Australia's 'worst' cricket team breaks Ashes drought - 1989 | Wide World of Sports

[@simmo67]

I spent most of 1989 travelling through the USA.With no internet & bugger all cricket news,it wasn't until i arrived in London in mid September that i heard we flogged the Poms 4 nil.Great start to my UK experience.🍻🍾

[@YoutubeCO713]

Sounds like an experience wish I was born before the internet

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

@@KZbinCO713twas a better time. 😂

[@maxfan1591]

Ah, so many great memories of that series. Australia had gone through a lean patch of several years in which the only series victory was a 1-0 win over New Zealand. The last series before the Ashes was the Windies at their peak beating Australia 3-1. First test, I remember thinking Border had delayed the 2nd innings declaration too long on the last day, then being amazed at the English collapse. Second test, I remember how close it seemed at the start of the third day, Australia still behind and already 6 down, and then Waugh went berko with the tail. After the third test, I remember fearing Australia might still implode and lose the series like we had in 1981 and 1985, even though England seemed to be the demoralised team. Fifth test, I remember the spectacular first day ending with Australia none down. And for the series as a whole, Australia used the same 11 from the second test onwards (and only 12 players overall) while the English used something like 30 players. And every Australian first innings was over 400. After the dismal years before, the 1989 victory just lit up Australian test cricket. Sure, it still took several years before we beat the West Indies, and even longer before we beat India in India, but it all started there in 1989.

[@St_AngusYoung]

You can thank the cheat umpires for that 1-0 series win over New Zealand. The '87 series should've finished 1-1.

[@Jurassic56]

Hard to believe that before this series began there were huge question marks over (a) Border's future as a Captain and (b) Steve Waugh's place in the team (4 years, no century yet). Amazing dominance by Australia, and that was without Craig McDermott & Bruce Reid! Shame we didn't see more from Robin Smith - I remember one cut shot he hit off Big Merv is still the fastest I've ever seen a ball travel to the boundary.

[@christafarius1391]

Yes, I think I know the Robin Smith shot you're talking about. It was either that cut shot or a cover drive that was smacked into the middle of next week that I remember. In fact, it was the thing I remember most vividly from that Test series, even though I'm Aussie who was delighted Australia was playing so well again.

[@stevechapman9690]

I was 14 when this was played and remember sitting up in the early hours on the odd day watching parts of the matches… classic stuff loved it!

[@StuTheDon17]

Love this. I was born when this series was played. I'd heard of Robin Smith and how damaging he was. But had never seen any footage of him at his best until this.... He looked like a player from the current day. What an animal!

[@sentimentalbloke185]

couldn't play spin

[@RobertCoates-wn2ok]

best square cutter ive seen

[@mervyncharter]

Loved that series. Australia really clicked from Day 1. Only Rain saved England from a 6-0 Drubbing. Amazing to think that Alderman was almost not selected for this tour and Michael Whitney might have been picked instead.

[@thefunpolice]

Terry Alderman was something else.

[@woofowl2408]

He was brilliant on the 1981 tour as well, shame that he went to South Africa instead of the 1985 Ashes, a big reason that Australia lost that series.

[@guodade2239]

@@woofowl2408 No doubt. The loss of Alderman and Rackemann to the rebel tour certainly helped England win 3-1, but even if Australia with Alderman and Rackemann had won, it would not have made them a great, or even good, team given England’s record in surrounding series.

[@woofowl2408]

@@guodade2239 Yep, two very average teams meekly struggling with each other, until Richard Ellison came along in the 5th and 6th Tests and mercifully put Australia down.

[@noirjacques3274]

The quote was “probably the worst team to ever leave the shores of Australia (sic)” … and so began a 16 year Ashes drought for England. What a dominating series win! 🇦🇺👍

[@EarlJohn61]

A cartoon in the daily newspaper in Adelaide had a couple of elderly gentlemen in a club room with the paper headlines saying it was a poor side. One was saying, "I remember the same headlines back in the 1930s. They introduced us to a no hoper called Bradman."

[@fruitopia6798]

This was genuinely among the greatest performance in the history of the game, Australia could hardly win a thing since the Chappell.Lillee era 6 years back, this was the last of the "traditional:"Ashes tours, they had 10-12 matches to prepare before the Tests, just like the Bradman era. Nowadays they have virtually no preparation at all other than practice in the nets and the gym. Australia used 12 players across 6 Tests, England used a barely believable 29 players. No Australian team had regained the Ashes in England since 1934 and it has not happened again since 1989, we may be old and grey before we see this again.

[@Grizzbiz57]

Terry Alderman was a terrific bowler both before and after his horrific shoulder injury. A true Aussie legend.

[@jeepy8067]

"The order came from Border, So the Aussies went to Waugh; Dexter had no answer, XXXX hundred was the score. Now the Ashes are where they belong again, Home they come with Al-der-men" Taken from a placard at the victory parade in Sydney. This series was the best! I was 12 at the time and can still remember so much like yesterday! Headingley, Lords, Edgbaston ("and the rain's coming down at Edgbaston"), Old Trafford, Trent Bridge and The Oval just roll off the tongue. Waugh was n/o in the first 3 tests and was out off Angus Fraser in the 4th. Mark Taylor and Geoff Marsh did their amazing stand in the 1st innings of the 5th. It's amazing though now, looking at how patchy the fields were! There'd be an "outcry" if fields like that were served up for an Ashes test these days!

