Allan Border: My Story

[Tyberious Funk]

Allan Border averaged 57 away from home

Let that sink in

53 in West Indies.

51 in India.

62 in Pakistan.

In fact, IIRC, his 150 and 153 against Pakistan in Lahore is the first and only time a player has scored a 150 in both innings.

As much as Border is loved and respected by Australian cricket fans, he's probably still underrated.

 

[Underarm]

I think it covered alot of the Cricket in the 70s/80s docos from the early oughts. If you want to hear the same stories from a few different perspectives I'd give them a watch.

One thing that struck me differently was hearing stories about Deano and Marsh. I'd heard them all before but they hit differently this time.

 

[The 747]

Thought it was alright. Skimmed over a few things that I would have liked to see covered in more detail, you needed to have some background knowledge to fully get it.

 

[Blue1980]

Patterson and Daniel weren't slow either. They would have played a lot more tests in another era.

Both would of been first choice for WI anytime post Walsh and Ambrose

 

[Blue1980]

Mainly Ian Chappell in the media, who led a two year campaign to undermine him, which ultimately led to his resignation. He has a lot to answer for in that whole situation. Marsh, Greg Chappell and Lillee didn’t help the situation either.

Hughes probably wasn’t a great captain, but he didn’t deserve the treatment he got from Chappell. He was a particularly talented batsman, who we unfortunately never saw the best of late in his career, as he was treated so poorly, lost confidence, and the the whole South Africa thing happened. Hughes in full flight was great to watch!

Lillee and Rod Marsh straight up bullied Hughes for years back then, when he was playing and led the charge after he retired.

Hughes had the gaul to actually come into the establishment side when they were off playing WSC. Not that it would of been justified, but it wasn’t like Hughes was just being a good establishment boy, he was never asked to join WSC as far as I’m aware

 

[Blue1980]

I was always impressed by the fact that he didn't board the easy gravy train into the Channel 9 commentary box after he retired.

AB still remains my one genuine cricketing hero. My memories of cricket in the 1980s are mostly of Border walking out to the crease, squinting as he got used to the sunlight, ready to save a crumbled top and middle order. He didn't ALWAYS manage to do so, but it seemed as if he did so much of the time. He carried the weight of the nation upon his shoulders doing a job (and the media that went with it) that he never really desired.

Invariably those memories are filled with those B&W images I would see in the newspapers from overseas tours - Border at the end of a match with a five day growth, sunburnt, his whites scuffed with the dirt and grit of a godawful slog on the sub-continent.

And then there was those packed MCG ODIs when the crowd would chant "Booooor-deeer, Booooor-deeer" as the great man came out to bat.

Never flashy, never overly personable and NEVER seeking attention he was the people's favourite. For the joy and hope he gave me as a teenager during a pretty rotten period of my life he will never stop being my cricketing hero.

Hughes would of been barred from the commentary box after he retired by the Chappells Max Walker in the 12th man style

 

[gordo2016]

Lillee and Rod Marsh straight up bullied Hughes for years back then, when he was playing and led the charge after he retired.

Hughes had the gaul to actually come into the establishment side when they were off playing WSC. Not that it would of been justified, but it wasn’t like Hughes was just being a good establishment boy, he was never asked to join WSC as far as I’m aware

On TV series "Howzat," don't recall Hughes getting mentioned. They had someone playing Gary Cosier. Actor playing Ian Chappell said "what about Cosier?" Kerry Packer said "no, he's not ******* playing." But you are right , pretty sure Hughes wasn't asked.

 

[big_e]

Packer used Austin Robertson to handle a lot of the signings. Robertson was also Lillee's manager.

Case closed.

 

[sandeano]

On TV series "Howzat," don't recall Hughes getting mentioned. They had someone playing Gary Cosier. Actor playing Ian Chappell said "what about Cosier?" Kerry Packer said "no, he's not ******* playing." But you are right , pretty sure Hughes wasn't asked.

According to the excellent biography, "Golden Boy", Chappelli simply didn't rate Hughes at the time and his opinion never really changed. The sniping continued to the point where Hughes refused to do the pre-game televised toss at ODIs if Chappell was conducting the interview.

However in recent years Chappell has gone to lengths to always mention Hughes' 100 against the Windies in the boxing day test as one of the all-time great innings (and he was correct).

Approaching 40 years since Hughes' exit and the bloke still fascinates me. His test average of 37-odd does not do justice to his sublime talent - one that was utterly mismanaged throughout his career and one pulverised by the Windies at their peak and the sniping of his contemporaries and past players.

