page_title: Australian cricket team in Australia in 1962–63
section_title: The Batting
hierarchical_section_title: Australian cricket team in Australia in 1962–63 / The Batting
caption_attribution_description: English: Neil Harvey, Australian cricketer Source: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/5603.html
context_page_description: The 1962-63 Australians drew 1-1 with the touring England team in the 1962-63 Ashes series. Australia had beaten England 4-0 in 1958-59 and 2-1 in 1961 and it was thought unlikely that the tourists would beat Australia on their home ground. Richie Benaud was a keen advocate of "go ahead" cricket and his attacking tactics and brilliant captaincy had won Australia five series in a row with what were seen as average teams. Ironically, now he had a better team he drew his first series and his negative play in the last two Tests tarnished his reputation, though he did retain the Ashes. This was the last Test series of Neil Harvey, Alan Davidson and Ken Mackay and Benaud himself played for only one more season. There was a feeling that this was an end of an era and commentators wondered where the new batsmen and bowlers would come from. Fears about the Australian batting proved short-lived as Bobby Simpson and Bill Lawry formed one of Australia's great opening partnerships and were supported by Peter Burge, Brian Booth, Norm O'Neill and Barry Shepherd.
context_section_description: Australia had one of their most famous opening partnerships in the early 1960s; and a long line of talents batsmen. Bobby Simpson was a powerful strokeplayer who made 109, 66 not out, 28, 122, 130, 9 and 110 in the four matches leading up to the First Test and passed 1,000 runs in am Australian season quicker than any other batsman, even Bradman. Famously he took 30 Tests to make his maiden hundred, 311 vs England at Old Trafford in 1964. His opening partner Bill Lawry was a "tall, lanky, dour, watchful left-hander, and a better player than he looked...a great fighter, and a splendid resister in a corner", who was once unfairly described as "a corpse with pads on". He failed to make a century - his top score was 98 - but still made 310 runs (34.44). John Snow later wrote that 'He always had to be got out and even if you managed to knock all three stumps over he still stayed at the crease a moment looking round for some excuse to continue batting before reluctantly starting his walk back to the dressing room'. Norm O'Neill also made 310 runs (34.44) in the series, but at a faster rate. A charismatic, attacking strokemaker, he had been lumbered with the "New Bradman" tag at an early age, had gained weight and a became a nervous starter. The left-handed Neil Harvey was the last member of Don Bradman's great 1948 Australians "the Fred Astaire of cricket, withy marvellous footwork ensuring that he was always in the right position at the right time" Brian Booth a "modest, unobtrusive stylist" was almost 12th man in the First Test, but saved the game with a century and hit another in the Second. Peter Burge was a heavyset front-foot batsman who scored all four of his Test centuries against the England, he was dropped after the defeat at Melbourne, but was recalled for the Fifth Test and made 103. He was replaced by the Western Australian captain Barry Shepherd, another strong batsman who made 71 not out at Sydney when Titmus took 7/79. "Slasher Mackay" was a dour, dull batsmen who never made a Test century and only averaged 33.48, but Mackay always made runs when Australia need them. In the lower order were Richie Benaud and Alan Davidson, both hard-hitting all-rounders who liked to attack the bowling, as did the wicket-keeper Wally Grout.
caption: Vice-captain Neil Harvey was playing in his last series.
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