The Greatest Test Match Innings Of All Time
I remember semi-joking with friends at school before the visit of the 1988 West Indians that England might finally have a chance against the international champions of cricket. Michael Holding had retired, as had Joel Garner, and their replacements did not quite have the same reputation.
A 4-0 mauling later and I knew all about Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Malcolm Marshall, and how deadly they all were, especially in combination. Add in more quicks such as Patrick Patterson and Winston Benjamin and there were no such fanciful thoughts of a reversal of fortunes when the West Indies visited England again three years later. We were expecting another drubbing.
The series began in a familiar fashion at Headingley on the 6th June, 1991, 30 years ago. Mike Atherton was soon cleaned up by the express-speed of Patterson while the saviour of English cricket, Graeme Hick, newly qualified and ready to take on international attacks, endured a fierce mauling at the hands of the West Indian bowlers. Despite a brave knock of 54 from Robin Smith, England were dismissed for 198, the wickets shared among the four main bowlers.
When the West Indies batted, it was no easier. Fast-medium bowlers such as Philip DeFreitas and Steve Watkin, especially drafted in for the friendly conditions at Leeds, shared the wickets with all-rounder Derek Pringle. Only a typically belligerent 73 from the touring captain, Viv Richards, prevented the home side from taking a substantial first innings lead. As it was, the advantage was a mere 25 runs, almost parity at the half way point.
With England’s batting so brittle, the match needed a legendary innings from their captain in order to try and force a win. Fortunately, on this devilish Headingley wicket, under leaden skies and against one of the most powerful bowling attacks in the world, Graham Gooch delivered.
Making his test debut at the age of 21 (alongside fellow batter Graeme Hick and pace bowler Steve Watkin) was Mark Ramprakash.
“Walking into an England dressing-room with great figures such as Graham Gooch, Allan Lamb and Robin Smith around was quite daunting. Gooch, as captain, was very reserved in nature and, although a very nice person, he was in his late 30s and of a completely different generation to me.”
Also in the England side was perennial selection yo-yo, Derek Pringle, with conditions expected to suit his medium pace bowling.
“Although many twinned me with Headingley, it had been the scene of my worst ever bowling performance for England, nought for 123 against Australia in 1989, as well as my best, five for 95 against the West Indies in 1988. The principal way it helped us was with the weather. The West Indies attack just could not get warm in the chilly conditions. On a tricky pitch, that was a boon.”
Cold weather aside, there was still a monumental task ahead of England. Writing in Graham Gooch’s autobiography, Frank Keating said:-
“On the third morning, Gooch knew that the very minimum required to put the West Indies under any sort of pressure in the fourth innings would be to repeat their opening score of 198. By lunchtime, that already looked a forlorn and distant mirage - Ambrose, with avenging fury, had dismissed Atherton and Hick, brutally, for just 6 runs apiece, and Lamb for a duck.”
At 38 for 3, England were just 63 ahead with Gooch and debutant Ramprakash at the crease.
Mark Ramprakash
“Ambrose had shot out Atherton, Hick and Lamb and the match was in the balance. Happily, I again hung on and had the absolute joy of sharing a 78-run stand with Gooch before, for the second time in the match, succumbing for 27 - this time to a catch at the wicket off Ambrose, who was to take the first six wickets to fall.”
West Indies bowler Curtly Ambrose
“By 1991 I didn’t consider myself a rookie any more. I was primed and pumped up to go forward in my career. I must say we thought we had [Gooch] caught behind early on but the umpire didn’t give him. Had we got that decision it would have been all over.”
Slowly, on a freezing Yorkshire Saturday afternoon, Gooch ground down the touring bowlers, bat held high and fully focused on ensuring he did not give his wicket away. After Ramprakash’s defiance was ended by Ambrose, the tall Antiguan dismissed Robin Smith first ball before having the normally obdurate Jack Russell caught behind for just 4. The match was truly in the balance with England 124 for 6 and 149 runs ahead. Then the key partnership of the match began.
England all-rounder Derek Pringle
“I was one of two who managed that second highest score. To most, 27 will seem an extremely modest score, but while we were at the crease together Goochie and I added 98 for the seventh wicket. While I clung on, playing and missing and working the odd single, Gooch, by then at least, seemed on top of the task.”
Mark Ramprakash
“Only Derek Pringle supported [Gooch] for a long time after I was out, but Goochie was simply incredible; to see someone play an innings as great as that in my debut Test match remains one of the fondest memories of my career.”
With the best view in the house was umpire Dickie Bird, officiating on his home ground.
“You simply did not know what was going to happen next, and the game could have gone either way, right down to the last day. England bowled well, there was some brilliant fielding and Graham Gooch played a great innings which, in the end, proved the vital difference between the two teams. The uneven bounce and constant interruptions for rain and bad light made it very difficult for the batsmen, which is why Gooch’s innings was so remarkable.”
