Ashes stats – Australian openers announcing themselves on Ashes stage
Shane Watson’s promotion to the top of the order for the Third Test at Edgbaston may have come as a surprise but England should not get too complacent with the new ball. Strong teams are often built upon success at the top of the order and Australia have developed a habit of springing new openers into Ashes series in England in recent years with considerable success.
In 1989, Australia arrived with a green young opener with only two tests to his name from which he had a top score of 36. Mark Taylor proceeded to bang 839 runs at an average of 83.9 including a double century and a century as an unfancied Australian team destroyed the Poms. As we know, he went on to have an illustrious career as one of the best test captains around before becoming a much-mimicked, seemingly Red Bull-infused commentator.
Four years on, Taylor’s opening partner was a young debutant with a good reputation but known for being a bit of a hothead. But in the first 4 tests of the 1993 series, Michael Slater scored 370 runs at 61.7 before tailing off in the final two fixtures. His virtual lap of honour after getting to his hundred at Lord’s was particularly memorable
In 1997, Slater was out of favour and Matthew Elliott, with only 5 tests to his name, was Taylor’s opening partner. He racked up 556 runs at 55.6 including a high score of 199 as once again the Aussies put England to the sword. After that series, Elliott only played 10 more tests before being dropped for good, ending with mark of 33.5.
In 2001, Australia had a seemingly formidable partnership of Michael Slater and Matthew Hayden. Both had a fairly lean time of it and it was Slater who was dropped for the final test with the series already won to make way for Justin Langer. Although he had 41 tests to his name, hehad been out of team for a while and had only previously opened twice, in his 2nd test match scoring 10 and 1. He scored 102* in a partnership of 158 with Hayden and so began the legendary Hayden-Langer combination.
In fact it seems that England should be more confident when Australia arrive with an established opening pair. After the ineffectual performance of Hayden and Slater in 2001, Langer and Hayden were little better in 2005, their only partnership of note coming in the final test. Both scored centuries, with Hayden’s possibly saving his test career.
The stage was set for Philip Hughes to become the latest in a line of Australian openers to announce themselves in English Ashes series. It has not happened for him but England should keep their eye on Watson. After his impressive 62 in his first innings in the position, he could be looking to make the spot his own.
by Stuart Peel
