Having consumed the contents of a tin of Berri orange juice, at a cost of forty-five cents, I listened to ABC radio for several minutes from 1.40 p.m. Lindsay Hassett, a former Australian captain, was of the opinion that England was doing well enough to win. As we stopped, on the way home from work, to make a delivery, England passed 404, hitherto the largest score achieved in the fourth innings of a Test. It was achieved by Sir Donald Bradman’s team, which was dubbed ‘The Invincibles’, on the tour of England, in 1948.
As I was about to alight to open the front gates, Dennis Lillee bowled right-hand batsman, Derek Underwood. England was then nine wickets down and this meant that the diminutive wicket-keeper, Alan Knott, and fast bowler, Bob Willis, were left to score the fifty-odd runs still required for victory.
Just after 5.oo p.m., Lillee trapped the right-handed Knott in front and England was all out for 417: the highest total in a fourth innings, ever!
Australia had won the Centenary Test by forty-five runs, exactly the same margin by which it had won the first Test in 1877. Derek Randall, who had taken his overnight score to 174, in this his first Test, was named ‘Man Of The Match’. During the Test Australian wicket-keeper, Rodney Marsh, took his tally of victims to 187, passing the record previously held by Wally Grout; and his 110 not out in Australia’s second innings meant that he became the first Australian wicket-keeper to score a century in a Test. Dennis Lillee, who had created a bit of a stir when he asked Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for her autograph when he was presented to her during the tea interval today, cannot tour England this winter because of his troublesome back.