The Ashes, by Mark Browning

Review: Ken Piesse

The near-deafening roar when Bobby Simpson’s off-stump cartwheeled courtesy of English express David Brown at the MCG in the deciding Test of the 1965-66 Ashes summer caused first-time visitor, eight-year-old Mark Browning to jump out of his seat in shock. How could it be? Simmo had made a double century just weeks earlier. The glorious uncertainty and mesmeric hold cricket has on so many of us had a new wide-eyed devotee.

Half a lifetime later, Browning remains totally besotted by the king of games. The ultimate cricket traveller, he has witnessed more Tests around the world than just about anyone bar Jim Maxwell. Few are more partisan, or as knowledgeable. Other than his wedding day, the best few hours of his life came in Auckland a decade back when England was castled for 58, having at one stage been an ignominious 9-27.

As much as he celebrates in the deeds of the contemporaries Smith, Starc and co., the swinging ‘60s always was and always will be his favourite era, Beatlemania at its zenith and the cricket champions of yore invariably in his thoughts and conversations. Telecasting of matches was starting, adding an irresistible fresh dimension.

In his foreword to Browning’s fifth cricket book ‘The Ashes, a front row seat to an iconic era of cricket in the ‘60s’ the iconic Greg Chappell says the Ashes are ‘enduring, evolving and essential’. He harks back to the 1972 contests, calling the gripping summer a turning point in Australia’s advance at world championship status.

Browning provides a Test-by-Test account of each of the Ashes matches for a decade from 1962-63. He says administrators erred badly in failing to schedule the West Indies for a mid-60s tour after all the euphoria surrounding the 1960-61 visit. The Ashes proved a millstone for many, several of the much-awaited Ashes series ending in a whimper, despite Sir Donald Bradman urging the players to play with freedom at the start of the 1965-66 summer.

He has interviewed many of the old stars from Paul Sheahan who always had doubts whether he was good enough through to one of his childhood heroes Doug Walters and Barry Jarman who represented Australia 100+ times but only 19 times in Tests.

Nineteen-year-old Walters, scorer of centuries in each of his first two Tests, shares his philosophy of taking on the spinners. ‘I tended to enjoy playing against the offies,’ he says. ‘In Australia they didn’t turn the ball much so that made it easier to face them too. I tried to get down the wicket to them and drive the ball on the half volley as often as I could. They often had a 2-7 on-side field or in Australia 3-6.

‘If I couldn’t get down the track I would back away and try and cut them square into the offside which had a lot of vacant space. Left-arm spinners who turned the ball away, like Derek Underwood, were a different story though.’

Walters had been billed as the next Bradman after his withering Ashes beginnings. Coming to England for the first time in 1968 he was averaging 83 but found the seaming, slow wickets difficult and confronting. Never again was he to be compared with the greatest of all.

The wonderful liaison between Aussie openers Simpson and Bill Lawry is highlighted. Browning rates them ‘as good as any Australia has produced in 148 years of Test cricket’.

Prior to their matchwinning double century start in the 1966 New Year Test in Adelaide, Simpson spoke quietly to Lawry: ‘Bill, we’ve got to rattle them by gong for anything that smells liken a run. Nothing’s too risky. We won’t even call. Just put our heads down and go.’

In between some glorious shots, the pair indulged in tippety-run, stealing singles at will.  They were to add 244, after all 11 Englishmen made just 241.

Of the many dour go-slows, particularly Sydney 1962-63 when one disgruntled fan looked to sue the NSW Cricket Association for the lack of entertainment, Browning quotes the much-admired English left-hander John Edrich who said the Ashes should only be awarded to teams who win outright.

‘The final Test match on each of the last two MCC tours of Australia (1962-63 and 1965-66) was marred by negative tactics. If the Ashes had to be won rather than just defended, much of that disappointment might have been avoided.’

It would have been nice to have had pictures, an index and some stats of the period but the nostalgia is riveting and redeeming, even if the matches themselves often meandered.