Hutton's Heroes - The 1954/55 Ashes

[Rumple43]

So after getting back into Cricket 22 recently, I figured I'd dive into something to scratch my itch. And using @Mouseydread's classic teams from the Academy, I'm recreating the famous 1954/55 Ashes series in Australia.

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The England team was captained by Len Hutton, the first professional cricketer to lead an MCC tour of Australia. The Australian team under Ian Johnson was confident of victory, but despite losing the First Test by an innings England won the series 3–1 and retained the Ashes.

They were the only touring team to win a series in Australia between 1932–33 and 1970–71 and only the second of three touring teams to win a series in Australia from behind ever.

The tour is best remembered for the bowling of England's Frank "Typhoon" Tyson, who was at the time regarded as the fastest, most frightening bowler ever seen in Australia. The series saw a phenomenal concentration of bowling prowess on both sides – four of the bowlers had career Test averages under 21, another five under 25 and the remaining four under 30.

I'm bowling as both teams so I have no real stake in which side wins, just that I get some good cricket that's worth talking about and sharing.

I've already played one Test, I'm in the middle of the second. Maybe I'll play all five. Maybe I'll move onto something new before I do. We shall see, no promises.

 

[Rumple43]

1st Test - Brisbane​

Series tied 0-0​

With the Brisbane pitch looking a fair one, unlike many of the era, both teams fancied their chances of getting off to a good start in the series.

England approached the game with the formidable pace trio of Alec Bedser, Frank Tyson and Brian Statham, the spinning allrounder Denis Compton, plus part time seam from Bill Edrich and Trevor Bailey. Doug Insole replaced regular wicket keeper Godfrey Evans, who was suffering from heat stroke acquired during the last warm up match, whilst also handing a debut to batter Colin Cowdrey.

Ray Lindwall was deemed fit to play after gastric issues ahead of the game, and joined a pace attack including captain Ian Johnson, left armer Bill Johnston and all rounder Keith Miller. Gill Langley was behind the stumps, with Richie Benaud providing a spin option and opener Len Favell receiving his first cap.



Eager to emulate the real life effort of 601/8 declared, Australia won the toss and batted first. They looked well placed the recreate that lofty total as well, with Favell (54), Morris (77) and a highly-impressive Keith Miller (122) all playing well as England toiled on a batter-friendly surface. Miller would eventually fall late in the day, edging behind to Insole for Statham's only wicket of the innings.

Around his brilliant century, Australia were well set at 250-2, and it was up to Compton's left arm wrist spin to put the brakes on the hosts as they looked to press home their advantage during a successful opening day.

The Middlesex man took the wickets of Neil Harvey (27), Jack Moroney (0) and Benaud (9) to reduce Australia to 254/5, though the score would pass 300 before the day was out thanks to a middle order cameo from Ron Archer (82).

Archer would eventually fall to the off-pace cutters of Trevor Bailey 18 runs short of a century, but not before frustrating the visitors with irksome late partnerships, alongside Lindwall and Johnson in particular, that stretched the innings into the afternoon session of day two.

Australia's final tally of 440 was a more than fair shake batting first on a promising surface, and would put England under pressure to produce a similar reply.

Compton closed with 3-90, with Bailey supporting with an economical 2-41 as Edrich, Bedser and Tyson also grabbed a wicket each. Both of the latter pair went for nearly 100 runs in the process as part of innings that they'd surely rather forget.

 

[Rumple43]

1st Test - Brisbane​

Series tied 0-0​

AUS 440 all out - Keith Miller 121​

England's reply to Australia's 440 effort got off to a commanding start as captain Len Hutton and fellow opener Reg Simpson set about building a solid foundation for the innings.

Putting on 74 for the opening wicket, both openers would then fall in quick succession to leave Bill Edrich and Peter May to rebuild on what was still a good surface to bat on.

Australia's front liners of Ray Lindwall and Brian Johnston generally failed to make inroads throughout the first session, with both openers and Edrich in particular profiting from their lack of cutting edge.

The veteran batter would eventually compile a standout knock of 103 as England build their reply around the Middlesex man, with Edrich playing an array of shots around the ground and looking commanding off both front and back foot.



Much like Australia's first innings the day before, it would be up to the spinners to put a dampener on the batting side's efforts. This time it was Richie Benaud, using his leg spin to restrict the visitors as he returned eventual figures of 5-59.

Captain Ian Johnson's off spin would also account for Edrich as well as Colin Cowdrey, allowing the pair to collect seven of the ten England wickets on offer.

It looked like Benaud and Johnson would be able to spin Australia into a sizable first innings lead, taking England from 261-3 to 276-6 at one stage, but Cowdrey's solid knock of 56 on debut and a late order effort from Denis Compton (54) eventually saw England up to 380 all out by tea on day 3.



The 60 run advantage certainly puts Australia in the box seats to take a 1-0 series lead away from the Gabba, particularly since England will need to bat last against the already in-form Benaud plus captain Ian Johnson, who's off spin also proved dangerous to the visitors.

A fast start to the series will also help the hosts, who need to win the series outright to claim the Ashes from current holders England.

With the pitch still appearing more than fair to the batting side, Johnson's men will surely look to progress for much of the next day and a half to leave England facing a sizable total on a potentially declining surface.