 

[gordo2016]

According to the excellent biography, "Golden Boy", Chappelli simply didn't rate Hughes at the time and his opinion never really changed. The sniping continued to the point where Hughes refused to do the pre-game televised toss at ODIs if Chappell was conducting the interview.

However in recent years Chappell has gone to lengths to always mention Hughes' 100 against the Windies in the boxing day test as one of the all-time great innings (and he was correct).

Approaching 40 years since Hughes' exit and the bloke still fascinates me. His test average of 37-odd does not do justice to his sublime talent - one that was utterly mismanaged throughout his career and one pulverised by the Windies at their peak and the sniping of his contemporaries and past players.

His last 9 tests were all against the West Indies. Averaged around 20, I presume his average before that would have been over 40? Beautiful player to watch in full flight and great player of spin. Averaged over 50 against India, who always had 2 or 3 top shelf spinners.

 

[Gough]

I think it's hard to do justice to what a nadir Australian cricket was at when AB took over. Recriminations from WSC were still on going or fresh in minds, Chappell, Marsh and Lillee were only eighteen months retired with no real replacements emerging, Australia was in the middle of a brutal ten consecutive Tests against one of the best sides ever assembled that had already claimed his predecessor, the South Africa tour which had been bubbling under the surface for a few years finally emerged robbing Australia of sixteen experienced first class players and it was against this backdrop that a fairly inexperienced captain took over the team. Ten years later Border handed a side to Mark Taylor that would barely lose for the next decade, contemporary Australian cricket owes everything to him.

 

[footyfan1978]

The WI weren't the WI until after WSC.

and WI have not been the WI since they were toppled in 1995

 

[sandeano]

I think it's hard to do justice to what a nadir Australian cricket was at when AB took over. Recriminations from WSC were still on going or fresh in minds, Chappell, Marsh and Lillee were only eighteen months retired with no real replacements emerging, Australia was in the middle of a brutal ten consecutive Tests against one of the best sides ever assembled that had already claimed his predecessor, the South Africa tour which had been bubbling under the surface for a few years finally emerged robbing Australia of sixteen experienced first class players and it was against this backdrop that a fairly inexperienced captain took over the team. Ten years later Border handed a side to Mark Taylor that would barely lose for the next decade, contemporary Australian cricket owes everything to him.

I've got to say that as much as Eddie Maguire gives me the shits, I do believe he was the instigator behind the creation of the Alan Border Medal in honour of the great man. I'll tip my hat to him on that.

 

[footyfan1978]

I think it's hard to do justice to what a nadir Australian cricket was at when AB took over. Recriminations from WSC were still on going or fresh in minds, Chappell, Marsh and Lillee were only eighteen months retired with no real replacements emerging, Australia was in the middle of a brutal ten consecutive Tests against one of the best sides ever assembled that had already claimed his predecessor, the South Africa tour which had been bubbling under the surface for a few years finally emerged robbing Australia of sixteen experienced first class players and it was against this backdrop that a fairly inexperienced captain took over the team. Ten years later Border handed a side to Mark Taylor that would barely lose for the next decade, contemporary Australian cricket owes everything to him.

AB was there for the 1995 tour as a commentator. So least he was there when it finally happened. Hopefully he had a few drinks with the boys that night after the commentary stint was done with. Border's whole career basically was at the worst time possible to be trying to beat the West Indies.

 

[footyfan1978]

His last 9 tests were all against the West Indies. Averaged around 20, I presume his average before that would have been over 40? Beautiful player to watch in full flight and great player of spin. Averaged over 50 against India, who always had 2 or 3 top shelf spinners.

Hughes has played some of the best innings I seen in all my time of watching. I happened across some youtube of his 213 at Adelaide and it just beautiful to watch his cover drives and footwork.
The Lord's Centenary Test is kind of forgotten in history as it was a draw and like the last Test of this summer where rain basically robbed much of a chance of a result, the same kind of thing happened for that Centenary Test at Lord's but in the time that play was able to happen the innings by Hughes in the match probably the most enjoyable batting innings I have experienced. He was just super to watch when he was doing his batting his way. The third fantastic innings was probably just as much to value in terms of bravery and artistry. He was playing against the absolute height of West Indies pace battery and on the most horrible pitch in Melbourne in that period he managed to score a century. It was just nuts. We only made 180 but his 100 in that Test is worth more than most triple hundreds I ever seen. It is a pity there less of that to be found on video.

