‘I was surprised how much everyone drank’: shared memories of the 1982-83 Ashes tour

Matthew Engel I was so naive about Australia I remember thinking hard whether I needed to pack a sweater or not. I never realised how cold Australia could be when the wind blows the wrong way.

Vic Marks I pitched up at Lord’s to set off on this adventure with my great big bag and ran into Geoff Miller. And apart from all the actual regalia, which went separately, he just had this tiny little bag with all his possessions. I was so impressed with that.

Engel What else surprised you?

Marks Well, I was a bit surprised how much everyone drank even though I’d played with Ian Botham at Somerset. And then there was the room list, always drawn up by Bernie Thomas the physio, and you’d be with the same person for about three weeks. I was put with Robin Jackman, who I didn’t know except as an obnoxious opponent who swore a lot, and I thought: “Oh, no!” Of course, within half an hour I realised I was blessed because Jackers was the salt of the earth and looked after me like a benign uncle. They did away with rooming eventually but it was a great fail-safe. If you were really down someone would know.

Engel There was a management team of three and a half, as I recall, not 30. Doug Insole, as manager, which was partly a Foreign Office job. Norman Gifford, the assistant, who I think was a late addition – they weren’t certain they’d have one. Bernie. And Geoffrey Saulez, the retired accountant who looked after the bills and did the scoring. I believe they liked him because he paid his own way.

Marks I didn’t know that bit. Giff was very good one-to-one, massively encouraging, good common sense. Bernie was a perky man but we used to do the same warmup routine every single day. He was about five foot three so the perfect height to stretch Bob Willis’s hamstring. Willis, as captain, was the key man with a lot of advice from Doug.

Engel Am I allowed to mention Harry Frei?

Marks [loud groaning noise] I’d almost forgotten him.

Opening match v Queensland: Frei, a debutant batting at No9, hit Marks for 38 in two overs. In the second innings Marks took one for 142

Marks I really was naive. Got a wicket in the first over, left-hander caught at slip in the classical manner. And this bloke came in and started slogging. Willis at mid-off told me just to keep on tossing it up because I’d get him out. I shouldn’t have listened to him. I might have bowled very stupidly but I don’t think I bowled badly.

Engel The Guardian correspondent said you didn’t bowl badly in the second innings either.

Marks But by the time we left Brisbane I knew I’d have to do something very special to get a game.

Engel There were three off-spinners and you were going to be No3.

Marks Sending three of us was an amazing piece of selection.

Engel Well, that was to avoid having to pick Phil Edmonds, who they didn’t like.

Marks Oh, we all knew that. In those first few weeks it was a bit like going up to university. You keep thinking: “Am I good enough to be here?” You mustn’t think like that.

Engel I don’t see why not. I was exactly like that in the press box.

Marks Bit more public when you’re playing.

Engel You didn’t have a very public Ashes. Sorry.

Marks Well, I occasionally went on as a sub fielder or to bring drinks out, frequently, and offered some encouraging words. I might have been on the field as sub when we won at Melbourne but the choice was between Jackers, Ian Gould and me, and we all agreed Gouldy was the man. And he took an absolutely storming catch to get Greg Chappell.

Engel It was a strange series in that Australia always looked the stronger team but the Ashes weren’t lost until the very last day.

Marks And if John Dyson had been correctly given run out in Sydney we might have won there.

Engel Adelaide was the killer. Have you any memories of Botham persuading Willis to bowl first?

Marks Oh yes, Willis wanted us to bat. It almost destroyed him. And the very first over he knew. The ball just kept plopping into Bob Taylor’s gloves ankle-high.

Engel I remember day three when England really blew it. Gower was batting at lunch and was still in at tea. There was no live TV at home and Test Match Special was off air for the middle session between about two and five in the morning. So I had this image of people at home hearing Gower was still in and contentedly dozing off again, not realising nine wickets had gone and this was the second innings. It was the first tour when you could sense Beefy starting to live on the memories, believing in his own infallibility. The curse of Headingley ’81.

Marks Well, he hadn’t been as good a bowler in ’81 as he was two years earlier. By this time he was a bit beyond his best fighting weight but the hunger to see him, the excitement he generated, was enormous. He was gold dust in terms of drama and it sort of got to him. Botham and Miller played endless games of cribbage in the dressing room that tour. It wasn’t that he didn’t care. He just had to find a way of switching off.

