Gideon Eames has been busy replaying ATG matches, and the first 6 of his reports are detailed below. Also at the end of the
results, is his list of ATG's. Thanks very much for these Gideon.

ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA

SERIES SUMMARY

Don Bradman’s tourists claimed the Ashes in emphatic style, a 3-0 series victory rounded off with a remarkable 351 run chase in the final innings at The Oval.

For England, only Wally Hammond and Fred Trueman emerged with any real credit; Hammond notched two centuries, the second as captain at Headingly as Hutton recovered from an ankle injury, whilst Trueman was always a threat and often bowled without any real support. Botham and Laker disappointed with the ball and Bedser was rarely at full fitness. Jack Hobbs was consistent but rarely turned his good starts into big scores, but skipper Len Hutton was consistent only in failure. He has been awarded the captaincy for the forthcoming tour of the Caribbean, but is under great pressure and may be without the services of Hammond, who missed the final Test with a back strain.

Bradman led the tourists from the front, scoring 203 at over a run a ball in the opening victory at Trent Bridge, and adding 116 to the incredible run chase in the final innings at The Oval. Bill Lawry was a stubborn anchor of most innings, and when Keith Miller was ruled out of the final two Tests with illness and hamstring trouble, Neil Harvey stepped in with a series high 217 at Headingly. Alan Davidson’s 115 ball century in the first Test probably set the tone for the series though, rescuing Australia from 221-8 and seemingly breaking English spirit in the process. Davidson rarely threatened with the ball, but Ray Lindwall was always consistent and Bill O’Reilly was unplayable at times, his battles with Dennis Compton a feature of the series.

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Faisalabad hosted an exciting first Test

PAKISTAN v SOUTH AFRICA

SERIES SUMMARY

Pakistan fought back bravely to win the final Test and draw the series after being largely outplayed by Trevor Goddard’s tourists in the first two matches.

Injuries to Javed Miandad, Asif Iqbal and Majid Khan disrupted the batting order for the hosts, Javed’s broken finger a particular blow, but Hanif Mohammad batted superbly on a poor wicket at Faisalabad, his 216 compiled over ten hours of intense concentration that saved the series. Imran, Wasim Akram and Abdul Qadir all bowled well, but Fazal Mahmmod disappointed and the general standard of fielding would not have pleased the captain.

Dudley Nourse and Graeme Pollock both showed their class with the bat for the tourists, and both made significant contributions in the first Test that the South Africans won on a tense final day. Trevor Goddard will rue not chasing victory at Sheikhupura though, choosing to bat out the final day with a record stand of 393 with Pollock; this lack of ambition angered the home team, and Goddard paid the price. Cyril Vincent’s all-round contribution to the tour was a bonus, but Barry Richards rarely got going on the slow wickets and the bowling at Goddard’s disposal was competent but rarely threatening.

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Neil Harvey – run machine

AUSTRALIA v NEW ZEALAND

SERIES SUMMARY

Australia’s first home series was a completely one-sided affair, Bradman’s team twice setting record totals and the Kiwis having no answers to Bill O’Reilly’s aggressive legspin bowling.

Bradman himself opened the series with 99 and 101 at the ‘Gabba, but it was Neil Harvey who was Australia’s batting star, recording double centuries in both Perth and Hobart and sharing in an unbeaten 360 run fourth wicket stand with Allan Border during the record breaking 682-3 in the final Test. Harvey was dropped on 15 by Ian Smith in this innings, and Greg Chappell may now face a long absence from the team. Arthur Morris made the most of Bill Lawry’s ankle injury with a debut century and Keith Miller returned from injury with a swashbuckling 126 at the WACA, although his bowling was not up to speed. However, Bill O’Reilly was able to take on the Kiwis almost single-handedly with the ball, claiming 12 wickets in Brisbane and a remarkable 27 in the series as a whole.

New Zealand ended the series in a sorry state, with skipper Reid having stepped down and their best bowler, Richard Collinge, on the treatment table. Richard Hadlee struggled for form, and the tourists really missed a quality spinner. Turner and Sutcliffe provided a solid foundation to most innings, but the house tended to collapse when they were parted, with only the elegant Martin Donnelly providing any backbone to the middle-order. The standard of the Kiwi fielding did not compare to the Australians, who held some wonderful catches, and the forthcoming home series with the West Indies will be a very stern test for whoever represents the Black Caps.

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***Saeed Ahmed – 44* off 304 balls in 425 minutes in Rawalpindi***

PAKISTAN v WEST INDIES

SERIES SUMMARY

Imran Khan led his team to an attritional and somewhat surprising series victory, with the West Indies’ quicks toiling on largely unresponsive wickets. The tourists had by far the better of the first two Tests, but a batting collapse in Karachi handed the final initiative to Pakistan.