 

[Rumple43]

1st Test - Brisbane​

Series tied 0-0​

AUS 440 all out - Keith Miller 121​

ENG 380 all out - Bill Edrich 103​

Australia set about posing England a challenging fourth innings run chase late on day three of what is developing into an enthralling opening Test of this 1954/55 Ashes series.

As expected, the pitch was still more the supportive to batters and both Australian openers made it through to close with little cause for concern before starting afresh in the same vein the following day.

Both Les Favell and Author Morris added second half centuries to totals for the match, with the opening wicket stand slowly passing 100 as England captain Len Hutton watched his side's deficit grow ominously.



Fearing the kind of repeat that had left the hosts at 250-2 in their firt innings, Hutton tried all he could to prize out either batter but the opening wicket would eventually come from Brian Statham as he got a delivery to wobble off the seam, beat the outside edge and clatter into Favell's off stump for 53.

Morris would follow shortly after as Alec Bedser produced a sharp throw from cover to make the New South Wales man pay for taking on a quick single, but still Australia would advance, pushing their lead up over 200 as Hutton began to put measures in place to slow thigs down and take as much time out of the contest as possible.

Australian wickets would fall, but not cheaply as Statham had Miller caught behind for 44, whilst Harvey and Moroney also took Australia's advantage north of 300, leaving England with an ever-diminishing prospect of getting anything positive from the contest.



What would happen during the afternoon session of day four would be the stuff of legend.

With the game well and truly eking out of England's grasp, Hutton once again threw the ball to his quick, Frank Tyson, who until now had been largely ineffective across the match.

Benaud and Archer were both quickly bowled, beaten for pace, as was Gil Langley, with Ray Lindwall and Bill Johnson only able to fend deliveries away to a waiting slip cordon as Australia collapsed from 243/4 to 262 all out.

The fiery burst from Tyson set tongues a' wagging at the Gabba, with fans and followers alike talking about how England's pace man had ripped through Australia seemingly out of almost thin air.

What had once appeared to be an almost certain Australian victory was decidedly less nailed on as Hutton and Reg Simpson strode to the middle to begin England's second knock, though a commanding target of 323 was still a tough ask across the final four and a half sessions of the match.

 

[Mouseydread]

Great stuff, this is exactly why I created this players back then, I wanted people to have access to players that may not be popular in the academy for a project like this you are doing. I like watching AI vs AI but have always enjoyed the game best when bowling vs AI. I am not the best at bowling! Keep doing this, those England sides were awesome! I am still working on some early stuff from 1900- 1940. I have been distracted by another project but this has inspired me again!

 

[Rumple43]

1st Test - Brisbane​

Series tied 0-0​

AUS 440 all out - Keith Miller 121 & 262 all out - Arthur Morris 70​

ENG 380 all out - Bill Edrich 103 & 322 all out - Peter May 110​

MATCH TIED

Fittingly for a match that ebbed and flowed across all five days, England and Australia opened the 1954/55 Ashes with test cricket's first ever tie.



Chasing a commanding total of 323, England leant on a century from Peter May to marshal the visitors through their innings, with each partnership and each wicket being greeted with both celebration and nervous energy in equal measure.

With England's final wicket stand beginning 16 runs short of their target, Alec Bedser and number eleven Frank Tyson were desperate to get their team over the line.

Hutton's men looked to have done just that when Bedser pushed a Bill Johnston delivery down to fine leg for a single to level the scores.

The Australian would then deliver a hammer blow in reply, angling a ball across the right handed Tyson and finding the edge as the ball flew gratefully to the waiting slip fielder.

Neither side was sure if they should be elated or dejected, and who snatched which result from the other created a sense of unease and celebration that only such an occasion can muster.

Both teams took turns to be in the ascendency throughout a thrilling final day, with an opening stand of 58 getting England on their way before the hosts pegged them back to 87-3 thanks to some sharp bowling from Richie Benaud.

May would continue to chip away at the total however, unmoved across his 175 deliveries and creating good partnerships down the order with Doug Insole (23) ad Denis Compton (33).

Those lower order contributions would lift England from 123-5 through to 274-7, well within touching distance of their total as fans and players alike couldn't call which way the contest would go.



That would set up the contest's historic finish, with all involved playing their part to set up a battle that will live forever in the memory of test cricket.

At the 391st time of asking in the format, there was nothing that could separate the old foes, leaving both sides to head to Sydney's SCG with the series still tied 0-0.

Player of the match honours went to Benaud for his eight wickets, with five in the first innings and three in the second. Tyson's 5-59 in Australia's second innings will no doubt be talked about for some time to come as a warning shot across Australia's bow.

 

[Rumple43]

Blargh, Cricket 22 just doesn't help itself.

Lost my mojo for this after the 2nd Test, I'll not lie. It set up pretty well across the first three innings, setting the scene for day 4 and 5 roller coaster.

I made the pitch degrade a little using the sliders after the draw in the 1st test, and it just had the complete opposite effect of what I wanted. A nervous run chase was replaced by, well, a complete hammering.


Maybe the pitch really flattened out. These things do happen, after all.

But nothing about the game play felt genuine, or fun, for that matters.

So back into the box for Cricket 22. Who knows when I'll scratch the itch again.