Of Bazball and English Encounters

1980 Centenary test scoresheet.

 The ashes series currently underway in the UK reminds me of the Centenary Test held at Lord's between August 28th and September 2nd 1980.

At the time my bride and I were touring the UK and Europe in a hired Bedford Dormobile, a stolid and reliable vehicle, but not the easiest thing to drive on the congested British roads.

Dormobile

We had bought tickets to attend the Centenary test, although neither of us were cricket fans. Our attendance was more about the historic nature of that one-off match, than it was about the ashes, but it was an interesting experience. We were staying in a caravan park in London, and caught a bus to the ground to watch a full day's play.

From memory, Australia declared at the end of each innings, after Graeme Wood scored a century in the first, and Greg Chappell and Kim Hughes got stuck into the English bowlers in the second.

The Poms proceeded (through Geoff Boycott and Graham Gooch) to put up the shutters and play for a draw. It was a great spectacle, but pretty boring cricket.

A few days later, we had to put the Dormobile in for a scheduled service prior to crossing the channel, so booked it into a metropolitan Vauxhall dealer for the job, whilst we went shopping in the Mall and took in a movie. I can't remember what it was. That was over forty years ago, after all. It may have been The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, but I can't be sure.

We rocked up to the dealer and I produced travelers cheques to pay for the service. The bloke behind the counter wouldn't accept them, and the banks were closed as it was late in the day, so I called for the manager. We didn't have enough cash, and that was in the days before travelling with credit cards. The manager wasn't happy, and by this time, nor was I, so I told him he was running his business like his countrymen played cricket - lacking in imagination.

I don't know whether this conversation made any difference, or if our threat that we would have to sleep in the vehicle in the forecourt (given it was our accommodation) convinced him, but he released the vehicle. Looking back on it, the travelers' cheques were secure, but I don't think he'd struck anyone using them for payment, and this made him uncomfortable.

Now, forty years later, the Poms (or their media) are claiming they have seen the light and are now playing entertaining cricket. They call it Bazball.

Perhaps they've seen the light.