An eight hour, undefeated 125 from Mushtaq held things together for Pakistan in the first Test, and he generally batted well throughout the series. Mohsin Khan recorded the only other home century, a match winning effort in Karachi, and Javed was his usual consistent self. Hanif had a miserable time after his double century against South Africa, but the batting ‘highlight’ came from Saeed Ahmed. In the second Test In Rawalpindi he batted seven hours for an undefeated 44, including a four hour sixth wicket stand of 69 with Imran to save the Test. Pakistan’s 140-7 spanned 115 overs, with only 91 runs scored on the final day. West Indian followers were not impressed with proceedings, and some animosity spilled over into the final match. In that game Abdul Qadir claimed 10 wickets, and with Sarfraz skittled the tourists for the lowest total yet recorded in ATG cricket.

Frank Worrell left Pakistan a frustrated figure, losing a series he must have felt his team deserved to win. His own form was poor, Viv Richards’ even worse, but Greenidge, Haynes, Weekes and Sobers all entertained and made valuable contributions. Sobers became the first player to score two centuries in an ATG Test in Peshawar, and Weekes scored a run-a-ball 95 coming in at number eight in Rawalpindi, after having been sick during his first innings knock. West Indies made a valiant attempt to chase 400 in the final Test, with Haynes bowled for 99 padding up to Qadir; Gibbs and Ramadhin had had countless appeals turned down in Pakistan’s first innings, and one could sense the mood of frustration in the tourists’ camp. Marshall bowled well on some flat wickets, and his 6-48 in Rawalpindi was a fine display of controlled aggression.

The fielding on both sides was erratic, although Sobers took some wonderful catches. Pakistan will be confident for their return tour of South Africa, and one cannot help but feel that England may be on the end of a West Indian backlash when they visit the Caribbean shortly.

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Barry Richards – world record holder

AUSTRALIA v SOUTH AFRICA

SERIES SUMMARY

A pulsating, record-breaking series saw Don Bradman’s previously unbeaten Australians square the rubber in the final Test at the SCG after defeat in the opening match had left them playing catch-up. Competition was fierce and tempers reached boiling point on more than one occasion, but a drawn series had to be seen as the right result in the end; South Africa barely clung on in two tense finishes in Melbourne and Perth, but the spin of Bill O’Reilly finally did for them on a Sydney dust bowl.

Bradman’s decision to insert the tourists at the ‘Gabba in the first Test looked to have paid off after they were bowled out before the end of the first day, but Australia capitulated twice to the spin of Tayfield and Vincent, and a 227 run third wicket stand between Goddard and Graeme Pollock in South Africa’s 2^nd innings knocked the heart out of the home team; Goddard was missed on 3 by Healy off the bowling of O’Reilly, a costly error. Indeed, as well as he batted, Healy’s keeping was somewhat inconsistent throughout the series, and but for a shoulder injury for Rod Marsh, he could well have lost his place. Bradman was again the mainstay of the Australian batting, scoring a hundred in each innings at Perth, and there were two centuries for Allan Border, including a gutsy, undefeated 189 at the MCG. Ray Lindwall’s 7-72 in vain in Brisbane are the best ATG figures to date, and along with Bill O’Reilly he carried the Australian attack. They took 54 wickets between them, but with Miller still struggling for fitness and both Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson struggling for form, South Africa were able to cling on to draw matches Australia should have won.

Twice Hugh Tayfield and Alan Donald frustrated the Australians with match saving ninth wicket partnerships in both Melbourne and Perth, but their heroics were surpassed by those of Barry Richards in Adelaide, his ‘home’ when playing for South Australia. Over the course of eight hours he batted his way into the ATG record books with a flawless, undefeated score of 326, surpassing the previous best of 252 with the erstwhile record holder, Graeme Pollock, at the non-striker’s end. Richards was not a factor in the rest of the series though, taking 102 minutes to score his first run in the second innings at Melbourne, and only Bland and Pollock provided any ballast to the tourists’ innings, although a debut century from Daryl Cullinan in Perth bodes well for the future. Tayfield apart, South Africa’s bowling was poor, with both Procter and Adcock looking very tired towards the end of the series.
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Gordon Greenidge – 403 runs @ 100.75 and the fastest ATG century

NEW ZEALAND v WEST INDIES

SERIES SUMMARY

New Zealand remain winless in ATG cricket after they were overpowered by some awesome West Indian batting in what turned out to be a somewhat one-sided series. The top five in the tourists’ order all scored at least one century, and this combined with a Kiwi attack that was rarely fully fit and poorly supported in the field led to a comfortable 2-0 series win for Frank Worrell’s team.

With John Reid making himself unavailable, Geoff Howarth continued as the Black Caps’ skipper and his side held a brief advantage on day one of the series, bowling the West Indies out for 277 and then taking a first innings lead. However, injury to Richard Hadlee left the bowling looking somewhat exposed in the second innings, and the batting crumbled away on the fourth evening; New Zealand never fully recovered. Martin Donnelly and Jeremy Coney restored some pride in the second Test at Auckland, frustrating the tourists to the tune of a record 177 runs for the fifth wicket and saving the match, but the Kiwis remained on the back foot for almost the entire series. Donnelly was again player of the series, and with Turner missing the first two Tests with a bad back he received little support. With Hadlee injured, the tourists were largely untroubled by a misfiring bowling attack who were not helped by some lifeless pitches. Howarth was often very defensive in his field placings and this brought a fair amount of criticism his way, but in truth he had little choice. When chances were created, too many were missed; Ken Wadsworth often batted defiantly, but his glovework left much to be desired.