As the soupy light faded, the umpires offered the batsman withdrawal. “We’ll stay out.” decided Gooch, keen to take advantage while his eye was in and the West Indies bowlers were tiring. By the close of the day three, England were 143 for 6 with Gooch on 82 and Pringle 10. With there no rest day for the first time in an England home test, battle was quickly resumed the following morning.
Frank Keating
“No play was possible for 50 minutes, but with Pringle resolutely pushing his long left leg down the pitch and digging in, there was time enough before lunch for Gooch to go to his century. Some locals said that the standing ovation, rare at Headingley, matched that for Boycott’s one hundreth century in 1977.”
With the score at 222, Malcolm Marshall got in on the act and nipped out Pringle.
Mark Ramprakash
“Marshall, in particular, was very clever and he bowled a really searching length, which meant you could never get right to the pitch of the ball. He nipped it both ways, too, and it was quite an experience to hang around for a couple of hours.”
Derek Pringle
“The pitch was not quick, but with cloud cover present more or less throughout the Test, the ball moved both laterally and, as the match wore on, vertically too, as the bounce became less reliable. But while others found mere survival difficult, none of this fazed Gooch, who tended to thrive on such challenges. He trained hard for those days when batting became both mentally and physically sapping.”
Curtly Ambrose
“The ball was nipping around a bit and he played very well and that knock was the difference… credit to Gooch as the conditions favoured fast bowling and he held the innings together on his own.”
With Pringle gone, DeFreitas hung around for an invaluable 40 minutes, supporting his captain in another frustrating period for the West Indies bowlers. With Walsh snaring him LBW, Steve Watkin swiftly followed before that notoriously poor batsman, Devon Malcolm helped Gooch hold up the innings for another half an hour. When the number 11 was bowled by Marshall, the England total stood at 252 and its captain at an imperious 154 not out. The West Indies needed 278 to win, a mammoth task given the conditions. They never even came close.
Frank Keating
“At a percentage of 66.11, Gooch’s score was the highest by far of a side’s total of any bat-carrier of the century. In seven-and-a-half hours, from first to undefeated last, Gooch’s runs made up exactly two-thirds of those made from the bat - 154 out of 231 - against one of the most potent attacks in history; in poor light, and interruptions for rain, with 27 the next highest score. In the whole match only five of the 22 players passed 30 runs, but Gooch did so twice.”
Derek Pringle
“Later, when time had allowed some perspective, Goochie said he doubted he’d timed eight shots perfectly in seven and a half hours of batting. Which shows how well he must have battled despondency as well as the bowling. When the last man was out, [he] had no time to dwell on his achievement. The West Indies needed 278 to win and he had to marshal his bowlers.”
After having time to dismiss Phil Simmons, the teams returned on Monday morning. Despite a defiant 68 from Richie Richardson and 33 from wicketkeeper Jeffrey Dujon, the England bowlers made steady progress, eventually bowling out the tourists for 162. It was a monumental victory for England and true reward for the dedication of its captain.
Curtly Ambrose
“I didn’t know it at the time but I since learned it was England’s first win against us in home tests since 1969. We never looked at stats too much then; it was all about winning. Graham Gooch stroked 154 not out for what was a great innings against a top-class West Indies attack.”
Graham Gooch
“One thing I have to agree about with the critics, is that this 154 was my best test innings. We just had to keep battling on, grinding out each run knowing that there was once more for them to make in the last innings. So in difficult conditions and against this sort of opposition, it was stupendously rewarding to carry my bat.”
Derek Pringle
“To celebrate our rare win, the TCCB, in an uncharacteristic gesture of largesse, allowed us to stay an extra night in the team hotel. Only four of us stayed though Athers and I had Benson & Hedges semi-finals to play on the Wednesday. The evening didn’t fizz. Leeds on a Monday night in 1991 was beyond resuscitation. We did, however, toast Goochie’s stupendous innings.”
In a topsy-turvy series, the home side would slump to 2-1 down by the fourth Test before claiming an historic drawn series in the fifth Test at The Oval in August. It was a series that marked the beginning of a long decline for the West Indies and a decade of turmoil for England. Yet for almost eight murky hours in the bleak June light of Yorkshire, Graham Gooch compiled one of the bravest and best innings in Test history and - more critically for the England skipper - laid the foundations for the first series non-defeat against the all-conquering Windies since 1974.
Bibliography
Pushing The Boundaries, Derek Pringle, Hodder & Stoughton, 2018
Gooch My Autobiography, Graham Gooch and Frank Keating, Collins Willow, 1995
Time To Talk, Curtly Ambrose, Aurum Press, 2015
Strictly Me, Mark Ramprakash, Mainstream Publishing, 2009
My Autobiography, Dickie Bird, Hodder & Stoughton, 1997