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World Series Cricket memories

Butterteeth

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
For some reason I've been feeling a bit nostalgic of late and found myself
thinking about the World Series Cricket years (probably showing my age a bit too).
Our household were staunchly Establishment. We believed cricket belonged on ABC TV
and steadfastly watched the 1977-78 series between Australia and India while
the "Other" cricket was on Channel 9. We cheered as Bobby Simpson
came out of retirement to lead the young, untried Aussie team against
Bishen Bedi's Indians. There was Peter Toohey, Wayne Clark, Alan Hurst,
Rick Darling, Ian Ogilvie and Steve Rixon. They were my heroes.
Occasionally, much to my father and elder brother's disgust I would take in
some of the WSC games. I had a 'How to play cricket' book that one of the Chappels
had written so felt I owed them something. I must admit to feeling a little dirty
watching WSC - but I was fascinated. DK Lillee, Lenny 'No Ball' Pascoe, David Hookes,
Tony Greig getting belted in his space helmet and of course the incomparable
West Indians. White balls, the West Indies in pink...
I remember using a brand new tennis ball in the backyard and pretending
I was playing under lights for the WSC Australians. The next day I was
Peter Toohey scoring a century against India (can't remember if he ever did).
My Dad took me to my first test match the next season - Australia v England. England had
hammered us from day 1 of the series but I loved it - I think it may have been
Allan Border's first test - interesting that I saw him make his 10000th run
many years later at the same venue.
Weirdly, I was a bit disappointed when everything came back together
in 79-80. They were my formative cricket years. And I loved every minute of it.
 

archie mac

International Coach
I was a young'en to, but really enjoyed those years, my father would not watch the WSC cricket either. Have you read 'Cricket War' by Gideon Haigh? The memories came flooding back for me while I read that book.
 

Truekiwijoker

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Maybe it was just my age at the time, but I enjoyed those old Benson and Hedges world series games more than the current VB series (which I still consider tops in any case).

For anyone in NZ the 1980/81 series will allways be remembered as the time an interest cricket hit the average kiwi joker.

And what a series... watching footage now even gets us stirred.

Kerry Packer, what a genius.
 

archie mac

International Coach
Butterteeth said:
I haven't, but I will.

Would love to see those pink West Indian uniforms again.
Lol, just as well they were the best team in the world in those days, otherwise they would have been laughed off the park :)
 

open365

International Vice-Captain
I've never understodd world series cricket.

How did they manage to get each country a full side,i thought they only had about 6 players max from each nation?
 

archie mac

International Coach
open365 said:
I've never understodd world series cricket.

How did they manage to get each country a full side,i thought they only had about 6 players max from each nation?
No they had almost the entire Aust side, in fact they had enough for two teams. They had almost the entire first choice WI 11.

The side they had trouble with was England, so they had a World 11 made up of English, SA, Ind, and Pakistan players. Although during the Super Tests between Aust and the World team they would also play some WI players.
 

Autobahn

State 12th Man
archie mac said:
No they had almost the entire Aust side, in fact they had enough for two teams. They had almost the entire first choice WI 11.

The side they had trouble with was England, so they had a World 11 made up of English, SA, Ind, and Pakistan players. Although during the Super Tests between Aust and the World team they would also play some WI players.
I thought it was always going to be a World 11 side?
 

archie mac

International Coach
Autobahn said:
I thought it was always going to be a World 11 side?
This from 'The Cricket War'

''So what about a third team? And a fourth? Could Cornell and Robertson rustle enough Englishmen or West Indians to impersonate England and West Indies Xls?''

So that was the early plan but they could not sign enough, so the English players went into a World 11. They had plans for a World 11 anyway, as you suggested :)
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Richard said:
Nope, the game would've become what it is today without Packer's illicit actions.
Yeah, but it would have been about ten to twenty years later.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
andyc said:
Yeah, but it would have been about ten to twenty years later.
And it's debateable it would've even done that. Nobody knows what could've happened in the interim.

Imagine Hockey gets a Packer and that game becomes even more massive in Pakistan and India?
 

Butterteeth

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Truekiwijoker said:
For anyone in NZ the 1980/81 series will allways be remembered as the time an interest cricket hit the average kiwi joker.
Was that the same series where Lance Cairns went berko at the MCG in one match, including an unbelievable one handed six?
I can remember that one. Top stuff.

Oh and that underarm thingy.....

(you bloody idiot Chappell, G.S.) :wacko:
 

Truekiwijoker

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Butterteeth said:
Was that the same series where Lance Cairns went berko at the MCG in one match, including an unbelievable one handed six?
I can remember that one. Top stuff.
I do believe that was two years later, in the almost as excellent 1982/3 world series. It was thew second final where we got thumped by something like a ton and a half, with Cairns's 50 (with 6 6's) the only thing to chear about:(

Butterteeth said:
Oh and that underarm thingy.....

(you bloody idiot Chappell, G.S.) :wacko:
Well 'Chapelli' always was a bit of a w*nker. But what he did wasn't illegal (if only rather unsporting) and I've always thought too many fellow kiwis have sulked too long over it. It was only an ODI after all, not a test or anything.

Pondering it over I've come to the conclusion that we kiwis and you Aussies aren't really mates...

...we're more like brothers.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Richard said:
Nope, the game would've become what it is today without Packer's illicit actions.
Oh yeah, why didn't anyone think of playing under lights before? What about cameras from both ends? That seemed oh so logical, yet it wasn't done for so long.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Jono said:
Oh yeah, why didn't anyone think of playing under lights before? What about cameras from both ends? That seemed oh so logical, yet it wasn't done for so long.
Not to mention the idea of paying the players a decent whack.
 

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