Chewing Gum Can Perform Miracles, Unless You’re Facing Dennis Lillee!
Paula Xiberras
Ian Brayshaw enjoys Tasmania and has been here 3 times, twice with his wife and once with his son. Ian recalls the best meal he ever had was in Tassie when he feasted on a fresh flathead at a resort at Coles Bay …
A journalist and former cricketer, Ian’s most recent book is ‘The Miracle Match’, which tells the story of a domestic Gillette Cup cricket match played between Queensland and Western Australia in 1976 at the WACA on a seam-ingly (pardon the pun) bowler-friendly wicket
Western Australia and Queensland boasted the five big players at the time and some would say of any time: Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson, Rodney Marsh and Viv Richards.
The WA team was bowled out for a meagre 77 runs.
It seemed the game was all over … but you could never discount Dennis Lillee …
Lillee bowled the great Viv Richards for a duck; then Greg Chappell for single figures … and incredibly WA stole the victory.
It was a time when cricket wasn’t as ‘sanitised’ as it is today and it was populated by some memorable characters.
It was a match to remember. Ian phoned Viv Richards to ask if he remembered ‘that’ match. Viv’s reply: ‘It was never far from his mind’.
It was also a time when cricketers were not professionals and had other careers; they played. Ian says, for ‘ the unbridled sheer joy of the game’.
It was also a time that showcased the ferocious never-give-up spirit of Dennis Lillee; his skill in bowling, his will to win. Ian says it made him ‘the full package … stamina, fitness with hard work and talent’ that had the other ‘Ian’, in Ian Chappell, ‘doing handstands’ over his luck in having such players in his Test team.
Another great of the game beautifully drawn by Ian is Viv Richards, who Ian relates would come out to the wicket without a helmet bravely announcing it was ‘just him and his chewing gum’.
Then there was Rick Charlesworth who would later come to prominence as a hockey player and coach … but as a Renaissance Man also boasted a medical degree and a political career. Ian says he was a great competitor and feels privileged to have played with him.
Other greats featured in the match include Kim Hughes and Bruce Yardley; the latter admired by Ian admired for changing from fast bowling to spin.
Ian believes his career as a player has helped him as a journalist, giving him a certain authority and enabling him to establish connections in the sports world and opening doors to sports stars.
It is interesting to note that the ‘Brayshaw’ name comes from the old English via Lancashire and means ‘broad’ and ‘wide’ and ‘small wood’ … on the day of ‘The Miracle Match’ the bats were ‘small wood’ to the mighty eyes of Dennis Lillee.
‘The Miracle Match’ is out now published by Hardie Grant.