcullis5622 My favourite Jim Laker line is from this match.... what a wonderful way to go to a six... of Ian Botham. He if course meant century but I think the Gin and the wine had got the better of him by that stage
Spinner Bright showing spinner Nathan Lyon how to effect a run out.
Wood and a run out....who'd have thought
9.55
Graeme wood doing what he does best..
Close fielders moving before the batsman hits the ball.
Also noticed Gatting @8:49-8:53 wandering all over the wicket between overs without the umpires warning him!
11.30 Wood looks *miles* away from it!
It would be fascinating to see if someone could calculate the effect DRS would have had on this test. Whilst I expect England to still win it, I'm sure some of the decisions made (involving both sides) would have been overturned.
He was. It was a terrible decision by Ken Palmer as was the Hughes lbw. Woods bat was far away from the ball and the commentators had a duty to point that out. Bothams lbw to Hughes was not even close to pitching in line. Two awful decisions from one umpire. When you consider that the Aussies had two centurions in this innings how close would they have come without the pathetic decisions of an umpire. Hughes and Wood were two of the most attacking batsmen in the team. Im English and grew up loving the 81 series.....but Australias second innings at Old Trafford has always made me uncomfortable as they were hard done to.
@@wolves7655 Hmmm. The ball does appear to hit Hughes in line with off stump, which is what counts. Richie is clearly skeptical about something, though, but doesn't say what. Height, maybe, but Hughes is pretty much on the crease, so that doesn't help his case.