Ashes 1975: Vandals dig up Headingley pitch to ruin thrilling climax

August 19, 1975. Australia needed 225 to win on the final day with seven wickets remaining. And the spectators were robbed of a promising thriller when a group of vandals dug holes on the wicket and poured oil on the pitch. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the incident in Headingley which cost £8,000 in gate receipts and scorecard sales.
It had all the makings of a fifth day thriller. And instead of an epic climax unfolding on the pitch, what ensued was a curious tale of knives, holes and oil.

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Ashes 1926: Charlie Macartney's century before lunch

July 24, 1926. After England captain Arthur Carr put Australia in to bat at Headingley, Maurice Tate dismissed Warren Bardsley with the very first ball; and then transpired a phase of play that remained a lifelong nightmare for the captain. Arunabha Sengupta writes about the day when Macartney was dropped by Carr off the fourth ball he faced and raced to a hundred before lunch.

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Tate's Test

July 26, 1902. Amidst heart-stopping excitement, Australia bowled out England for 120 to win the Old Trafford Test by three runs and secure the Ashes. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the immortal match which saw Victor Trumper score a century before lunch and Fred Tate become immortal for dropping a sitter. But it was Hugh Trumble’s six-wicket haul in the second innings — and 10 in the Test — that swung it in Australia’s favour after England needed just 32 runs with seven wickets in hand.

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