 

[gordo2016]

Hughes has played some of the best innings I seen in all my time of watching. I happened across some youtube of his 213 at Adelaide and it just beautiful to watch his cover drives and footwork.
The Lord's Centenary Test is kind of forgotten in history as it was a draw and like the last Test of this summer where rain basically robbed much of a chance of a result, the same kind of thing happened for that Centenary Test at Lord's but in the time that play was able to happen the innings by Hughes in the match probably the most enjoyable batting innings I have experienced. He was just super to watch when he was doing his batting his way. The third fantastic innings was probably just as much to value in terms of bravery and artistry. He was playing against the absolute height of West Indies pace battery and on the most horrible pitch in Melbourne in that period he managed to score a century. It was just nuts. We only made 180 but his 100 in that Test is worth more than most triple hundreds I ever seen. It is a pity there less of that to be found on video.

Not much of a highlights package, but love those majestic cut shots off the back foot in that 100 against the Windies. Had a fieldsman about 3/4 of the way to the fence and he made no attempt to stop it, it was hit like a tracer bullet. Ritchie summed it up when he said: "You'll see a lot of 100's in test cricket, but you won't see too many gutsier ones than that." Good job from Alderman to hang around with him too, think Hughes was about 70 when Alderman came in. Remember watching it on TV, hoping like hell Alderman would survive for long enough for Kim to get the ton.

Kim Hughes v West Indies | Check out our 2016 Towards Zero Willowfest Ambassador, Kim Hughes in action against the West Indies in the 80s #Willowfest16 #takemeback | By Willowfest | Facebook

Check out our 2016 Towards Zero Willowfest Ambassador, Kim Hughes in action against the West Indies in the 80s #Willowfest16 #takemeback

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[Gough]

AB was there for the 1995 tour as a commentator. So least he was there when it finally happened. Hopefully he had a few drinks with the boys that night after the commentary stint was done with. Border's whole career basically was at the worst time possible to be trying to beat the West Indies.

That must have been a pretty satisfying couple of months for AB, he plays in Queensland's first Shield winning side then off to the West Indies to see what still his side in a lot of ways finally beat them.

 

[Westend]

53 in West Indies.

51 in India.

62 in Pakistan.

In fact, IIRC, his 150 and 153 against Pakistan in Lahore is the first and only time a player has scored a 150 in both innings.

As much as Border is loved and respected by Australian cricket fans, he's probably still underrated.

If you wanted someone batting for your life...its AB

His 98 and 100 no at Port of Spain against the Windies in 84 arguably the best two innings by an aussie batter in the last 50 years

 

[Westend]

His best ashes innings would have to be his 196 against the poms in 85 at lords

 

[Gough]

His best ashes innings would have to be his 196 against the poms in 85 at lords

His 123* in a losing effort with a broken finger at Old Trafford in 1981 was a very AB knock.

 

[Rabish Binney]

If you wanted someone batting for your life...its AB

His 98 and 100 no at Port of Spain against the Windies in 84 arguably the best two innings by an aussie batter in the last 50 years

100% this. Batted for over 10 hours combined

Jeff Dujon, upon shaking AB's hand at the end of the match said 'I wish I could play like that'

I know Knighthoods aren't bestowed on Australians any more but if the likes of Alistair Cook can be knighted, then surely AB deserved to.

 

[Rabish Binney]

I loved his attitude on the 89 tour with no Wives or partners allowed.

Showed that he was totally sick and tired of losing and some extreme measures had to be put in place, despite the inevitable backlash

Didnt get much sleep that winter of 89 - so good were we that I stayed up every night till 4:00 AM watching every minute of those tests..

For those who can remember back that far, one question....how the hell did Derek Pringle ever play test cricket ???

 

[Rabish Binney]

A bit of trivia - after the 1989 series had concluded, the Australians played 4 one day games against the Netherlands....

After a long tour (being in England since early May to end of August), the last thing you'd want to do would play 4 games against the Dutch one would have thought....

 

[gordo2016]

A bit of trivia - after the 1989 series had concluded, the Australians played 4 one day games against the Netherlands....

After a long tour (being in England since early May to end of August), the last thing you'd want to do would play 4 games against the Dutch one would have thought....

Scheduling could be a bit strange then. Pretty sure on that 89 tour they played a County game the day after Australia had won a test. Aussies had celebrated big time and been up to all hours. Geoff Marsh (standing in for Border) went out to toss. Said to the opposing County captain " You have to bowl first if you win the toss. All of our fast bowlers are asleep."

 

[Rabish Binney]

Scheduling could be a bit strange then. Pretty sure on that 89 tour they played a County game the day after Australia had won a test. Aussies had celebrated big time and been up to all hours. Geoff Marsh (standing in for Border) went out to toss. Said the opposing County captain " You have to bowl first if you win the toss. All of our fast bowlers are asleep."

That might have been after we won the 4th test if I recall correctly. .

Had to play Nottinghamshire the next day