[@Mububban23]

1:00 that's the quintessential Steve Waugh shot right there!

[@MrH77]

I remember this series. A scorcher of a summer and Australia always scored 600. Alderman's gentle seamers ripping through England. Home losses to Pakistan in '87 and West Indies in '88 as well. 😮

[@adam872]

Worst side to ever leave Australia's shores I seem to recall. I remember listening to the coverage on the radio and loving Steve Waugh in particular punishing England.

[@jamesfahey4508]

The English sporting media also made the same "worst" claim about The Invincibles in 1948. Think about that. An under-17 side plus a 40yo Bradman wouldn't be the worst ever. Their sporting media has no credibility whatsoever, and actually contributes considerably to English defeats.

[@guodade2239]

​@@jamesfahey4508I do not think they would have saod that about the 1948 Australians! They had beaten England 3-0 in Australia in 1946/1947. They may not have known just how exceptional a side Australia had in 1948, I will admit that, but they knew it was really good, much more so than with the 1989 team.

[@venderstrat]

Love it how the batsmen take the umpi's decision, tuck the bat under the arm and walk off.

[@ray.shoesmith]

Best part is the comm team of Richie, Bill, Tony and Ian

[@horrormaestro3468]

The godfather of modern Australian cricket. AB is a legend

[@millertas]

Attended the 1986 MCG Test when England beat Austraya within three days to retain the Ashes. This series was sweet revenge.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

At 12:05 The Terry Alderman In Swinger was marvellous

[@matcole1975]

I lost count on how many Australian Captains in that team. God bless AB. Hope you are well mate. 💯🙏🇦🇺

[@rw-xf4cb]

Alderman was superb, stump to stump brings back memories his release of the ball basically inline with the eye of the umpire, if they missed guaranteed LBW! Great cricketer!!! Think only Warnie was the other to regularly get 40 wickets in a series other than Alderman.

[@EarlJohn61]

This was the series that had Billy Birmingham (of the 12th man Fame) as David Gower claiming that after the 2nd test the Englishmen had plans to get S. Waugh out. "In the third test?" "Well, not necessarily, but we will get him out!"

[@valueinvestor77]

I was 11 years old when this was played and my mother was very unhappy when she’d catch me trying to watch some of the game on the tv at some obscure hour like 3am.

[@rocknral]

If you had of went to bed just 5 minutes before stumps ( 3am) she wouldn't have caught you! LoL.

[@n.w.owhoknowstheshadowknow58]

6 and my first memory of cricket until Lara 277 scg and then I was hooked. They always talk about Terry in this series but really the batting was sensational

[@stevetarrant3898]

Alderman was perfect for english conditions. He always did well in england.

[@neilcameron7705]

"Thatcher out! lbw. Alderman"

[@millertas]

Graffiti all over London.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

I was 24 back then .If I stayed up (only on weekends) I could watch some of this but missed a lot of it . The Tv wasnt recordable then and WWS 9 didnt replay any of it apart from if you watched each News at 6pm. I had to rely on newspaper. Loved Terry Alderman method of bowling close to the wicket and at the time Dean Jones swashbuckling was copied at the Cricket club

[@paulchristopher8634]

This isn’t a cricket match. It’s a humiliation 😊

[@kirbsinoz]

Thankyou that was great 👍🏼

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

More like Englands worst performance in a home ashes series. Abysmal, and Gowers leave was ludicrous along with his walking off with hands behind his back. 🙈

[@craigrobinson4953]

Yeah Bobby Simpson's coaching made the team tougher in all facets of the game. England probably thought Broad will dominate with the bat They just thought they just had to turn up to win and read the newspapers.

[@guodade2239]

That the 1989 England team was that country’s worst of all time is tough to question. If you look at their Test bowling averages, you will see just how atrocious English bowling was - no bowler taking more than twelve wickets, no haul of five in an innings, never dismissing Australia for under 400! The record run-scoring of the “Year of the Bat” in 1990 further demonstrates how awful English bowling was at this time - generally mediocre batsmen were able to score a record 428 centuries and average 38.72 for the entire County Championship season.

[@1980extremeG]

Those are grim statistics! I remember watching this series as a boy and bloody hell we (England) were absolutely woeful, the 1993 Ashes series was also dreadful for an England fan but this was even worse somehow. Just totally outclassed by a much better side. Other than Smith's and Lamb's centuries there was literally nothing to shout about. The bowling was especially bad like you say. The bowlers we had at the time simply weren't up to test standard.

