Queensland cricket’s greatest Ashes team – and their best moments
With the Gabba First Test looming, we present Queensland’s greatest Ashes players - along with their best moments against England.
Local sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
As the First Test looms at the Gabba, we present what we believe is Queensland’s cricket’s greatest Ashes team – and those players’ best moments against England.
It is made up of Queenslanders who have played against the old rivals.
1. Matthew Hayden
Hayden set a series defining standard on day 1 of the 2001-02 series when he monstered the English bowlers for 187 not out. The Marist College Ashgrove old boy was dismissed quickly on the second day for 197, but the damage was done mentally and physically. Australia went on to win by a crushing 384 runs. To think England had the hide to give Hayden a send off after he had waged, and won, a battle with them.
RELATED LINKS
2700 PLUS LOCAL CRICKETERS RANKED
VOTE ON QUEENSLAND’S BEST COMMUNITY BATSMAN
IN PICTURES - PREMIER CRICKET, SUBBIES PIC GALLERY
2. Bill Brown
A veteran of three Ashes tours alongside Sir Donald Bradman, Brown’s personal best in 1938 was when he made 206 not out at Lords. That tour earned him the Wisden Cricketer of the Year award for 1939, having amassed 512 Test runs at 73.14. He was also a much loved figure in Brisbane and a well known businessman who ran a sports store in the CBD.
3. Kepler Wessels
Wessels slaughtered the English bowlers on his Test debut in 1982-83, scoring a then record highest score by an Australian on debut by amassing 162. Thinking they would turn his strength – the cut shot – into a weakness, the English bowlers fed him his favourite shot with a packed off side field, but Wessels annihilated his rivals. He then scored 46 in the second innings.
4. Greg Chappell
In the eyes of many Chappell is Australia’s best batsman since Sir Donald Bradman. We did not have to wait long for Chappell to make his mark in Test cricket – he scored 108 on debut batting at No.7 against England. The most elegant of batsmen, Chappell seemed to have more time than his peers. His superlative performances during World Series Cricket – the highest standard of cricket the game has seen – has never been officially accepted, but he, Barry Richards (South African) and Viv Richards (West Indies) were head and shoulders above the rest.
5. Allan Border
The legendary Border was a man for many seasons, a batsman with many gears. He could attack and win matches, but also defend and save games just as he tried to do during Australia’s ill-fated 1981 Ashes tour. In that series we saw the gritty side of Border, a stoic figure who spent 15 hours compiling two unbeaten hundreds and a score of 84 across three innings. He was a mighty batsman who earned respect the world over.
6. Peter Burge
The boy who grew up in Greenslopes, attending Buranda State School and Churchie was a beefy, attacking powerhouse who could bring down the best of them. Yet one of his greatest Ashes performances was a score of 37 not out when, on a sticky wicket, and with Australia 4-19 chasing 60 to win, he got Australia home. That knock at Lords, his 181 in the 1961 series and an Ashes deciding 160 in England were his pinnacle performances against England.
7. Ian Healy
The Wicket of the (last) Century, Healy was simply the best. His quicks loved him because rarely did he let them down, but it was his glovework to the greatest leg-spinner of all-time, Shane Warne, which lifted him about the pack. Healy’s performance standing up to Warne in the 1993 Ashes winning series was sublime. That series the Brisbane State High School alumni pocketed 26 dismissals (21 catches and five stumpings), a record in a Test series in England.
8. Mitchell Johnson
Just as Jeff Thomson did in the 1974-75 series, Johnson scared the living daylights out of England in a remarkable home series effort in 2013-14. The Townsville raised, Northern Suburbs left arm quick channelled Thomson’s destructive pace by giving England a battering, both mentally and physically. Mocked by the English crowd earlier in his career after a wayward bowling display abroad, Johnson gave the Pommies curry in his return bout on home soil, taking a remarkable 37 wickets at 13.97.
9. Craig McDermott
Like his captain Allan Border, McDermott saw bland times early in his Test cricket before enjoying the rich spoils of success. A fast bowler from Ipswich Grammar School, McDermott was a raw paceman when he started as an 19-year-old, earning the nickname Billy the Kid. But McDermott learned to also bowl well in benign conditions and was a great educator to a generation of Queensland fast bowlers who successfully mastered conditions in Adelaide and on the subcontinent. A tremendous outswing bowler, he claimed 84 wickets in 17 Tests against England, including a remarkable rally to claim 8 for 97 when England collapsed from 2-191 to be all out for 244.
10. Jeff Thomson
Has there been a faster bowler in the world? His peers say no. And armed with that blinding speed, Thomson and his mate Dennis Lillee terrified England in the 1974-75 Ashes series in Australia. Thomson broke toes, he broke stumps and he broke spirits with raw speed generated from a unique slinging action. He took 33 wickets in that series, but must have helped teammates like swing bowler Max Walker and spinner Ashley Mallett to wickets against batsmen so relieved to be off strike to Thomson.
11. Geoff Dymock
A grand left arm swing bowler who saved his best toward the end of his career when he claimed match figures of 9-86 against England in Perth. He also had the distinction of clean bowling England opening batting anchor Geoff Boycott in Sydney and was instrumental in Australia’s series win in 1979-80.
