Lives in Cricket No 2 - Johnny Briggs

It was during the course of this series that cricket really began to capture the public’s imagination in Australia and crowds grew steadily during the series, culminating in an attendance of 29,000 for the Saturday of the Fifth Test in Melbourne, contributing to an overall five-day figure of almost 100,000 spectators. Interest was heightened by the fact that this was the first series comprehensively covered via the telegraph. In Sydney large crowds were said to have waited outside newspaper offices to read reports of each over about ten minutes after it had been bowled. These crowds would have read the exciting over-by-over dispatches as Briggs became a key component in England’s famous 10-run win at Sydney in the First Test. Australia had mauled England’s attack in their first innings, reaching 586 all out, midway through the second day – echoes here of England’s first innings of 551 in the Second Test at Adelaide on the 2006/07 tour which the visitors contrived to lose by the remarkable margin of six wickets. At Sydney, Briggs was powerless to prevent the Australians running riot, conceding 96 runs and going wicketless in 25 dispiriting overs. Australia’s George Giffen (161) and Syd Gregory (201) gorged themselves on the England bowling, digging their side out of a deep hole at 21 for 3. Briggs did better with the bat, scoring a half century as England reached 325 although they failed to avoid the follow-on. In their second knock, England did even better, scoring 437 with Ward compiling a century as England gave themselves an outside chance of victory. By the close of day five, the Australians on 113 for 2 seemed to be moving fairly serenely towards their modest victory target of 177. But they had reckoned without heavy overnight rain which turned the pitch into a genuine ‘sticky dog’ and gave Peel and Briggs just the sort of encouragement they needed. Early on, though, Australia had advanced to 130 for 2 only 47 runs away from victory. But then Peel and Briggs began to get into their stride and by the time England had wrapped up victory, eight wickets had fallen on the final day for 53 runs, with the last five going down for just eight. Peel finished with 6 for 67 and Briggs’ return was 3 for 25. During the course of the Fourth Test, also at Sydney, Briggs became the first bowler to claim 100 Test wickets – in his 25th Test – but achieving that milestone failed to stop Australia winning by an innings. Touring with Stod 67