Played between England and Australia, Ashes has been the most competitive test rivalry in the world. Originating in 1882, Ashes shared a culture of cricket in both countries. The winner of the series claims the famous trophy referred to as the “URN”. The players lock their horns to defeat their opponents in all the departments of the game consisting of batting, bowling, and fielding. The Ashes have seen highs and lows, success and destruction of many careers. Many players emerged victorious while few bit the dust; such are the emotions of Ashes. Some of those significant batters of Ashes were:
1. Sir Leonard Hutton
Following the Second World War, England’s main batter was Leonard Hutton. He became the first cricketer to captain England post World War and led them to a ashes victory after 19 years. A classic batter and great opener, Hutton set the record for the highest individual score of 364 runs in 847 deliveries against Australia. The milestone remained intact in 2023.
2. Sir Don Bradman
The best batsman of all generations, Don Bradman, was the best batsman to play cricket. Bradman redefined batting and revolutionized cricket with his skills and abilities; his test batting average of 99.94 is a historical landmark in sports history. Patient, committed to attacking, Bradmann drew large crowds to the stadiums. The player worshipped across Australia, represented his nation on 52 occasions. Bradmann took over the headlines when he scored 334 runs in 448 deliveries against England in the 1930 Ashes, where England were favorites to win the series.
3. Bob Simpson
Nicknamed “Simmo”, Bob was the finest all-rounder Australia ever had. In his career spanning over 21 years, Simpson played 62 tests for Australia and captained 39 of them. Being a classic batter, Simpson was a handy leg-spinner and an excellent slip fielder. The most memorable innings by Simpson came in the 1964 Ashes, where he scored 311 runs from 743 balls demolishing the English bowling attack.
4. Bob Cowper
Renouncing cricket at the premature age of 28, Bob has made an impressive portfolio of himself as a modest left-handed batter and a finger spinner; Bob played only 27 tests for Australia, his most memorable innings came in the 1966 Ashes series. He scored 307 odd runs and stood on the field for nearly twelve hours to help Australia reach a giant total against England. This tripe century was the only triple century on Australian soil until Hayden broke it after 38 years.
5. Sir Don Bradman
Next on the list is again Sir Bradman, who scored a magnificent 304 against England in the 1934 Ashes series. Determined to regain the Ashes, Bradman thrashed the English bowlers with 43 boundaries and helped Australia put on a mammoth total in the first innings. Bradman showed his varied shots while the bowlers suffered.
6. Tip Foster
The only man to captain England in both cricket and football, Tip Foster earned his name during the Ashes. During the 1903 Ashes series, Foster scored 287 runs against the Australians in Sydney; his score remained the highest score on the ground for 30 years and remains the best score in test cricket by a debutant. The magical batting performance by Foster helped England seal the match for themselves.
7. Sir Don Bradman
Australia went five down in the second innings of the Melbourne tests when Bradman came to the rescue. Ranked as the number one innings of all time by Wisden Cricket almanac, Bradman pulled out Australia from difficulty on a difficult sporty Melbourne pitch. His scintillating knock eventually helped Australia to emerge victorious in the Melbourne test.
8. Bill Ponsford
A fierce and successful opening batter for Australia, Bill served as an excellent partner to Bradman during tests. The second day of the fifth test of the 1934 Ashes series saw the historic performance of Bill where he destroyed the British bowling attack and scored 266 runs. He also shared a record 451-run partnership with Bradman which became a world record for a partnership for any wicket.
9. Kim Barrington
The former England opener, Barrington, is known for his batting with “bulldog determination and utmost concentration”. During the 1964 Ashes series, Barrington faced 600 plus balls and scored 264 runs outplaying all Australian bowlers. He scored 26 boundaries in that inning at Manchester. Although the match ended in a draw, Barrington’s double century was magical.
10. Sir Don Bradman
When Bradmann arrived on English soil for the first time in 1930 many critics believed his technique was inefficient to cope with English wickets; He proved every critic wrong with a knock of 254 off 376 balls, on his first test appearance in Lord’s. Rated as the finest innings of his career, Bradman said “Every ball went where it was supposed to go”.
