page_title: 1962–63 Ashes series
section_title: Australia – First Innings
hierarchical_section_title: 1962–63 Ashes series / First Test – Brisbane / Australia – First Innings
caption_attribution_description: Bob Simpson, Australian cricket captain
context_page_description: The 1962–63 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of five days with six hours play each day and eight ball overs, a change as before 1960–61 Australian Test matches had been played over six days. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1962–63 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club. The MCC was determined to "brighten up" cricket, but the series was drawn 1–1 and Australia retained the Ashes. The MCC chose Ted Dexter to captain an England team managed by Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk. The Duke's presence generated considerable press interest, as did the model Mrs Dexter and the Reverend David Sheppard—the future Bishop of Liverpool—who preached in cathedrals across Australia.
  Dexter made 481 runs, more than any other England captain in Australia before or since, and Ken Barrington 582 runs, the most by an Englishman in Australia since Wally Hammond's 905 runs in 1928–29.
context_section_description: When Benaud won the toss on a pitch that looked rather inanimate most of us thought that Australia would probably get about 500 runs against an English attack which for the most part was devoid of fire, venom and guile. Previous matches had shown that the off-spinners might toil and spin but that they could not turn. Knight, always short of a length, should not on a good pitch worry any batsmen of even average class. Statham had seemed rather lethargic: certainly not the Statham of other years ... Thinking over the game later on, one wondered how this bowling on a dead pitch succeeded in dismissing Australia for 404 runs.
  Johnny Moyes
  The bowling began poorly, but after 20 minutes Fred Trueman (3/76) got the hang of the pitch and made the ball swing away from Bill Lawry, finding a thin edge to Alan Smith for his first catch in Test cricket. Norm O'Neill was a notoriously poor starter and would have rin himself out if Ted Dexter had gathered the ball cleanly. As it was he edged Trueman to David Sheppard at second clip, who missed the catch and Peter Parfitt dropped the rebound for what would have been superlative diving catch had his held on. After cutting the ball for a scorching boundaries, edging another pass fine-leg and glancing another O'Neill was out to a Trueman bouncer which lifted sharply and was caught by Brian Statham at short square-leg for 19. Bobby Simpson made 50, but mis-hooked a rank long hop from Dexter (1/46) into the hands of Trueman at mid-on and Australia went into lunch on 97/3. Back on the field Trueman started bowling short on the leg-stump, dubbed "bodyline" by some journalists, and Peter Burge popped a ball to Dexter at short-leg to give the Yorkshireman his third wicket despite his bad back. Australia were now surprisingly 101/4, but Brian Booth (112) rebuilt the innings, adding 39 with Neil Harvey (39), 54 with Alan Davidson (23) and 103 the ever solid Ken Mackay. A rather lifeless Statham (1/75) bowled Harvey with a good ball, but it was the support bowlers Barry Knight, Fred Titmus and Ken Barrington who suffered in the afternoon as the fast bowlers were given a rest. Smith missed a stumping when Booth was 21 and tried to drive Titmus and also hit the spinner to the boundary over the head of a fielder. Davidson heaved Titmus to the fence, but tried the same to Barrington's leg-spin and was caught by Trueman, who had now taken three wickets and held two catches out of six dismissals. The game struggled in the final session, with Dexter setting defensive fields to Titmus and Knight and Mackay hogging the strike without making runs and too slow to take quick singles which would have upset the field-placings. Booth reached his "wristily stylish" maiden Test century in 173 minutes and with 14 fours, an aristocratic innings by the man who had nearly been left carrying the drinks. He was caught by Dexter off Titmus (1/91) at 20 minutes to six trying to push the score in the face of all opposition. His departure at 296/7 brought in captain Richie Benaud, who must have wondered if his team would make 300 earlier in the day, but saw Australia to 321/7 by stumps, with Mackay reaching 51 not out. Trueman was fit to bowl in the morning, but Benaud hooked him for four and with Mackay took 11 runs off an over by Statham. When five overs had gone for 34 runs so Titmus and Knight were brought back on to defensive fields. Benaud made 51 runs before he edged the ball to Smith off Knight at 388/8. Knight (3/65) made two dives across the wicket to take return catches off Mackay, which he dropped and McKenzie, which he held on to. Jarman was caught off the Essex all-rounder by Barrington to wrap up the Australian innings for 404 in time for an early lunch, with Mackay left high and dry on 86 not out. It was his own fault as the dour Queenslander had occupied his home ground for a tedious 247 minutes, had refused singles and had allowed Dexter to contain him. Mackay never made a Test century and this was the closest he got to one against England.
caption: One half of Australia's great opening partnership Bobby Simpson made four centuries in four matches before the First Test and made 50 and 71, but would have to wait until 1964 and become the Australian captain before making his maiden Test century, 311 in 743 minutes at Old Trafford.
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