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The
Australian cricket team The Australia men's national cricket team represents Australia in men's international cricket. As the joint oldest team in Test cricket history, playing in the first ever Test match in 1877, the team also plays One-Day International (ODI) a ...
toured England in the 1985 season to play a six-match
Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
series against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. England won the series 3–1 with two matches drawn. England therefore regained
The Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, '' The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first ...
.


Test series summary


First Test


Second Test


Third Test


Fourth Test


Fifth Test


Sixth Test


One Day Internationals (ODIs)

Australia won the Prudential Trophy 2–1.


1st ODI


2nd ODI


3rd ODI


Australian squad

Australia had endured a turbulent summer during the 1984–85 season, which included the resignation of their captain
Kim Hughes Kimberley John Hughes (born 26 January 1954) is a former cricketer who played for Western Australia, Natal and Australia. He captained Australia in 28 Test matches between 1979 and 1984 before captaining a rebel Australian team in a tour of ...
and consistent defeats at the hands of the West Indian cricket side. However, there were some encouraging signs, such as the consistent form of
Kepler Wessels Kepler Christoffel Wessels (born 14 September 1957) is a South African-Australian cricket commentator and former cricketer who captained South Africa after playing 24 Tests for Australia. Since retiring he has been a lawn bowls competitor. He ...
, the re-emergence of
Andrew Hilditch Andrew Mark Jefferson Hilditch (born 20 May 1956) is a former Australian international cricketer who played in 18 Test matches and eight One Day Internationals from 1979 to 1985. He played for New South Wales from 1977 to 1981 and for South ...
as a test batsman, the discovery of an exciting new pace prospect in
Craig McDermott Craig John McDermott (born 14 April 1965) is a former Australian cricketer. Between 1984 and 1996 he played 71 Tests for Australia, taking 291 wickets. Following the end of his playing career, he was the bowling coach for the Australian team fo ...
and improved spin bowling stocks, led by
Bob Holland Robert George Holland (19 October 1946 – 17 September 2017) was a New South Wales and Australian cricketer. He was, because of his surname, nicknamed "Dutchy". Holland, who spent the majority of his cricketing life in Newcastle, was a late ...
.


Original squad

The original squad selected were as follows: *Batsmen -
Allan Border Allan Robert Border (born 27 July 1955) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test ma ...
(captain),
Andrew Hilditch Andrew Mark Jefferson Hilditch (born 20 May 1956) is a former Australian international cricketer who played in 18 Test matches and eight One Day Internationals from 1979 to 1985. He played for New South Wales from 1977 to 1981 and for South ...
(vice captain),
David Boon David Clarence Boon (born 29 December 1960) is an Australian cricket match referee, former cricket commentator and international cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1996. A right-handed batsman and a very oc ...
,
Greg Ritchie Gregory Michael Ritchie (born 23 January 1960) is a former Australian international cricketer who played in 30 Tests matches and 44 One Day Internationals between 1982 and 1987. Ritchie played for Queensland between 1980 and 1992. He scored ...
,
Dirk Wellham Dirk MacDonald Wellham (born 13 March 1959) is a former Australian cricketer who played in six Test matches and 17 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1981 and 1987. He is one of three players to score a century in both his first class an ...
,
Kepler Wessels Kepler Christoffel Wessels (born 14 September 1957) is a South African-Australian cricket commentator and former cricketer who captained South Africa after playing 24 Tests for Australia. Since retiring he has been a lawn bowls competitor. He ...
, Graeme Wood *Fast bowlers -
Terry Alderman Terence Michael Alderman (born 12 June 1956) is a former Australian international cricketer who played primarily as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He began his first-class cricket career in 1974 with Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield ...
, Geoff Lawson,
Craig McDermott Craig John McDermott (born 14 April 1965) is a former Australian cricketer. Between 1984 and 1996 he played 71 Tests for Australia, taking 291 wickets. Following the end of his playing career, he was the bowling coach for the Australian team fo ...
, Rod McCurdy *Spinners -
Murray Bennett Murray John Bennett (born 6 October 1956) is a former Australian cricketer who played in three Test matches and eight One Day Internationals in 1984 and 1985. Early career Bennett made a promising start to his career as a left arm orthodox ...
,
Bob Holland Robert George Holland (19 October 1946 – 17 September 2017) was a New South Wales and Australian cricketer. He was, because of his surname, nicknamed "Dutchy". Holland, who spent the majority of his cricketing life in Newcastle, was a late ...
,
Greg Matthews Gregory Richard John Matthews (born 15 December 1959) is a New South Wales and Australian former cricket all rounder ( off-spin bowler and left-handed batsman) who is now a television cricket commentator. When Australian cricket was in the d ...
*Wicketkeepers - Wayne Phillips,
Steve Rixon Stephen John Rixon (born 25 February 1954) is an Australian cricket coach and former international cricketer. He played in 13 Test matches and six One Day Internationals between 1977 and 1985. He has coached the New Zealand cricket team, New S ...
*All-rounders -
Simon O'Donnell Simon Patrick O'Donnell (born 26 January 1963) is an Australian former cricketer, VFL footballer, and horse racing and cricket commentator. He is currently a horse breeder and enabler. He is a former record holder for the fastest One Day Int ...


