These three Ashes moments made headlines and sparked fury

You’ve probably noticed the Ashes series is underway but whether you’re a cricket fan or not, there’s no denying this biennial battle of the bat and ball has produced some of the most memorable controversies in sport.

For more than 140 years, Australia and England have slugged it out for pride, bragging rights, and a tiny little urn*. Along the way, cricket’s fiercest rivalry has delivered no shortage of disputes.

But according to podcast host and cricket tragic Riley Knight, these three moments stand out above the rest.

DENNIS LILLEE’S METAL BAT
He was arguably the most outstanding fast bowler of his generation, but back in 1979 Dennis Lillee made headlines around the world for a stunt he pulled while batting in an Ashes clash in Perth.

“On the second day of play, (Lillee) strides out to the crease … with a bat that was made of aluminium,” Knight told news.com.au.

No one had ever used an aluminium bat before, but to be fair, there was no rule at the time stipulating* that bats had to be made from wood.

“His mate owned a company that was manufacturing these aluminium bats,” Mr Knight said. “So (Lillee) goes, ‘No worries, you give me a little slice of the action* and I’ll walk out into an Ashes Test match and I’ll bat with one of these things.’”

The marketing stunt didn’t go down well with England’s players, who complained to the umpire that the metal bat was damaging the cricket ball.

Eventually, Australia’s captain at the time told Lillee that he had to use a wooden bat for the remainder of his innings, much to the larrikin’s* irritation.

“Lillee’s having a temper tantrum and chucks the aluminium bat about 40 metres towards the crowd,” Mr Knight laughed.

There were two notable knock-on effects from the aluminium bat fiasco*, Mr Knight said.

“This prompted a change in the rules, the laws of cricket as they’re known … to say, ‘No, actually your bat does need to be made of wood’.”

The other effect was a boon for Lillee’s mate’s business.

“Guess how the sales of these aluminium bats went after this big controversy? Flying off the shelves!” Mr Knight said.

THE STUMPING THAT SHOCKED A NATION
Another controversial Ashes moment happened only two years ago, when the series was held in England.

During the second Test at Lord’s, England’s Jonny Bairstow was stumped by Aussie keeper Alex Carey after carelessly strolling out of his crease at the end of an over.

Bairstow believed the ball was “dead”, but the umpire had yet to call “over”.

The incident infuriated the Brits, who argued that while the dismissal was technically within the rules, it was not in the spirit of the game.

“ I would be sympathetic to many of the arguments the indignant English were putting forward, whingeing about how this was inappropriate and it was just not cricket … if Johnny Bairstow himself hadn’t done exactly this before,” Mr Knight said.

Just two days prior, the English keeper had attempted a similar cheeky stumping on Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne.

“ You lose any moral high ground you have, you lose any authority you have to tell us off for doing something like that, when you have done it yourself,” Mr Knight said.

THE BODYLINE SERIES
The third most controversial Ashes moment happened all the way back in 1932, when the English team adopted a new tactic in an attempt to contain the batting of Australia’s Sir Donald Bradman.

“He didn’t have many weaknesses, but one of his weaknesses … was that he didn’t like balls being thrown very fast at his body,” Knight joked about Bradman.

“So the English came up with ‘Fast Leg Theory’, which has since become known as ‘Bodyline’.”

It was a tactic where fast, short-pitched balls were deliberately aimed at the batter’s body with a packed leg-side field to force defensive deflections* and create easy catches.

“It was allowed in the rules back then, but it was certainly seen as unsporting,” Mr Knight said.

The dangerous tactic left several Australian players injured.

“This  was a very controversial moment in the history of cricket, because cricket has always had this reputation of being a gentleman’s game,” Knight explained. “It’s a game where honour and fair play … are very important.

“So the English team was seen as sort of playing outside the spirit of the game … to contend with the greatest player to ever pick up a cricket bat.”

Eventually the rules were changed to outlaw the “Bodyline” tactic.

Ah, the Ashes. More than just a cricket series, it’s a gripping saga defined by legends, scandals and rivals. Let’s go, Australia!

POLL

GLOSSARY

• urn: a container often shaped like a vase with a closed top, used to hold the ashes of someone who has been cremated but the Ashes began after England’s 1882 loss to Australia, with a mock obituary and a small urn given to the English team as a symbol
• stipulating: stating exactly how something must be or must be done
• slice of the action: a portion of the profit
• larrikin: a mischievous, cheeky person who usually also has a good heart
• fiasco: something planned that goes wrong and is a complete failure

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What type of metal was used in Dennis Lillie’s controversial bat?
2. Which Australian legend of the game was the main target of England’s Bodyline tactics?
3. Who was stumped by Australia’s keeper in a manner that infuriated England?
4. Why were they upset with the dismissal?
5. What was Bodyline originally called and what did the tactic involve?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Give your opinion
All of the Ashes controversies detailed in the news story related to players doing things that were technically within the rules of the game but ethically questionable. They raise the question – should sports players try to win at all costs, or is acting ‘in the spirit of the game’ more important?

Explain your opinion on this topic, giving at least 2 reasons to justify your point of view.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Ethical Understanding

2. Extension
If you could jump into a time machine and ask some questions of a player involved in one of these controversies, who would you want to chat to? Write down your top 3 questions for them.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

VCOP ACTIVITY
My sporting hero
Write a letter to one of your favourite athletes. Explain to them how proud you are of them, why they are a sporting hero to you, and that you have noticed them. Your letter can be anonymous or you can personally sign it off.

Remember when writing a letter:

Start with a greeting: Dear Sir,

Then on a new line, write the body of the letter.

Finish with a closing: Kind regards,

And finally, sign the letter.

Try to include detail and emotion in the letter to connect with your target audience: your Olympic hero.