Engel I was very conscious towards the end that Gower, who everyone knew was the crown prince, was starting to get impatient with Willis and began to feel he should be captain.

Marks I wasn’t aware of that.

Engel Ah, some things you do see better as a journalist. Anyway, you did have your moment of glory.

Marks I did?

Engel Sydney. The first one-dayer. The Guardian [reading]: “Marks’s very appearance was a surprise after his months in obscurity. But he not only appeared, but had the courage to try, as he might on English wickets, to beat the batsmen through the air with loop and guile. And to a large extent he succeeded.”

Marks [perking up] Oh, yes! The noise that night was AMAZING. I’d never played under lights. Hardly any of us had. The crowd, who you couldn’t see, were just erupting and you couldn’t hear anyone speak. And Rodney Hogg bowled like the wind, his eyes popping out of his head. It was an exciting experience for everyone but especially for me.

Engel England lost.

Marks We were only chasing 180. At half-time we thought: “We’re going to win this.” I did avoid a total personal disaster by playing all the one-dayers. In the other Sydney game I made a very plucky 22 and hit Jeff Thomson for four. More a shovel than a hook and Rod Marsh called out from behind the stumps: “Jeez, Tommo, you’re bowling fucking rat-power.”

Engel Let’s talk about the press. Most of the time press and players were in the same hotel. We weren’t all pals together, were we? Because there was always a spikiness, us lot and you lot. But we did meet in the bar and laugh together.

Marks Initially, we got harangued by the management telling us we had better things to do than consort with journalists. And Foxy Fowler, who was another of the young tourists, took this on board too literally, got in the lift with some pressmen and didn’t even say good morning. So there was another meeting. And it softened. I do remember Willis saying at one stage: “I don’t know what I’m going to do when I give up but I’m not going to go on TV slagging the players off.”

Squad

Bob Willis (captain), David Gower (vice-captain), Geoff Cook, Norman Cowans, Graeme Fowler, Ian Gould, David Gower, Eddie Hemmings, Robin Jackman, Allan Lamb, Vic Marks, Geoff Miller, Derek Pringle, Derek Randall, Chris Tavare, Bob Taylor.

Trevor Jesty was added for the one-day matches. Geoff Boycott, John Emburey and Graham Gooch were among those banned for joining the rebel tour of South Africa early in 1982

Results

First Test (Perth) Drawn
Second Test (Brisbane) Australia won by seven wickets
Third Test (Adelaide) Australia won by eight wickets
Fourth Test (Melbourne) England won by three runs
Fifth Test (Sydney) Drawn

Engel Every player I toured with in the 80s, I wouldn’t say they all became friends, though some did, I hope. But there’s always a bond. Whenever I see them, it’s still there. Of course, there weren’t even faxes then. So you didn’t know what we were saying about you. Even we didn’t know. We knew what we’d written but we didn’t know what was actually printed.

Marks Unless it was spectacularly requoted in the Aussie press.

Engel Always out of context… Um, you know that thing I’m meant to have said about you.

Marks [suspiciously] What thing’s that?

Engel [nervously] I think it was something like [steeling himself]: “At any given moment, somewhere in the world, someone is hitting Vic Marks for six.” [blustering] Well, I can’t find it in the files.

Marks Oh, that. I often quote it. I’m sure you said it. It’s rather good.

Engel Is it? Oh, well, I must have said it then … I suppose the good thing about journalism is at least you’ll know you’ll get a game.

Marks It’s an odd one that. You know how clinical and analytical we’re meant to be. It sort of goes out the window in Australia. You feel you’ve got a whole nation against you. Normally I just want to see good cricket. There, I’d take 1-0 with four bore draws. It’s a bit of a slog if England go 3-0 down. Even as a journalist.

Engel Well, we’ve reversed roles now. I’ll be the one sitting indoors, venturing out occasionally. Only that won’t be to carry the drinks, it’ll be to walk the dog. I don’t mind, honest. In 1982-83 I spoke to The Guardian four times in five months. We sent all our copy through telex operators. The last time I sat in an Australian press box, I heard the Daily Mail man speak to his office four times in half an hour. Enjoy.

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