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Worst of the whitewashes?
- Thread starter GIMH
- Start date
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
We were saved by rain in the second. Probably not really a close series per se, but closer than most in those wilderness years.
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
Probably 1982/83. The final 2-1 margin flattered us a bit tbh. We went 2-0 down before pulling one back, but we never looked like winning the final test, which would have retained the urn. I don't remember being too bothered. We knew we'd been lucky in 1981, and we figured we'd have a fair shout in 1985 as Lillee, Chappell and Marsh weren't likely to be around.
The final score-line in 1997 was close, but Aus were 3-1 up before the final test. Actually it would have been even closer if Steve Waugh hadn't batted out of his skin to win them the 3rd test after we'd one one up, but you just had to put your hand up and say the better side won.
You probably have to go back to the 1960's to find a close series where we lost it at the end. Like I said earlier, the one where Benaud bowled us out going around the wicket at Old Trafford to put them 2-1 ahead in the penultimate test is the obvious one. Maybe 1961. And it would have been annoying as anything because we weren't chasing many. But it was well before my time.
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flibbertyjibber
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Us dominating the first test was as good as it got. I was there for every day bar one of that test at Edgbaston. After that we were never really in it until the crims had their feet up in the last test having won the series.
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
Yeah. True, but we never looked like winning the final test, which would have made it two all. I suppose 1998/99 was closer, insofar as we did have decent shout at two-all in the final test until Slater was given the benefit of whatever doubt the 3rd umpire could find with that run-out. But in both series, the ashes were gone after three tests, so it never felt close.
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
The first two days of Edgbaston in 1997 were absolutely delirious, what with us taking about eight wickets before lunch on Day 1 and then Nasser and Thorpe batting forever after a brief Aus fight-back.
Must have been amazing to be there.
I do think people forget how close the series would have been but for S Waugh's batting in the 3rd test. Granted we were lucky to still be one-up after Lord's, and admittedly the final margin at Old Trafford was massive, but that was almost entirely down to Waugh's twin hundreds in difficult conditions against a pretty decent England attack. Thereafter it was business as usual, but that was largely down to what SW did at OT.
But yes, by the end of the series we were miles behind, and winning our habitual dead rubber didn't hide that.
Swingpanzee
International Regular
Ashes 2015 