2002-03 Annual R eport 2002-03 Annual R eport - Australian Sports ...

Back, left to right: Errol Alcott (Physiotherapist), Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Andrew Bichel, Matthew Hayden, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee,
Jock Campbell (Physical Performance Manager), Tim Nielsen (Assistant Coach/Performance Analyst).
Front, left to right: Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Stephen Bernard (Team Manager), Stephen Waugh (Captain), John Buchanan (Coach), Adam Gilchrist (Vice-captain), Ricky Ponting.
ORANGE ASHES TEST SERIES
IN AUSTRALIA, 2002-03
Australia stretched its dominance of the oldest rivalry in
international cricket by winning its eighth successive series
against England 4-1, a run dating back to the 4-0 win by Allan
Border’s side in 1989.
Stephen Waugh’s side ensured they retained the crystal replica
urn of The Ashes after just 11 days of cricket and looked set to
become the first Australian side to complete a series whitewash
in a five-Test Ashes rubber for 81 years until injuries and a
spirited England effort in Sydney brought defeat.
Even in that defeat, however, there was still plenty for Australia
to celebrate as Waugh confirmed his return to form with a
brilliant 102 that will live long in the memories of those who
saw it. It was his 29th Test hundred equalling the Australian
record of Sir Donald Bradman, Waugh’s first at home in almost
two years. During the course of his innings he became only the
third player in history, after former Australian captain Allan
Border and Sunil Gavaskar of India, to reach 10,000 Test runs.
All that on his 156th appearance, equalling the world record for
caps held by Border.
Australia’s series success was founded on a top-class team
performance as, despite its dominance, none of its players
totalled 500 runs and only one bowler – leg-spinner Stuart
MacGill – claimed a five-wicket haul.
Matthew Hayden began the series with a bang, scoring twin
hundreds in his home Test at The Gabba after England captain
Nasser Hussain had decided to bowl first on winning the toss.
Hayden added a third three-figure score at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground and finished as Australia’s leading run-scorer
with 496 runs.
Ricky Ponting, with hundreds in each of the first two Tests at
Brisbane and Adelaide, and Hayden’s opening partner Justin
Langer, who made 250 at Melbourne as part of an opening
stand of 195, also passed 400 runs. With Adam Gilchrist,
Damien Martyn and Waugh all topping 300 runs for the series,
Australia usually had big totals at which to bowl.
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The attack took full advantage of that situation with the old firm
of Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne all proving
as effective as ever. They were three of six bowlers in Australia’s
ranks who claimed 10 or more wickets in the series. Gillespie
finished as the joint leading wicket-taker in the series with 20
victims, a mark he shared with England’s Andrew Caddick.
McGrath topped the averages with 19 wickets at 20 runs apiece
and Warne claimed 14 wickets in three matches.
Warne missed the final two matches of the series after
dislocating his right shoulder in a VB Series match before
Christmas, and McGrath picked up a troublesome back injury in
the fourth Orange Test in Melbourne that ruled him out of the
final match of the series in Sydney.
Those injuries meant Australia took the field for that fifth
Orange Test without either McGrath or Warne for the first time
in 119 Tests, and that fact, together with the effort of spending
more than two days in the field in Melbourne after making
England follow on, proved too much of a handicap to cope with
as England rallied, thanks to hundreds from Mark Butcher and
Michael Vaughan, and 10 wickets for Caddick on a deteriorating
pitch.
Vaughan, who also scored hundreds in Adelaide and Melbourne,
was named man-of-the-series by a panel of media
commentators after totalling 633 runs in the five Tests.
During the series, Australia gave a Test debut to Queensland’s
Martin Love, who replaced Darren Lehmann of South Australia
for the final two matches, at Melbourne and Sydney, when the
latter was struck down by illness. Love became Australia’s
385th Test cricketer.
In keeping with the International Cricket Council’s policy, two
overseas umpires stood in each of the five Tests, the first time
this had taken place in Australia.
O range Ashes Test Series in Australia, 2002-03