I C Quest for the Ashes 1986/87

The 1986-87 Ashes series is etched into cricket folklore as the tour where England, derided and given no hope, defied all expectations to triumph. The tour's infamy began before the team even departed, with Martin Johnson's cutting assessment that the team had "three problems: they can't bat, can't bowl, and can't field" providing a gloomy prologue. Manager Peter Lush’s pre-tour warning about player misconduct after the West  Indies tour seemed prescient. England's team selection appeared conventional, if uninspired. With captain Mike Gatting taking over from David Gower, the squad leaned heavily on a mix of ageing, accomplished players like Ian Botham, Phil Edmonds, and Gower himself, and less-tested talents such as Gladstone Small. Ian Botham's hesitation over his final England tour and Phil Edmonds' pre-tour comments on TV added minor controversies. Yet, it was the performances of key individuals, and the shocking fragility of a young Australian side, that defined the series. Chris Broad became a colossus at the top of the order, accumulating three centuries with remarkable consistency. Botham, in what many expected to be his final act, produced crucial, match-winning contributions with bat and ball. The consistent spin of Edmonds and John Emburey proved a constant menace, while Australia's captain Allan Border often seemed paralysed by Botham’s aggressive intent. The disappointing performer for England, arguably, was the public's perception of them; the team, by all accounts, proved their doubters spectacularly wrong. Australia, meanwhile, saw promising signs from Dean Jones and opener Geoff Marsh but was ultimately plagued by a demoralising lack of form and consistency, particularly with the ball, which made England's unexpected revival all the more remarkable. The series is forever defined by its stark contrast: the utter dismissal of England’s chances, and their heroic, fairytale success

Teams for the 1985 battle for the Ashes 

AUSTRALIA

Boon D.C

Border A.R. (c)

Dyer G.C

Hughes M.G.

Jones D.M.

Lawson GF

 Marsh G.R

Matthews C.D.

Matthews G.R.J.

McDermott C.J.

Reid B.A.

Ritchie G.M.

Sleep P.R.

Taylor P.L.

Waugh S.R.

Welham D.M.

Zoehrer T.J.

ENGLAND

Athey C.W.J.

Botham IT

Broad B.C

Defreitas P.A.J.

Dilley G.R.

Edmonds P.H.

Emburey J.E.

Foster N.A.

French B.

Gatting M.W. (c)

Gower D.I.

Lamb A.J.

Richards C.J.

Small G.C.

Whitaker J.J.