# English cricket team in Australia in 1978–79

The England cricket team toured Australia in the 1978–79 season to play a six-match Test series against Australia for The Ashes. England won the series 5–1, thereby retaining The Ashes.
This series was often over shadowed by Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket which meant many players from both sides were absent, including Greg Chappell. Australia were more handicapped which opened the way for England and their captain Mike Brearley. The side was managed by Doug Insole, Ken Barrington assistant-manager/coach and physiotherapist Bernard Thomas was given credit as the prime reason for England's supreme fitness.

## Test series summary

Note: Each over consists of 8 balls.

### First Test

* 1–6 December 1978 Scorecard
* England won by 7 wickets The Gabba, Brisbane Umpires: RA French and MG O'Connell Player of the match: DW Randall (Eng)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 4 December was taken as a rest day.
* JA Maclean and RM Hogg (Aus) made their Test debut.

### Second Test

* 15–20 December 1978 Scorecard
* England won by 166 runs WACA Ground, Perth Umpires: RC Bailhache and TF Brooks Player of the match: RM Hogg (Aus)
* Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* 18 December was taken as a rest day.

### Third Test

* 29 December 1978 - 3 January 1979 Scorecard
* Australia won by 103 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: RA French and MG O'Connell Player of the match: GM Wood (Aus)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 31 December was taken as a rest day.
* AR Border made his Test debut.

### Fourth Test

* 6–11 January 1979 Scorecard
* England won by 93 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: RC Bailhache and RA French Player of the match: DW Randall (Eng)
* England won the toss and elected to bat.
* 9 January was taken as a rest day.

### Fifth Test

* 27 January - 1 February 1979 Scorecard
* England won by 205 runs Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: RC Bailhache and MG O'Connell Player of the match: IT Botham (Eng)
* Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* 30 January was taken as a rest day
* PH Carlson and KJ Wright (Aus) made their Test debut.

### Sixth Test

* 10–14 February 1979 Scorecard
* England won by 9 wickets Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: AR Crafter and DG Weser Player of the match: GN Yallop (Aus)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 13 February was taken as a rest day.
* AMJ Hilditch (Aus) made his Test debut.

## One Day Internationals (ODIs)

The ODI series was contested over five games, with innings of maximum 40 eight-ball overs. Australia won the series 2–1, with one match abandoned and one no result.

### 1st ODI

* 26 December 1978 Scorecard
| Australia | v | England |
* Match abandoned Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

### 2nd ODI

* 13 January 1979 Scorecard
| Australia 17/1 (7.2 overs) | v | England |
| Rick Darling 7* (32) Chris Old 1/5 (3.2 overs) | | |
* No result Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: Tony Crafter and Mick Harvey
* England won the toss and elected to field.
* Allan Border, Phil Carlson and John Maclean (AUS) and Roger Tolchard (ENG) made their ODI debuts.
Only 40 minutes of play were possible before rain caused the match to be called off. During the brief action, Chris Old dismissed Graeme Wood caught behind for six.

### 3rd ODI

* 24 January 1979 Scorecard
| Australia 101 (33.5 overs) | v | England 102/3 (28.2 overs) |
| Graeme Wood 28 (66) Mike Hendrick 4/25 (8 overs) | | Geoffrey Boycott 39* (107) Geoff Dymock 1/16 (6 overs) |
* England won by 7 wickets Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: Tony Crafter and Mick Harvey Player of the match: Mike Hendrick (ENG)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* Andrew Hilditch and Rodney Hogg (AUS), and David Bairstow (ENG) made their ODI debuts.
Australia chose to bat first on a pitch of variable bounce, but from a position of 52 for two then collapsed to be all out for 101, with Man of the Match Mike Hendrick claiming 4/25 and Ian Botham 3/16. England reached the required target for the loss of only three wickets and with more than ten overs to spare; Mike Brearley fell early, bowled for a duck by Rodney Hogg, but Geoff Boycott anchored the innings with a patient 39 not out off 107 balls.

### 4th ODI

* 4 February 1979 Scorecard
| England 212/6 (40 overs) | v | Australia 215/6 (38.6 overs) |
| DI Gower 101* (100) G Dymock 2/31 (8 overs) | | PM Toohey 54* (55) JK Lever 3/51 (7 overs) |
* Australia won by 4 wickets Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: RC Bailhache and DG Weser Player of the match: DI Gower (ENG)
* Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* KJ Wright (AUS) made his ODI debut.

### 5th ODI

* 7 February 1979 Scorecard
| England 94 (31.7 overs) | v | Australia 95/4 (21.5 overs) |
| JM Brearley 46 (112) GJ Cosier 3/22 (7 overs) | | GM Wood 30 (38) RGD Willis 2/16 (5 overs) |
* Australia won by 6 wickets Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: RC Bailhache and DG Weser Player of the match: G Dymock (AUS)
* Australia won the toss and elected to field.

## Annual reviews

* Playfair Cricket Annual 1979
* Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1980