Some Cricket Trivia

Until recent seasons, in South Australia there is only one other ground to have hosted a First Class Cricket match other than Adelaide Oval.

And it was the majestic Unley Oval in 1902-1903 when South Australia played Lord Hawke's XI there.
Apparently the "League of Wheelmen" (whoever the hell they were) had organised a bicycle meeting at Adelaide Oval. Adelaide Oval did have a cycling track around it in the early days.

And people poo-poo (pun!) Unley Oval!  

The DK Lillee Trivia Post - by the numbers

3 - the number of runs that DK scored with the Aluminium bat v England in Perth (1979 - 1980).

73* - DK's highest test score at Lords v England (1975)

16 - The number of wickets DK took during his return to Shield Cricket for Tasmania at an average of 37.50 (1987-1988)

7 - The number of times DK took 10 for in a Test Match

101 - DK's bowling average in a 3 match test series in Pakistan (1979-1980). He took 3 wickets.

In the 1970's the most acknowledged fast bowling duo was Lillie and Thomson
Here's some stats on total wickets taken in a Test season

56 Lillie and Thomson 1974-1975
58 Lillie and Thomson 1975-1976

They are substantial numbers, but not the best

91 Hogg and Hurst 1978-1979

That is quite and effort by that duo


Here are the best efforts of over 50 wickets from an era of 1974-1992

91 Hogg/ Hurst [78/79]
65 Lillie/Pascoe 80/81]
63 Lillie Dymock [79/80]
58 Lillie/Thommo [74/75]
56 Lillie/Thommo [75/76]
56 Thommo/Lawson [82/83]
56 Hughes/Alderman [89/90]
52 Mcdermott/Hughes [91/92]

I would never have thought Geoffrey Dymock would feature


Perhaps we should rephrase an old saying to

Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
If Hursty dont getcha
Hoggy must

England v Australia
Kennington Oval
5th test
August 1972

This was the AustralIANs line up

Graeme Watson
Keith Stackpole
Ian Chappell
Greg Chappell
Ross Edwards
Paul Sheahan
Rodney Marsh
John Inverarity
Ashley Mallett
Bob Massie
Dennis Lillie

Trivia question
What was historical about this team in this match ?

Gee Scrappy, I don't know off hand. If you can wait until tonight, I will go and research my "Tigers among the Lions" book that Chappelli wrote (and autographed for me) from that series.

But that is probably cheating....

Chambo here are the match details

EG 284
Knott 92 [best England keeper Ive seen]
DK Lillie 5/58 [best Australian fast bowler Ive seen]

AU 399
Ian Chappell 118 [perhaps the best AustralIAN captain Ive seen]
Greg Chappell 113 [best Australian batsman Ive seen]
Underwood 4/90 [the best left hand spinner Ive seen for England]

EG 356
Wood 90[Barrys highest test score , and perhaps his best ever test dig]
DK Lillee 5/123

AU 5/242
Stackpole 79
Sheahan 43 not out
Marsh 43 not out
Greig 2/49

AustralIANs win by 5 wickets
I recall seeing the end this match , at the time, I'd not seen a cricket team as excited about winning a test match as these ChappelIANs did

But there is something about this team
Sorry to lead anyone on, will be giving at least 24 hours for anyone to answer the trivia stemming from this match

Would it be having the most Western Australians in it, Scrappy?

Possibly 6 or 7?

redandblack wrote:Would it be having the most Western Australians in it, Scrappy?

Possibly 6 or 7?

Very good answer
Plenty of WA representation

But not the answer

Two things I can offer.

1 First time brothers made tons in the same innings / partnership.
2 No New South Welshman in the side - apparently a first for that.

Not sure if either one of those is correct.

Correct answer
This was the first time Australia has produced an Test cricket eleven that did not include a current NSW player

Also correct the Chappells were the first brothers to score tons in the same innings of a Test match

One other trivia from that match is that DK FOT Lillie  for the second time in the 1972  series got 3 wickets in 4 balls


There were 17 Australian players who went over for the 1972 series
These are the 6 players who didnt get selected for this test

David Colley
Bruce Francis
John Gleeson
Jeff Hammond
Brian Taber
Douggggggie Walters

Jeff Bomber Hammond is South Australian
The others were all New South Wales players who missed selection!

The MUST have thought it was a conspiracy.
If it happened today they would want to secede from Australia.

No Tasmanian representative in that team as well  

Terry Alderman Test bowling career

Test bowling averages
21.17 England
26.34 Pakistan
32.25 New Zealand
40.00 Sri Lanka
45.26 West Indies

As can be seen a magnificent performer against England
100 wickets
2117 runs
5 wickets on 11 occasions

I remember Terry Alderman as being a bloke that bowled booming outswingers , a bit like the ones Jimmy Anderson produces these days, but Terry prob moved them more

The startling trivia about those 100 wickets against England
He got an astonishing 36 of those wickets LBW
Lucky Shane Watson never faced Terry Alderman !

Yes I recall him as the primary stump to stump merchant of his time.

Would it be fair to suggest that once the shine was off the new ball and not outswinging, that he got it going the other way?
This reverse swing terminology seems a more recent thing from the Pakistani bowlers. But did Alderman use it to get all those LBWs?

I can't really remember.

Alderman bowled mostly outswingers as a stock ball
The ball which trapped batsmen LBW was more of an off cutter

Yes I don't recall him dipping it in much with inswing as such.