The 4th Test: England's finest hour (3 January 1999)

3 January 1999

The 4th Test: England's finest hour

Scyld Berry

Scyld Berry relives one of the most astonishing fightbacks in Test match history

'HOW are we going to play it?" asked Alan Mullally as he ambled out to join Angus Fraser as teatime approached at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the longest day in Test cricket history.

"Let's be positive and have a bit of fun," came the reply. Mullally had been the proud accumulator of four runs in the entire series and, on an ideal batting pitch, England enjoyed a lead of no more than 151 runs. Australia were poised to go 3-0 up.

And some fun they had on the most extraordinary day the Melbourne Cricket Ground has witnessed since English cricketers first strolled from their hotel off Collins Street, through Fitzroy Gardens almost 140 years ago.

They were not alone. Daryl Harper, the umpire standing at Glenn McGrath's end, was also enjoying himself. After Mullally had slogged McGrath back over his head, Harper confessed: "I know I'm not supposed to get involved but I enjoyed that."

As England's last pair added 23 runs, and McGrath lost his rag (to be given a suspended fine of 30 per cent of his match fee), England's mood lightened a little and their chance of victory veered from highly improbable to possible: 175 was Australia's target. During the break between innings, which was also the tea interval, Stewart urged his four pace bowlers to bowl flat out for wickets.

The dressing rooms at the MCG are window-less dungeons, safe from members or media and conducive to bringing a team together. While England's bowlers focused on the action ahead, the batsmen were more voluble. "Athers [Mike Atherton] was more upbeat than anyone," noted Theo King, the Wolverhampton teacher who acts as England's gofer when school allows.

The early wicket came when Michael Slater departed lbw. Mark Taylor soon followed when he pulled a skier to long-leg, where Dean Headley had established his rapport with the Barmy Army behind him by holding the ball by his ankles.

"Oh, no," shouted Dean Jones, the former Australian batsman and now a radio commentator, when Justin Langer edged Mullally's next ball low to Graeme Hick's right hand and out again. Jones was watching the Test on one TV in the media centre and a greyhound race on the other. "England just do not know how to win," he added with a shaking head.

After the miss, England's slips moved a yard closer, to no avail, as Langer and Mark Waugh took Australia's total to 103 with only two wickets down and at the right tempo. Something exceptional was wanted, and it came from Mark Ramprakash, who caught Langer at square-leg right-handed from a middled hook, making it an even better catch than his one-hander at Headingley to dismiss Jacques Kallis last summer.

This was the turning-point in Taylor's view as it "fired England up". It certainly fired Ramprakash up. "Tell 'em about that one, Jerry!" is his stock phrase in outbursts of elation, referring to an American chat show hosted by Jerry Springer. Some tail-end runs, and now some brilliant catching: two of the major elements missing from England's game were returning.

Mark Waugh's dismissal, to "a bit of a nothing shot" was the turning point in Slater's opinion. It is shared by Atherton, who had conducted England's last two run-chases, at Trent Bridge against South Africa last year and at Christchurch against New Zealand three years ago. "The danger when batting last is that you look too far ahead instead of taking each ball as it comes. Someone has to take the responsibility to see your side home."

Darren Lehmann, a big man, came out to join Steve Waugh and to play big shots which were not appropriate. Australia's coach, Geoff Marsh, began to sense an unhealthy collective desire to get the game finished so the Australians could party with their families and enjoy a day off.

Umpire Steve Bucknor's decision to give Lehmann caught behind was widely debated but when the umpire saw a slow-motion replay he was happy with it: "The bat hit the ground then the ball." The sight of Ian Healy joining Steve Waugh has seldom brought England comfort, but earlier in the match Healy had broken a finger in his left hand, not that he would admit it publicly or even have an X-ray. At the same total of 140, Healy was caught by Hick and Damien Fleming went lbw to Headley. For the first time the match was in England's favour.

Gough and Headley, however, were tiring by the fourth hour of the session. Each had already bowled 40 overs of the highest intensity. There had also been a mix-up about which side of the ball had to be polished and which kept dry and scuffed. The two bowlers had been polishing different sides until a drinks break, when they agreed on one side to bring about the phenomenon of reverse-swing.

Headley had been full of theories as usual while bowling, all of them muttered in an inaudible Birmingham accent to Fraser at mid-on. "Just bowl," replied the old war-horse, adding encouragements such as "world-class bowling"; "I'm proud of you, Deano"; "One more wicket and you're on that honours board forever".

AS the end of normal time approached, Warren Hegg and the slips discussed the merits of carrying on. They concluded that as all the noise was coming from the England supporters and the team were on a high, they ought to continue if the bowlers could. At which point Gough came up and announced: "I've bowled 11 overs and I'm absolutely shagged."

Steve Waugh received a message from Taylor through the 12th man, Colin Miller. Taylor thought it would be better to carry on batting as Waugh and Matthew Nicholson had regained some momentum. Gough's last over of normal time was laboured. At 7.19pm Stewart approached Bucknor to point out that England had been going for almost four hours without a break, and signalled to Mullally to warm up. The Jamaican sympathised: "If I'd been in his shoe, I would not have wanted to continue because it would have been better to have the bowlers fresh in the morning." But ICC regulations are rules, and the show had to go on.

Luck had not favoured England thus far in the series. It did now, as Headley began the first over of extra time and the shadows of the Western stand accelerated across the pitch. After a mature innings, Nicholson was caught behind, leaving Stuart MacGill to play out the last ball of Headley's 10th over in succession. While the rest of England's party watched from their glass viewing area, Dominic Cork and King could hardly bring themselves to do so on the dressing-room television.

Stewart spread the field for Waugh, who took a single to midwicket off Gough's first ball and exposed MacGill, who had used up a lifetime's luck in his first innings. Stewart's reaction was "pleasure and surprise. We thought Steve would take the first three balls at least, then go from there."

It was the fatal error. Gough had not taken a wicket in the innings. Sensing the moment to do so, summoning up memories good and bad and some reverse-swing at last, he bowled the ball which some unknown Yorkshireman had originally devised and burst through MacGill with his yorker. Bucknor noticed that Gough's speed had leapt back to 140kph on the speedometer. The Ancient Greeks were right to divide men into those who act upon the stage, those who watch and those who write. Shy in public, Gough was transformed upon this stage into energy and overwhelming will.

A bouncer to McGrath was followed by another reverse-swinging yorker. The appeal was granted and at 7.32pm (Australian Eastern Time) England had won, leaving Waugh unbowed but defeated. Then Gough's roar, unrepeatable here, and his brandishing of a stump. Let it suffice that it was a primaeval roar of triumph at the greatest adversary slain.

"They were hugging and chasing each other. It was a good feeling," Bucknor observed, adding that it was also his most exciting Test match day. After England had rushed off, pursued by the Barmy Army, Headley sat quietly in a corner of the dressing room with his man-of-the-match award. As usual after an England win, Lord MacLaurin and Tim Lamb appeared. "There are two millionaires in here and only two bottles of champagne," Gough shouted.

In Australia's dressing room, Taylor gave a talk which Marsh later described as fantastic. "Nothing heavy - we were all pretty disappointed anyway," Slater said. "Just a few home truths, which we probably needed."

In England's hotel, the wives broke off from putting infants to bed, came out on to the landings and yelled for joy. Champagne soon followed as the hotel manager sent bottles to each player's room, to be consumed along with plenty of others in the hotel bar.

By the early hours of the morning the team physio, Wayne Morton, was leading the singing with Butcher on his guitar. One or two players retired, a few went to a casino, but as dawn came and went England were still celebrating after one of the most famous victories in 137 years.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)