After frustration in Pakistan, Frank Worrell was able to enjoy almost total dominance in New Zealand, his own swashbuckling hundred in Wellington rescuing his side and setting the tone for the remainder of the rubber. Richards and Haynes also notched centuries whilst Everton Weekes and Gordon Greenidge each recorded both a hundred and a double hundred, the latter’s both coming in the same match in Auckland. If Weekes was remorseless, Greenidge was a veritable whirlwind, recording the fastest ATG century to date, off 91 balls, in the second Test, 98 runs of which came before lunch on the first day; West Indies finished that first day on 397-2. In the same match he also twice set new opening partnership records with Desmond Haynes and finished the series averaging over 100. Not content to pummel the Kiwis with the bat, Joel Garner led an attack that dominated with the ball too. His 21 wickets cost less than 12 runs apiece and his 8-wicket haul in Auckland eclipsed Ray Lindwall’s previous ATG best innings return. Over half his victims were clean bowled, ‘Big Bird’s’ yorker becoming a memorable feature of the series (but not for the home fans!). Marshall, Gibbs and Sobers all provided reliable support, and only Ambrose looked out of sorts.

New Zealand now have some time to regroup and rethink their strategy before their next series, whilst the forthcoming England tour to the Caribbean now looks an even more daunting prospect for Len Hutton’s squad, and a first ATG Test victory will have to be very hard earned.

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For my ATG matches no 'current' players are allowed, a player having to be retired for at least two years before he can be selected. This means that a player's career stats are 'finalised' and a fairer comparison can be made with players of the past. Consequently, Allan Donald is now available to the South African selectors but Alec Stewart will have to wait another year for his England debut (if he can oust Alan Knott!)

My other squads are as follows:

Australia India New Zealand

Lawry Gavaskar (c) Turner

Simpson Merchant Sutcliffe

Bradman (c) Vengsarkar M Crowe

Harvey Hazare JR Reid (c)

Border Azharuddin Donnelly

Miller Umrigar Congdon

Healy (w/k) Kapil Dev R Hadlee

Davidson Kirmani (w/k) Smith (w/k)

Lindwall Amar Singh Bracewell

Lillee Prasanna Congdon

O’Reilly Bedi Chatfield

Squad Members: Squad Members: Squad Members:

Trumper C Chauhan G Howarth

Morris Viswanath Coney

G Chappell V Manjrekar Jones

McCabe Shastri Wadsworth (w/k)

Marsh (w/k) Vinoo Mankad Parore (w/k)

Benaud Engineer (w/k) H Howarth

Thomson Ghavri Taylor

Grimmett Phadkar BL Cairns

Johnston Chandrasekhar D Morrison

Venkat Motz

M Amarnath

Pakistan South Africa West Indies

Hanif Mohammad B Richards Greenidge

Mohsin Khan Goddard (c) Haynes

Zaheer Abbas Mitchell Richards

Javed Miandad RG Pollock Weekes

Mushtaq Mohammad AD Nourse Worrell (c)

Asif Iqbal Bland Sobers

Imran Khan (c) Procter Dujon (w/k)

Wasim Akram Waite (w/k) Marshall

Abdul Qadir PM Pollock Garner

Wasim Bari (w/k) Tayfield Ambrose

Fazal Mahmood Adcock Gibbs

Squad Members: Squad Members: Squad Members:

Mudassar Nazar Barlow Hunte

Majid Khan Cullinan Headley

Saeed Ahmed Faulkner Walcott (w/k)

Imtiaz Ahmed (w/k) Cameron (w/k) Lloyd

Intikhab Alam Lindsay (w/k) Hendriks (w/k)

Sarfraz Nawaz Vincent Hall

Khan Mohammad Donald Holding

Iqbal Qasim Heine Walsh

Ramadhin

Obviously, many other players are available for selection, but these are the ones who have been used most so far. Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh do not feature in my ATG Tests, although England may stop by in Sri Lanka for a one-off Test on their next tour to India!

When I have more time I’ll send some complete scorecards your way, but up to now (seven full Test series), Australia are ranked #1, followed by West Indies and Pakistan (although West Indies are currently being humiliated by England in the Caribbean!). Bradman leads the run aggregates, followed by Harvey, RG Pollock, Border, Greenidge and Weekes, whilst the legspin of Bill O’Reilly has captured most wickets, and then come Lindwall, Davidson, Abdul Qadir and Lillee. Barry Richards’ 326* is top individual score with 8-102 from Joel Garner the best innings bowling performance.