English cricket team in Australia in 1974–75

Mike Denness captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1974–75, playing as England in the 1974-75 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour. They lost the Test series and the Ashes 4–1 thanks to the battering they received from the fast bowling of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, but won the One Day International and with Lillee and Thomson injured they came back to win the Sixth Test by an innings.

England was untried as a consistent winning combination away from home. Their captain had been questioned both as a Test player and leader. Their batting was shallow in specialists and their fast bowling smacked of insurance policies and endeavour rather than hostility. But the touring party was one that demanded respect. There were no fewer than ten members who had previously played against Australian under Australian conditions. Two other players had proved themselves against the old foe in England. It was a professional side, professionally chosen, with a professional knowledge of the gaps that existed in the make-up of the Australian side. It seemed they would give a professional account of themselves.

Alec Bedser had toured Australia in the 1946-47, 1950-51 and 1954-55 Ashes series as a player, 1958-59 as a journalist and 1962-63 as the assistant-manager, so was well known down under and very knowledgeable about Australian conditions. He was one of the great servants of English cricket and took a record 236 Test wickets at an average of 24.89 despite carrying England's bowling attack against the powerful Australian teams of the post-war era. Bedser was made an England selector in 1962 and Chairman of Selectors in 1969, a post he held until 1981. As a bowler he had been willing to toil all day if his captain demanded and saw team spirit and dedication as qualities needed by any England player, which led to problems with his two best players, Geoff Boycott and John Snow, who he did not see as team players.

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