England in Australia 1882-1883
England in Australia 1882-1883
Ivo Bligh, the newly appointed captain was in a tricky position. England had been embarrassed at home and now the English media and fans couldn’t settle for anything but a series win. Bligh reading the paper saw the mock tribute to English cricket and as he left for Australia, he stated that he would bring back “The Ashes”. What he wasn’t expecting was to bring back his wife…
The first test in Melbourne wasn’t quite the start Bligh was looking for. Batting first the Australian’s led by a George Bonnor 85 reached 291 a very respectable start to the match forcing England to use 7 bowlers. The response from the English? A full top order collapse the first 4 batters falling for just 14 runs combined, but the tail wagged and got the English to 177. The Australians had a massive lead thanks to Joey Palmers 7 wicket haul and Bonnor’s batting. Australia enforced the follow on to England which was worse for them. The top order who were well rested after being knocked over cheaply in the English first innings went of to a decent start all scoring high 20s to 30s. But the tail having bowled at the Australians all day on day 1 and having batted most of day 2 were tired and fell cheaply. Spofforth and Palmer both took 3 wickets in the second and George Giffen a future veteran took 4 wickets. Ivo Bligh the English skipper had a terrible match getting a duck and just 3 runs in the match with the blade. Australia’s Target was 56 and with batters like Blackham, Bonnor, Massie, Murdoch and Alec Bannerman it was a simple chase. An early duck from opener Massie was the only flaw for the Australians with Bannerman and Murdoch bringing home a 9 wicket victory.
George Bonnor:
Alex’s Rating 2/10
The second test was also in Melbourne. The English batting first made best use of Spofforth well not playing like Spofforth…He got 0 wickets in the English innings and despite a Joey Palmer 5for. The English scored 294 runs with good batting from Read (75), Bates (55), Leslie (54), Steel (39) and Barnes (32). Ivo Bligh got another duck the skipper averaging just 1 run for the series now. Australia had Hugh Massie he got 43, the rest of the team? Pretty much nothing they were rolled for 114 total giving England a 180 run lead thanks to a Billy Bates 7 wicket haul. The follow on was forced and BILLY BATES TOOK ANOTHER 7 WICKETS!! HIS PUTTING UP PRIME SPOFFORTH NUMBERS!! THIS IS UNREAL!!! ENGLAND WIN BY AN INNINGS!!
Billy Bates:
Alex’s Rating 7/10
Here we go the decider in Sydney can the Poms, do it? Can Bligh get his revenge? Well his performances in this game where bad just 13 and 17 but still can the team do it? England’s first innings was a good 247 led by both Edmund Tylecote and Walter Read who both scored 66. Spofforth was back in prime form taking 4 wickets. Australia came out with Alec Bannerman coming just 6 runs short of a ton before being Caught of a Fred Morley ball but his 94 kept the Australians in the game with a might effort they got to 218, Morely and Alan Steel the main wicket takers. In the second innings England met there old enemy, the man they dubbed “The Demon” Fred Spofforth. Ripping through the English Spofforth took another 7 knocking them over for just 123 giving the Aussies an easy target of 153. Ivo Bligh had to be worried but he shouldn’t of been as Dick Barlow took a fighting 7 to keep the English in the match and put them in the drivers seat. The Last hope of Australia was Jack Blackham who batted valiantly but it wasn’t enough Australia had lost the series with England winners by 69 runs. After the match the English team staying at a hotel met some Australian ladies. One of which was Ivo Bligh’s future wife Florence Rose Morphy, these ladies handed Ivo Bligh the ashes of one of the bails from the previous test match in a tiny terracotta urn. The previously mythical Ashes.
The Urn:
Alex’s Rating: 10/10
Ivo Bligh who had a poor series himself had done what he set out to do win the Ashes back from the Australians. And thus this series will forever be legendary.
Alex’s Rating: 10/10