"Rebel tours" of South Africa

However it was revealed prior to leaving for England that several of the cricketers had signed to play cricket in South Africa over the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons, including Alderman, Wellham, Wood, McCurdy, Phillips, Bennett and Rixon. Although these contracts did not start until after the Ashes, the Australian Cricket Board were reluctant to allow these players to go on the tour. Wellham, Phillips and Wood were then all offered inducements by Kerry Packer, who owned TV rights to the game, not to go to South Africa, and Bennett changed his mind. Alderman, McCurdy and Rixon stuck by their original decisions, and were ruled ineligible to tour. They were replaced by
Carl Rackemann Carl Gray Rackemann (born 3 June 1960) is a former Queensland and Australian cricketer. He was a fast bowler in 12 Test matches, 52 One Day Internationals and 167 first-class cricket matches in a career spanning 1979/80 to 1995/96. Intern ...
, John Maguire and Ray Phillips. Rackemann and McGuire then revealed that they too had signed to tour South Africa, and were replaced by David Gilbert and
Jeff Thomson Jeffrey Robert Thomson (born 16 August 1950) is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he is one of the fastest bowlers in the history of cricket; he bowled a delivery with a speed of 160.6 km/h against the West Indies in Perth ...
. The remaining Australian team originally elected to tour without Wellham, Phillips and Wood but eventually changed their mind after a team meeting.


Series

Australia performed reasonably well in the early tour games, the highlight being Allan Border scoring four centuries in consecutive first class games. Jeff Thomson leapt into test consideration after taking eight wickets against Somerset. David Boon, Greg Ritchie and Wayne Phillips also scored well in early games, and Bob Holland took a number of wickets.
Simon O'Donnell Simon Patrick O'Donnell (born 26 January 1963) is an Australian former cricketer, VFL footballer, and horse racing and cricket commentator. He is currently a horse breeder and enabler. He is a former record holder for the fastest One Day Int ...
's century against the MCC saw him come into consideration as an all rounder. Australia won the one day series 2–1. They then drew a game against Leicestershire in which David Gower scored a century, taking heavy toll off Bob Holland's bowling, while Jeff Thomson took five wickets. This saw Thomson preferred over Holland in Australia's team for the first test. Simon O'Donnell was picked as the fourth bowler in support of McDermott, Lawson and Thomson, despite a noticeable lack of success with the ball on the tour until that date. The rest of the team consisted of Wood, Hilditch, Wessels, Border, Boon, Ritchie and Phillips. Australia lost the first by five wickets. Holland then took five wickets in a game against Hampshire"Hampshire v Australians Australia in British Isles 1985 Venue County Ground, Southampton on 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th June 1985"
accessed 18 February 2014 and came into the test side in place of Thomson for the second test. Australia won this by four wickets, due mostly to Allan Border's scores of 196 and 41 not out, and five wicket hauls to McDermott and Holland. Australia kept the same side for the third test, which ended in a heavy scoring draw. In order to boost the bowling, the injured Graeme Wood was replaced by all rounder Greg Matthews in the fourth test, where Australia managed to escape with a draw due to a second innings century from Allan Border. For the fifth test Wood returned and Matthews was dropped. However Australia decided to boost the bowling by dropping Boon for Jeff Thomson. Australia lost the game by an innings. Australia dropped O'Donnell for the sixth and final test, bringing in Dirk Wellham instead, and replacing Holland with Murray Bennett and Jeff Thomson with Gilbert. Australia lost this game by an innings as well.


References


External sources


''Guardian'' article on the tour


Annual reviews

*
Playfair Cricket Annual ''Playfair Cricket Annual'' is a compact annual about cricket that is published in the United Kingdom each April, just before the English cricket season is due to begin. It has been published every year since 1948. Its main purposes are to revie ...
1986 *
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
1986 {{International cricket tours of England 1985 in Australian cricket
Cricket season Cricket seasons are the times of the year when cricket is played. Because top-class cricket is almost always played outdoors, on uncovered pitches, and rain prevents play, the seasons in each country are geared to coincide with the driest months ...
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
International cricket competitions from 1980–81 to 1985
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...