Did Bligh Steal the Ashes?

Cricket commentators enthuse about how the opening salvos of an Ashes Test set the tone for the rest of the series. If you compare Steve Harmison’s opening delivery to second slip last Thursday with his bloodying of Justin Langer in 2005, or Nasser Hussain’s decision to field first in 2002 then you get the argument. Historically, I like to see things in a wider context and observe the whole series to get not just a feel for the cricket, but also a sense of the age.

The first English cricket team to venture overseas went not to Australia, but to the Americas. In 1859, a side sailed from Liverpool to compete against teams in Canada and the US, while the first visit to Australia did not take place until two years later. It was not until 1877 that the first designated Test took place.

The visit of the Honourable Ivo Bligh at the end of 1882 is remarkable because of the mythology that surrounds the recapturing of ‘the Ashes’, and the sham that surrounded the status of the fourth Test.

The tourists landed in Australia in November, with a determination to “beard the kangaroo in his den and try to recover those Ashes”. There were originally to be two Tests in Melbourne and one in Sydney, though a later fourth Test was agreed for Sydney. The squad of twelve players included six university Blues and two other ‘scholars’, along with four professionals – Fred Morley, Dick Barlow, Billy Bates and William Barnes.

Record crowds flocked to the matches, and a series ensued in which the weather played an important role, proving a disadvantage to the losing side in each of the first three contests. The Australians won the first by a convincing nine wickets.

Bates dominated the second Test becoming the first player to take a hat-trick He was also the first to score 50 and take more than ten wickets in a match (7 wickets in each innings), seeing England home by an innings - another first.

50,000 turned out to watch England win the third Test by 69 runs. What was remarkable was that only two bowlers – Morley and Barlow – were used to send down the 69.2 overs it took to dismiss Australia for 83 in the final innings.

Bligh claimed the ‘ashes’ at a dinner following the match. Then his team travelled to Sydney for the fourth Test, which they lost to a strengthened Australian side. By all accounts then, Australia would have retained the Ashes, being that the series was drawn. Bligh disputed this saying that they belonged to England as only three Tests were on the original schedule. Yet the Melbourne Argus had published an itinerary showing four Tests, as early as January 4 (in between the first and second contests).

Bligh represented the English ruling-class, and the Australian authorities didn’t want to upset their only means of international competition. Bligh also symbolised English cricket’s wider preoccupation with the notion of leadership. The professionals carried this team, yet the right person was always considered to be more important that the ability to perform. Bligh’s contributions to the tour were 0, 3, 0, 13, 17, 19 and 10. He didn’t bowl and so didn’t warrant a place in the side.

And his team didn’t deserve the Ashes.