Back to the dark ages: a tale of two eras

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/back-to-the-dark-ages-20101210-18stl.html

Then as now, perceptions lagged behind reality. Then, England arrived in Australia unregarded, but won everything on offer, including two one-day competitions. This time, the expectation was that England would give Australia a contest. Instead, it is giving it a hiding. Then as now, the English tide carried workaday players to giddy heights. Then, it was Jack Richards, a wicketkeeper who played only eight Tests, but was undismissible in the early part of that series, and Gladstone Small, an honest, 17-Test trundler who took seven wickets and was man-of-the-match in the innings victory in Melbourne that sealed the Ashes. Now, Alastair Cook is playing at a level not many suspected he could (several Australians, incidentally, have profited from the good-player-in-a-great-team syndrome).
Just remains to be seen when and how Australia recovers from the current malaise.

Red wrote:
Jack Richards, a wicketkeeper who played only eight Tests, but was undismissible in the early part of that series

Apart from being dismissed for a 4-ball nought in the very first test on debut....

He also had a 4-ball duck egg against the Windies at The Oval (his only Test at his home ground) in his final Test in 1988. He made half his Test runs (148 out of 285) in his 2nd match at Perth where he made his only 100. 2nd (and last) Cornishman (b. Penzance) to play for England after Jack Crapp in 1948.

Trescothick must have Cornish blood with that name, though not actually born there...

Never got why Jack Richards retired, seemed to be very sudden when he was still in the England frame.

Think he may have picked up an injury and made way for Bruce French (who could not bat much) in the Pak home series in 87. Jack Russell made his debut in the latter part of 1988 (I remember his debut innings well), Richards never got another look in after not having much success with the bat against the WI earlier in the summer.

1988 was the year of 4 England captains, what a dire farkin year that was and yet nobody could see 1989 on the cards. Muppets.

JKLever wrote:Think he may have picked up an injury and made way for Bruce French (who could not bat much) in the Pak home series in 87. Jack Russell made his debut in the latter part of 1988 (I remember his debut innings well), Richards never got another look in after not having much success with the bat against the WI earlier in the summer.

1988 was the year of 4 England captains, what a dire farkin year that was and yet nobody could see 1989 on the cards. Muppets.

Richards just seemed to randomly quit even county cricket though, just months after England discarded him.

Oh yeah, 1989, I remember that well even though I wasn't that old, we'd been crap for the last couple of years but we always beat Australia (in my experience at that stage) and Gower was back as captain, we couldn't fail could we? And then they got 600 in the first Test, 300-0 on the first day in another, England used 20-something players and we saw the start of a long era of Aussie dominance.

Pete Trego must be Cornish by extraction too.

As was Pasty Harris.

And Charlie Shreck.

Mark Lathwell.