Stuart Wark
How a stick became a weapon of mass destruction
A short history of the cricket bat
Stuart Wark
03-Feb-2017
There has been significant discussion in world cricket circles recently regarding a perceived imbalance between batsmen and bowlers, with a key point of contention being the dramatic development in bat technology over the past few years. Modern bats are nominally the same shape as those used by WG Grace, Don Bradman or Vijay Merchant, but of late there has been a significant change in terms of the depth of willow contained in the hitting area.
It is fascinating to look back to the start of organised cricket to see how techniques and strategies have either evolved from, or caused changes to, the design of the bat.
The first mention of the bat used in cricket can be traced as far back as the 1620s, although this particular reference is in relation to the death of a fielder during a game, and the inference is that the batsman had hit the fielder with his bat in order to prevent him catching the ball. This incident may have served as an instigator of what is now Law 37 - Obstructing the Field.
Full postAll Imran's men
The Pakistan team that won its first Test series in England in 1987 was probably the finest in the country's history
Stuart Wark
21-Jul-2016
Pakistan began Test cricket in stunning fashion. When they lost their first ever series, against India in 1952, it was by a respectable margin of 2-1. When they toured England in 1954, they managed a 1-1 draw. There can be arguments about whether the England selectors chose the strongest possible XI for all Tests that season, but nonetheless it appeared clear that Pakistan would be a legitimate force to reckon with on the world stage.
However, this initial promise did not lead to a series victory over England - in the following ten series, both home and away over nearly three decades, there were six series wins for England and four drawn ones. While Pakistan had been allocated a full five-match series by England in 1962, the substantial margin of victory by England (4-0) meant that subsequent series between the two teams were reduced to three matches each.
Pakistan had managed to develop a few world-class performers like Hanif Mohammad and Fazal Mahmood, but they struggled to build a side with sufficient depth to consistently beat the top Test nations. By the 1980s, this was starting to change. A close 2-1 loss in England in 1982 was followed by a 1-0 victory at home in 1984, and within a few years there was a genuine belief that Pakistan were the side most likely to challenge the West Indies teams of that era. This was reflected in the 1986 series against West Indies in Pakistan that ended in a thrilling 1-1 draw. This improvement was recognised by England, and Pakistan were invited for a five-Test series for the first time in 25 years.
Full postRemembering the 1906 Wanderers thriller
Nearly 110 years ago, South Africa held their nerve in a one-wicket nail-biter against England to secure their first ever Test win
Stuart Wark
13-Jan-2016
It was almost exactly 12 years after the first ever Test that South Africa played their first Test. Their geographical location was a main reason for their inclusion as the official third international team - the shipping route from England and Australia made it logical for touring parties to stop over in South Africa to practise. As a result, South Africa ended up playing their first 16 Tests at home, an advantage no other Test nation has even come close to matching.
It was not until 1906 that South Africa managed their first Test victory, an exciting one-wicket win over England in Johannesburg, and this close result was a major catalyst for the home team to win the series. While there can always be arguments made about whether early English sides were composed of the best possible players, the 1905-06 English touring team did have some genuinely good cricketers. Captain Pelham "Plum" Warner was a fine batsman, on top of his recognised diplomatic skills, and the bowling attack was led by the left-arm spinner Colin Blythe. Nonetheless, the side bore no resemblance to the team for the Ashes summer, with players of the ilk of Archie MacLaren, Ernest Tyldesley, CB Fry, Stanley Jackson, George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes all missing. In fact, not one member of the side from the fifth Test against Australia at The Oval remained.
Still, England initially thought they had little to fear. They had dominated the previous eight Tests between the two nations, beating South Africa by an innings in four matches and well over 200 runs in another two. The early signs were not good for the tourists, though. They lost one of their warm-up matches against Transvaal by 60 runs.
Full postThe batting record that stood for over a century
When Ross Taylor made 290 in Perth recently, he broke a record by Tip Foster that had lasted for 111 years. Other records by Foster still endure
Stuart Wark
20-Nov-2015
Ross Taylor's magnificent 290 in the second Test in Perth guided New Zealand to safety after Australia's imposing first-innings total. Along the way, he broke a number of long-standing batting records. The oldest of these was held by Reginald "Tip" Foster, who had till then been in possession of the highest score by an overseas batsman in Australia. Foster's 287 - made on debut - in the first Test of the 1903-04 Ashes at the SCG had stood for over 111 years. His story is as fascinating as the length of time he held this record.
