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Ashes 89 and now

flibbertyjibber

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This has a feeling of 89 in that we have a poor side with a lot of ageing stars who are past their best and a couple of gems to go forward with.

Back in 89 we were rocked by the rebel tour but at least we had Smith, Russell and Fraser to build with or so we thought. Now we have Root and Robinson and hopefully Archer gets fit soon.

Grim times ahead.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
1989 was horrible. Maybe the most depressing Ashes series that I have followed, and obviously there have been plenty to choose from. My stated view of the rebel tourists at the time was 'good riddance' to a bunch of guys who were clearly past their sell-by date; from memory, Dilley, Foster, Robinson, Athey, Emburey, Broad, and, of course, Gatting. Presumably others would have featured in the 1989 series too, but I can't remember who they were. Oddly enough, the immediate outcomes were our most impressive tour of WI in ages, where we were unlucky to go down 2-1 and home wins against India and NZ, both of whom had beaten us last time they were in England.
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Weren't those stars even older in the '94 series? Assuming you're referring to Gooch and Gatting
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Weren't those stars even older in the '94 series? Assuming you're referring to Gooch and Gatting
The problem with including Gooch in that category is that he went on to have his best spell as a test player from 1990 onwards. And, iirc, Gatting didn't play in many of the 1989 tests. Apart from the guys that I listed, I think that Botham also played a couple of tests in 1989, and he really was past it. And of course Gower was getting on, although he had his moments in 1989.
 
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Burgey

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Gatt put his hand through a window punching it after he got out in a county game in the lead up to one of those tests iirc.

Atherton also daybooed in 89 and obviously went on to be a very good player for England too.
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Gatt put his hand through a window punching it after he got out in a county game in the lead up to one of those tests iirc.

Atherton also daybooed in 89 and obviously went on to be a very good player for England too.
I thought you rated Atherton at Harris level
 

Burgey

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Nah he was a good opener for England for sure. I just don't rate him as highly as some others, and my view of him is undoubtedly clouded by the abject mediocrity he invariably displayed against Australia.
 

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
If not for rain, Australia probably would've won 6-0.

Even with the rain, England just squeaked the follow-on in the 3rd & 6th Tests which otherwise they would've lost at least one of them.

Just an absolute slaughter from ball one; had a massive response from the Australian public with the side being given huge ticker tape parades afterwards.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
I don't see much comparison between the current series and 89. This series has gone exactly as expected. In 89 Australia hadn't won a full series in England for quarter of a century. Even the shorter 75 series coming straight after the winter slaughter was competitive with England being on top for large parts of two of the matches. 89 really only unravelled starting on the last day of the First Test which went into the day looking a certain draw. Australia had started to improve under Border in the couple of years after the previous Ashes and England weren't great but there was no expectation that the series would be so one sided.
 

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