The England cricket team toured Australia in the 1978–79 season to play a six-match Test series against Australia for The Ashes. England won the series 5–1, thereby retaining The Ashes.
| 1978-79 Ashes series | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | 3 November 1978–14 February 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | Six-match series won by England 5–1 (England retained The Ashes) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This series was often over shadowed by Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket which meant many players from both sides were absent, including Greg Chappell. Australia were more handicapped which opened the way for England and their captain Mike Brearley.[1] The side was managed by Doug Insole, Ken Barrington assistant-manager/coach and physiotherapist Bernard Thomas was given credit as the prime reason for England's supreme fitness.[2]
Test series summary
editNote: Each over consists of 8 balls.
First Test
edit1–6 December 1978
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- Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
- 4 December was taken as a rest day.
- JA Maclean and RM Hogg (Aus) made their Test debut.
Second Test
edit15–20 December 1978
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- Australia won the toss and elected to field.
- 18 December was taken as a rest day.
Third Test
edit29 December 1978 - 3 January 1979
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- Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
- 31 December was taken as a rest day.
- AR Border made his Test debut.
Fourth Test
edit6–11 January 1979
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- England won the toss and elected to bat.
- 9 January was taken as a rest day.
Fifth Test
edit27 January - 1 February 1979
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- Australia won the toss and elected to field.
- 30 January was taken as a rest day
- PH Carlson and KJ Wright (Aus) made their Test debut.
Sixth Test
edit10–14 February 1979
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- Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
- 13 February was taken as a rest day.
- AMJ Hilditch (Aus) made his Test debut.
One Day Internationals (ODIs)
editThe ODI series was contested over five games, with innings of maximum 40 eight-ball overs. Australia won the series 2–1, with one match abandoned and one no result.
1st ODI
edit2nd ODI
edit 13 January 1979
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- England won the toss and elected to field.
- Allan Border, Phil Carlson and John Maclean (AUS) and Roger Tolchard (ENG) made their ODI debuts.
Only 40 minutes of play were possible before rain caused the match to be called off. During the brief action, Chris Old dismissed Graeme Wood caught behind for six.[3]
3rd ODI
edit 24 January 1979
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- Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
- Andrew Hilditch and Rodney Hogg (AUS), and David Bairstow (ENG) made their ODI debuts.
Australia chose to bat first on a pitch of variable bounce,[4] but from a position of 52 for two then collapsed to be all out for 101, with Man of the Match Mike Hendrick claiming 4/25 and Ian Botham 3/16. England reached the required target for the loss of only three wickets and with more than ten overs to spare; Mike Brearley fell early, bowled for a duck by Rodney Hogg, but Geoff Boycott anchored the innings with a patient 39 not out off 107 balls.
4th ODI
edit 4 February 1979
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- Australia won the toss and elected to field.
- KJ Wright (AUS) made his ODI debut.
5th ODI
editAnnual reviews
editReferences
edit- ^ The Ashes by Dean Haynes
- ^ "England in Australia, 1978-79". Wisden. John Wisden & Co / ESPN Cricinfo. 1980.
- ^ "REPORT - First One-day International, AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND 1978-79". Wisden Almanack 1980 edition. ESPN Cricinfo.
- ^ "REPORT: Second One-day International, AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND 1978-79". Wisden Almanack 1980 edition. ESPN Cricinfo.
Further reading
edit- Chris Harte, A History of Australian Cricket, Andre Deutsch, 1993
External links
edit- "England in Australia, 1978-79". Wisden. John Wisden & Co / ESPN Cricinfo. 1980.
- "Statistics: England tour of Australia, 1978-79". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- CricketArchive tour itinerary (subscription required)
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