Foster was born in Malvern, Worcestershire in 1878. He appeared to be genetically predisposed towards cricketing excellence; he was the third oldest of seven brothers, who all represented Worcestershire, and they played a combined total of 819 first-class matches. Tip's parents, the Reverend Henry and Sophia Foster, had 11 children, and with the exception of a daughter who died tragically during childhood, all showed significant sporting talent.
Foster was educated at Malvern College, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, and his father was a housemaster there for nearly a third of that time. All seven sons represented Malvern College and went on to play for Worcestershire County Cricket Club, which, not surprisingly, soon came to be nicknamed "Fostershire". However, Tip was the standout cricketer in the family and the only one to go on to play for England.
Full postVictims of circumstance
A look at four players whose Test careers and ambitions were thwarted by cancelled tours
Stuart Wark
11-Oct-2015
The recent postponement of Australia's tour of Bangladesh is unfortunate on many levels, with locals missing an opportunity to watch high-quality cricket and administrators losing considerable revenue. What remains unclear at the moment is the impact it will have on the players from both countries, and whether this decision will prove to be a pivot point in the careers of current fringe players.
Both sides, Australia in particular, are going through a period of considerable change. This tour was to be an opportunity for younger players such as Cameron Bancroft and Joe Burns to show they belong at Test level, and for others on the longer-term periphery of the team, such as Shaun Marsh and Steve O'Keefe, to push for a permanent position. O'Keefe, in particular, would seem to be one of the biggest "losers" among the touring squad, as Australia selector Mark Waugh has already indicated that the left-arm spinner is unlikely to push for selection again in the near future.
Cancelled tours are not a new phenomenon, of course, and it's appropriate to reflect upon the top four players whose careers were most affected by series being called off.
Full postAshes one-hit wonders
From Ted McDonald to Richard Ellison, certain players saved their best for the old rivalry, before drifting away for various reasons
Stuart Wark
20-Sep-2015
The Ashes are now done and dusted for another year (or so it seems, due to the relative frequency of such contests in recent memory). The 2015 series will be perhaps best remembered for the strangely one-sided nature of each individual game, and also for some stunning singular performances. However, all these match-winning performances were from the usual suspects. Unlike other series in the past, no new Ashes talent burst onto our collective consciousness like a meteor from the cricketing heavens.
Cricket fans will be familiar with the shooting star that was Bob Massie, who destroyed England at Lord's in 1972 with the force of the Tunguska event before burning out and disappearing forever after just another five Tests. There have been other players who made substantial contributions before quickly disappearing back into the cricketing wilderness. Prior to World War I, such situations were not uncommon because matches were few and far between and there was a need for individuals to maintain their employment status rather than play international cricket for often insignificant remuneration. However, since the Great War there have been examples of players who have performed at genuinely high levels for one Ashes contest and then were never able to replicate that form in subsequent Test series.
Ted McDonald is now remembered as a great fast bowler, and along with Jack Gregory formed the first outstanding Test fast-bowling partnership. McDonald only played 11 Tests for Australia, though, and only succeeded in one series. He played three Tests of the 1920-21 Ashes, and struggled to make an impact, taking six wickets at 65.33. Similarly, against South Africa in 1921-22 he took just 10 wickets at the less than stellar average of 37.10. But - and this is where his legend was born - he and Gregory jointly destroyed England in 1921, sharing 46 wickets. This was to prove the high point of his Test career; he accepted an offer to play as a professional for Nelson in the Lancashire league in England and never again turned out for Australia in international competition.
Full postEngland's 1894 SCG miracle
With defeat imminent, they were drinking their sorrows away but on the last day they scripted one of the greatest turnarounds in Test cricket
Stuart Wark
14-Aug-2015
The current Ashes in England has featured some of the most one-sided matches in the contest for many years. Whether it constitutes a "great" series is largely a matter of perspective, and probably more importantly, nationality. The first really great Ashes series in terms of competitiveness occurred more than 120 years ago, in 1894-95 in Australia. England won the deciding fifth Test to take the series 3-2, but there were more twists and turns en route than the Stelvio Pass Road in Italy. This was perhaps best exemplified by the first Test in Sydney.