12. Ryan Harris
The extraordinary late career surge by Harris as a Queensland player (2008-14) included him starring against England at home and abroad. He was Australia’s Player of the Series in the 2013 Ashes defeat in England and his 24 wickets at 19.58 included a career-best 7 for 117 at Chester-le-Street and another five wicket haul at Lord’s. Harris was also named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
RELATED LINKS
QLD’S BEST SHIELD SIDE - 10 GAMES OR LESS
Queensland also had plenty of others who represented Australia against England, including:
Ken Mackay: Batting for Queensland he was an attacking opener, but batting for Australia he was a more dour No. 6 who played support roles. He was also a medium pace bowler. Like Ron Archer (see below), Mackay would make Queensland’s greatest team but this particular side was made up of Queenslanders who shone in Ashes series.
Ron Archer: A first grade player at the age of 15 and a first class cricketer by the age of 18, Archer had that x-factor about him. Another Churchie old boy, Archer was an elite batsman and first change bowler whose 19-Test career was brought to a close aged just 23 when he sustained a serious knee injury. His greatest Ashes moment would have to be taking 5 for 53 at The Oval in 1956.
Marnus Labuschagne: The Australian batting ace was superb as a late-call up in England in 2019, scoring 59, 74, 80, 67, 11, 48 and 14. And even better times are just around the corner. If we do this list in 24 months, expect Labuschagne to be in our top Ashes 12. The kid has what it takes.
Andrew Bichel: Is Andrew Bichel Queensland’s greatest fast bowler? His 430 Sheffield Shield wickets came at an withering strike rate of 45. Yes, 45. The only reason he misses today’s team was that his Test career saw him play just three times in an Ashes series - taking 10 wickets in total. But he still managed to be a match-winner against the Mother Country. In the World Cup he claimed 7-20 against England, then scored 40 odd in a match-winning 73-run ninth-wicket partnership with NSW’s Michael Bevan
Ray Lindwall
A grand grand allrounder in 32 matches for Queensland who adopted the Sunshine State after playing most of his career in New South Wales where he was also an outstanding rugby league fullback for St George. Lindwall is one of the greatest of all-time, an amazing fast bowler who would make Australia’s greatest ever side in a heartbeat.
John Maclean: Maclean did something few others - if any - did. He said no to Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket competition hoping to play Test cricket. He did that in his last season, playing four Tests against England in 1978-79.
Phil Carlson: The Queensland all-rounder played two Tests, with the highlight being a stunning gully catch in Australia’s only Test win of the series.
Martin Love: Queensland’s highest run scorer, the elegant Love made a successful Test debut against England with runs (62 not out) and catches at slip.
Tony Dell: The tall Queensland left arm fast bowler did a splendid job in two Tests against England in 1970-71 when he opened the bowling alongside Dennis Lillee.
Martin Kent: The stylish Sandgate Redcliffe junior was outstanding in three of his six Test innings against England in England in 1981.
Michael Kasprowicz: The swing bowler learned from the best in the business - Craig McDermott and Carl Rackemann - and one of his greatest Test moments was taking 7-36 against England in England.
Carl Rackemann: A monumental performer for Queensland who had a heart as big as his massive farming hands. He gave the Poms plenty to worry about on debut at the Gabba with his nasty, rising deliveries into the body from short of a length.
Trevor Hohns: An old pro, Hohns started his long career for Queensland as a middle order batsman, and finished it batting No.9 and bowling leg-spin for Australia. He made four Test appearances on the historic 1989 Ashes winning tour.
Shane Watson: A magnificent all-rounder who was so good he could successfully bat at No.1, No.4 or No.6. There was also a time when he was Australia’s most reliable bowler coming on second or third change.
Tom Veivers: A Queensland all-rounder who bowled off-spin and who scored mountains of runs for Queensland. He is from the famous Veivers sporting clan renowned in the Beechmount, Beaudesert and southern Logan areas.
Wally Grout: Queensland have always been spoiled for wicket keepers and the great Wally Grout stands alongside Tallon, Healy as our best. He was another grand Ashes campaigner. Richie Benaud loved Grout in his team because of his ability to read a match.
Don Tallon: Australia’s best ever wicket keeper? Old timers say yes. The lad from Bundaberg was Sir Donald Bradman’s pick as best glove man in his time. Tallon was also a mighty fine attacking batsman for Queensland.
Greg Ritchie: The stylish Ritchie wasa batting gun who one felt never quite fulfilled his potentia at Test levell. His 146 on the 1985 Ashes tour is remembered for its sheer class.
Usman Khawaja: He has deservedly received a recall to the Australia squad for the Ashes series. A little like Ritchie, he is class from head to toe but sometimes disappoints. He is currently in great form and should play the First Test at the Gabba.
Colin McCool
McCool was a leg-spinning all rounder who took 159 wickets for Queensland and scored almost 2000 runs.
Nathan Hauritz
The wily off-spinner - delivered by Carl Rackemann’s mid-wife mother in the Wondai hospital, played three Tests against England, including taking 6-158 in one innings.
Wade Seccombe
Along with Bulls team mate Ashley Noffke and modern day swing bowler Michael Neser, Seccombe toured England without playing a Test. He needs to be acknowledged as one of our finest gloveman, however, who was superior behind the stumps to Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin. Noffke was unfortunately injured on his Ashes tour while Neser should have made his Test debut on Australia’s last Ashes tour.
Ward’s way the only way in Tav’s Lew Cooper Cup round 7
Taverners under 17 cricket’s round 7 reveal: Gold Coast Dolphins all-rounder takes seven wickets, snares a run out and scores half century in a Player of the Round performance. See who else shone from your club here.
Club cricket: Brightest sparks from last round revealed across premier men, women grades
Queensland premier club cricket: Who shone brightest in men’s and women’s first, second and third grade matches last weekend, which included premiership glory for Uni and Norths? All is revealed here.