The Ashes 1989 – Sixth Test scrapbook
Here is the sixth and final in this series of scrapbooks from the Ashes Tour 1989.
The final Test was played at The Oval, London.
England, behind 0-4, gave Test debuts to Alan Igglesdon and John Stephenson.
The game was affected by rain on Day 3; Australia pressed for wickets on Day 5 but fell 5 wickets short.
DM Jones was named Man-of-the-Match.
AR Border became the first Australian captain since WM Woodful in 1934 to regain the Ashes in England.
Previous Tests are catalogued here:
First Test, Headingley – Australia won by 210 runs
Second Test, Lord’s – Australia won by 6 wickets
Third Test, Edgbaston – Match drawn
Fourth Test, Old Trafford – Australia won by 9 wickets
Fifth Test, Trent Bridge – Australia won by an innings and 180 runs
6th Test 1989, England v Australia, The Oval
Australia 468 (DM Jones 122, AR Border 76, MA Taylor 71, DR Pringle 4/70, GC Small 3/141)
England 285 (DI Gower 79, GC Small 59, TM Alderman 5/66, GF Lawson 3/85)
Australia 4d/219 (AR Border 51*, DM Jones 50)
England target 403
England 5/143 (RA Smith 77*, TM Alderman 2/30, GF Lawson 2/41)
Draw
Six Test series.
After six Tests: England 0 – 4 Australia
Close of play Day 1: Australia 3/325 (AR Border 66*, DM Jones 114*)
Close of play Day 2: Australia 468. England 1/1 (JP Stephenson 0*, MA Atherton 0*)
Close of play Day 3: England 6/124 (DI Gower 43*, DR Pringle 6*)
Sunday rest day
Close of play Day 4: England 285. Australia 1/87 (MA Taylor 43*, DC Boon 29*)
Close of play Day 5: Australia 4d/219. England 5/143.
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About David Wilson
David Wilson is a hydrologist, climate reporter and writer of fiction & observational stories. He writes under the name “E.regnans” at The Footy Almanac and has stories in several books. One of his stories was judged as a finalist in the Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2021. He shares the care of two daughters and likes to walk around feeling generally amazed. Favourite tree: Eucalyptus regnans.
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Classic AB declaration. Series is won, so he’s giving them nothing. :)
JB – never give a sucker an even break, it could come back to bite you on the bum.
Fisho, AB wore plenty of hard knocks in his early days in test cricket. I reckon he enjoyed paying a few back when the opportunity arose. :)
In the mid- to late 1980s, one of my fellow staff members was a delightful Englishman (and a Yorkshireman at that) named Gerald. We agreed to a modest wager on both the 1-day series matches and Test matches – a 750ml bottle of Guinness per game. The Poms towelled us up in the one-dayers and I think I was a few bottles down. Gerald was smiling all the way home and, what’s more, was slaking his thirst for the Tests. But, alas, it was not to be so. True to his fine character and with good humour, he politely handed over a bottle after each of Australia’s four wins. In the end, I think I came out just ahead but with bragging rights on the more important stage. I left that school at the end of 1989 and, in my farewell, presented Gerald with a prize for Good Sportsmanship. And the prize, not surprisingly, was a bottle of Guinness. When Gerald passed away some years later, his wife told me how much he valued the good spirit of our little wager. A lovely memory for me 30 years later.