The Melbourne Cricket Club, in conjunction with trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground, had agreed to underwrite the costs of an English team to come to Australia for the 1894-95 summer. Cricketers from England were considered a certain drawcard. Prior to television and the commercialisation of the modern era, spectators were the key to whether tours were successful or not, with gate takings the primary source of income.
Lord Sheffield, the patron of the 1891-92 England touring party, declined an invitation to again make the arduous voyage to the southern hemisphere. WG Grace was similarly not in a position to tour again, and so the Australian organisers approached Andrew Stoddart, an England and Middlesex batsman, and asked him to lead the touring party. Stoddart was acknowledged as one of the leading players in England and had also captained the country in rugby union in 1888. When Grace injured a finger before the Lord's Test in 1893, Stoddart became the only person to lead both the England cricket and rugby union teams. He organised a fine team of players to travel to Australia in the attempt to retain the Ashes. The side departed England on the RMS Ophir on September 21, 1894, on what would eventually be a 33-week trip.
Full postWhen Willis batted and Boycs bowled
In a closely fought World Cup game against Pakistan in 1979, two of England's star players did a Freaky Friday to take their side to victory
Stuart Wark
12-Mar-2015
The 1979 World Cup in England was dominated by Clive Lloyd's West Indies. The reigning champions entered the competition as firm favourites and went through undefeated. Ultimately they were largely untroubled in retaining the crown, but who they would face in the final was one of the more intriguing questions of the tournament.
The runners-up from 1975, Australia, did not select any of their Packer-aligned players, and were never in serious contention of making it through to even the semi-finals. West Indies were in Group B, and their main competition was seen to come from either England or Pakistan, who were both drawn in Group A.
During the preliminary stage of the tournament, both Pakistan and England were undefeated after each had comprehensively beaten Australia and Canada. Whichever team finished first in the pool would avoid playing the dominant West Indies in the semi-final and instead take on a plucky but clearly less intimidating New Zealand. In an example of either excellent planning or just plain luck, the final Group B match between England and Pakistan would determine which side would finish on top.
Full postThe first World Cup classic
In 1975, a must-win group game influenced which two sides made it into the eventual title match
Stuart Wark
03-Feb-2015
It seems logical to assume that since a World Cup final features the two top-performing teams of the tournament, it will be an exciting and relatively close affair. However, history has shown that often the final is quite one-sided and that the best, often pivotal games that went on to determine the winners have been played in the group stages.
In 1975, West Indies, led by Clive Lloyd, beat a gallant New Zealand in the semi-final before defeating Australia in the final. But perhaps the turning point of the tournament was West Indies' second game, against Pakistan, at Edgbaston.
West Indies were placed in Group B - four teams in two groups each playing in round-robin format to determine the semi-finalists - with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia. Sri Lanka lost all three of their matches and Australia had beaten Pakistan convincingly in the opening pool match, so Pakistan needed to beat West Indies to stay alive.
Full postA Brisbane classic of the '60s
India may only have a handful of wins in Australia, but the number of close contests are often forgotten, starting with this one in 1967-68
Stuart Wark
31-Dec-2014
A quick scroll through the comments on articles on ESPNcricinfo show that both India and Australia are viewed by many of their critics as "home-town bullies". To a large extent, the raw statistics support this notion. Interestingly, this home-and-away discrepancy is probably most obvious when the two teams play each other. Australia's record in India is not impressive, with 12 wins since 1956 and 19 losses. India's in Australia is dismal, with only five wins since their inaugural visit in 1947-48 and 28 defeats.
However, such a simplistic view of the statistics does not always tell the full story, and India have had a number of close losses. Their recent defeat in Adelaide by 48 runs nearly saw India pull off a great victory and a massive upset. It was reminiscent of the third Test of the 1967-68 tour, when India nearly brought about their first win in Australia.
India's first tour of Australia was in 1947-48, and the home team dominated with four massive victories and one draw. The second visit was not for another two decades, and the first two Tests followed the script: India were beaten by 146 runs in Adelaide, and then thrashed by an innings in Melbourne.
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