1970–71 Ashes series | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Ashes returned to England after 12 years.
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Date | 27 November 1970 – 17 February 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Result | England won the 7-Test series 2–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Teams | |||
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Australia | England | ||
Captains | |||
W.M. Lawry (6 Tests) I.M. Chappell (1 Test) |
R. Illingworth | ||
Most runs | |||
K.R. Stackpole 627 (52.25) I.R. Redpath 497 (49.70) |
G. Boycott 657 (93.85) J.H. Edrich 648 (72.00) B.W. Luckhurst 455 (56.87) |
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Most wickets | |||
J.W. Gleeson 14 (43.21) | J.A. Snow 31 (22.83) |
The 1970–71 Ashes series consisted of seven cricket Test matches, each of five days with six hours play each day and eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1970–71 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Ray Illingworth's England team beat Bill Lawry's Australians 2–0 and regained the Ashes, the only full Test series in Australia in which the home team failed to win a Test. "The Momentous Series of 1970–71" was pivotal in cricket history and "essentially ushered in the modern period of Test cricket". It was the first Test series to have more than five Tests and the first One Day International in cricket history was played in Melbourne; like the first test match in history it was won by Australia.
Ray Illingworth's use of hostile, short-pitched fast-bowling by John Snow, Ken Shuttleworth, Bob Willis and Peter Lever heralded the dominance of fast bowling in the 1970s and 1980s, as did the decline of behaviour by players as the England team united under against ineffectual management, biased umpires, tabloid press and hostile crowds. Snow's 31 wickets (22.83) was the most by an England bowler in Australia since Harold Larwood, and has not been exceeded since. Geoff Boycott had his most prolific series with 657 runs (93.85), John Edrich made 648 runs (72.00), which kept him at the crease for a record 33 hours and 26 minutes, and Brian Luckhurst 455 runs (56.87). Together these three opening batsmen added 995 runs (90.45) for the first wicket with five century and three half-century opening stands.