At the
1966-67 meeting of the Australian Cricket Board the tour was brought forward
from 1973.
This
was the last touring side over which Sir Donald Bradman had any official
influence, as he was in his final year as Chairman of the Australian Cricket
Board of Control.
The
selectors decided to give youth a chance to restore Australia's
fortunes, and discarded McKenzie and Redpath, while opting not to bring back
Lawry. The new-look team meant that Western Australia
(with six players) had its highest representation yet, while Queensland provided no
representative for the first time since the Second World War.The selectors had foregone Lawry's
redoubtable batting skills in order to replace him as captain in 1971 and
continued now with the more positive approach of Ian Chappell, who oversaw
great improvements in the team's performances. However, in the Tests the
opening batting partnerships averaged a mere 18 runs.
Bob
Massie’s spectacular debut at Lord’s was the undoubted highlight of the
season.The series also saw two of Australia's
greatest cricketers, Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee, fulfil their promise.
Arthur James of Hobart missed an England tour for the first time
since 1930 but nevertheless came on a private visit.
Selectors
Neil Harvey (New South Wales),Sam Loxton (Victoria),Phil Ridings (South Australia),
Selection
The Australian Cricket
Board of Control announced on 29 December 1971 that Ray Steele would be
manager with Fred Bennett as his assistant.
Ian
Chappell was appointed captain on 8 March 1972.
UnavailableNone
Tour Party Announced 6 March 1972
Not selected:Graham McKenzie, Kerry O'Keefe, Ian
Redpath, John Benaud.
McKenzie
(Leicestershire) and O'Keefe (Somerset) were
in England
playing county cricket in 1972 while Redpath was promoting the Haig village
tournament.
Time between selection and departure from Australia
43 days
(6 March- 18 April)
Travel
SydneyQSan
FranciscoQLondon
After playing in a double-wicket
tournament in Jamaica, Ian
Chappell and Doug Walters arrived in England earlier than the main
part of the team.
The touring party assembled
in Sydney and
flew out on the night of 18 April 1972. They flew via San
Francisco (where 34 items of luggage were mislaid) and arrived at
Heathrow Airport,
London, on 19
April.
Time spent in England
141 days
(19 April - 7 September)
On-tour selection panel
Ian Chappell (captain), Keith Stackpole (vice-captain), John Inverarity.
Reinforcements
None
Fixtures/Results
The 40-over game against Sussex was in celebration of the centenary of
the Hove ground
•Wicket-keeper Rodney Marsh took five
catches in the innings at Old Trafford and did so again at Trent Bridge
•Bob Massie took 16 wickets for 137 runs at
Lord's, the record for a bowler on his first Test appearance.
•Greg Chappell walked off to a standing
ovation after scoring a magnificent 131 at Lord’s.
•Ross Edwards’ played an undefeated innings
of 170 when Bruce Francis suffered a migraine and he was called upon to open
the second innings at Trent
Bridge; Edwards then
scored a pair in the Headingley Test.
•All six Western Australians in the party played in the final
Test, while for the first time New
South Wales had no representative in a Test match.
•Ian and Greg Chappell shared a third wicket partnership of 201
runs against England
at The Oval. This was the first occasion that brothers had scored centuries
in the same Test innings.
•Dennis Lillee took 31 wickets in the
series, the record for Australia
in England
until Alderman in 1981. His record included ten in the match at The Oval.
Tour Summary
F
W
L
D/NR
Aban
Test Matches
5
2
2
1
-
Other first-class matches
22
9
3
9
1
Minor matches
8
2
3
3
-
One-day internationals
3
1
2
0
-
All Matches
38
14
10
13
1
FFixturesWWonL Lost
D DrawnNRNo result
AbanAbandoned with no play
Canc Cancelled
Return to Australia
LondonQSydney
Ian Chappell wrote “I am a firm believer in finishing
a tour of England
immeditaely the fifth Test is over…. I am convinced [it] should be the climax
of the tour … first-class games after that are a waste of time but we had to
play a return match against Lancashire and
then face T N Pearce’s XI.”
The tour party split up in London on 7 September 1972.Some went on holiday in Europe.Massie and Edwards returned home via India where
they played in the K S Ranjitsinhji centenary match.
The first to reach home were Sheahan and Stackpole,
who arrived in Melbourne, and Lillee, who
landed at Perth,
on 10 September.
Greg and Ian Chappell spent three weeks competing in
a double-wicket competition in Salisbury (Rhodesia) and a two-day game in Johannesburg for Wilf
Isaac's XI.
Time away from Australia
145 days
(18 April to 10 September)
Finances
Allowances for the tour running from 15
April until 8 September amounted to $2650 for each player, compared with
$2150 for the 1968 tour, which lasted a week less.
Written
accounts of the tour
"The Ashes 1972"by John Arlott(Pelham Books, 1972)
"Tigers Among the Lions"by Ian Chappell(Lynton Publications, 1972)