[@kane29842]

A few years later australia came back with Shane Warne, lmao

[@sagarlonkar712]

Old school cricket 🏏

[@markdowse3572]

And the "lesson" for any and every TEST MATCH is - NEVER underestimate any opposition. 😲 Just look at and listen to the NAMES of the Aussies that played in this Ashes. Legends all of them. BTW, Gower was always a joy to watch. Class... 😊 M 🦘🏏😎

[@samckwong]

the first ashes i watched as a kid and i remrmber they managed to get s waugh out not until the 2nd inn of 3rd test. b4 that he has an average of early 30s . they seem rely on his bowling than batting b4 the seies. and he had an average of over100 jn batting and less than 20 run per wicket in the series. what a lengend

[@wildernessuk]

England were dire in the late 80s. Didn’t win a test at home except v Sri Lanka 1986-1989

[@samuelbickerstaff6841]

I hope he be fine

[@david-prapu]

thank you another Ashes highlights please

[@CallsignEskimo-l3o]

This might have been peak Bill Lawrie.

[@woofowl2408]

That "worst Ashes team" was garbage at the time. Maybe there were question marks about the bowling (Hughes good, but unknown in England, Lawson a bit inconsistent and maybe past it by then), but Alderman was back and he was unplayable in England. Steve Waugh was on the cusp of greatness, he had been brilliant against the West Indians at home without quite cracking a ton. Border and Boon already had big reputations. It's worth noting that all of the top six batsman made significant contributions on that tour. If anything, the "worst team" applied to the '85 team which had been gutted by the rebel South African tour. Or perhaps the '81 team which sorely missed Greg Chappell and failed to include the experienced Doug Walters.

[@guodade2239]

The 1985 team, indeed, must rank as the worst Australian touring team on record, and at times I have imagined it as the worst touring team since the 1962 Pakistanis who lost 0-4 and did not dismiss England for under 350 in five Tests. In 1985, England did only win 3-1, but consider that in their other home Tests between 1984 and 1989 England went 1-17, with the only win against Sri Lanka in 1988. It is true that England had beaten India 2-1 in India during the previous winter, and regained several banned players from the 1981-82 rebel tour (most critically of course Graham Gooch) immediately before the 1985 Ashes series. However, before that series India had gone 29 consecutive Tests without winning, so even in India one can question how good England must have been. It is possible that Botham’s last great contribution made England better than it was in 1984 or between 1986 and 1989, but that hardly refutes the argument of the 1985 Australians being their worst ever touring team to England. Even the 0-3 1977 Australians had a much stronger England opposition than they faced in 1985: you can see just how much better England bowled from the extant footage. The “worst ever” label can, more certainly, be applied to the 1989 England team, especially to their bowling. Just watching snippets from this series demonstrates - as the 1990 Wisden noted - just how badly England bowled. The following season, in a desperate effort to improve England’s dreadful bowling, the TCCB reduced the seam on the ball and tried to prevent deliberately prepared “result” pitches. The result was an average runs per wicket in the County Championship of 38.72 - the highest on record by at least five runs - and 428 centuries in 241 first-class matches. Wisden was clear that the record scoring did in part reflect the abysmal standard of English bowling, saying plainly that there was not one “good” bowler eligible for England. Some Australian writers said the 1990-91 England team was the worst they had ever seen, which further adds weight to the claim that England’s 1989 team was its worst ever.

[@woofowl2408]

@@guodade2239 lol, well covered! I think the only decent English bowler in 1989 was Angus Fraser. But even he was broken near the end of the series. Andy Caddick was emblematic of English bowlers of that 80/90s period: bowl an over that consisted of a few good balls and maybe even trouble the batsman, but then relieve all the pressure with a couple of pies, most often a nice half-volley on leg stump.

[@superbuddyfranklin]

1:39 Plumb. Absolutely plumb. You can see the indent.

[@MarcKnight]

lol did Gooch get double figures combined for the whole series? 😂😂

[@AndyFNQ84]

Alderman's bunny

[@thetarotbogan]

Just imagine any test oval looking as primitive as the 5th test in this day and age. Well excluding India 😂

[@EarlJohn61]

Trinidad, Guyana, (most other grounds in the Caribbean)

[@pricey4566]

No DRS required when stumps are flying everywhere 😂😂😂 and the umpires decisions on LBW's quick as a whip how it should be

[@RobertCoates-wn2ok]

England's umpires were on form that series; fired their own batsman out lbw all summer😅

[@stevesalkas9128]

King 👑 steve

[@rashedalmazi3343]

Those England umpires are so biased.

[@lapalad]

This was a wonderful time to be living in the uk

[@typetersen8809]

This is the only kind of cricket (or rugby league) that I watch since the propaganda scammers unleashed their Convid reign of terror campaign in 2020. Did not, and will not watch a single ball of the recent woke cricketer's nonsense.

[@banerjeesiddharth05]

🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@fudgenuggets405]

Rain saved England's ass twice in this series but they whine about it today. Cry more, poms.

[@aidanmargarson8910]

it has to be said .. the white hats on the English .. they look bad .. they played bad?

[@brettmorrison360]

The original bazball

[@AxeDharme]

Steve Waugh's breakout series as a batsman

[@glenod]

SD tv before we had SD... brilliant.