The Aussie cricket team has a great, recent tradition of the “Next Man Up” (NMU) Philosophy.
That’s where the next man selected comes in and not only does a job, but genuinely contributes to an Ashes triumph. See: Boland, Scott. Actually, don’t see Boland, Scott. He got a saloon passage thanks to two other quick bowlers who paved the, um, saloon passage for him.
Pretty much every series since 1990 has at least on Australian who stood tall as the NMU. Even when their best pace attack didn’t play a single Test together during the series. Which has happened quite a few times.
In 1990-91 the best pace attack was Terry Alderman, Bruce Reid, Craig McDermott, with Merv Hughes the NMU. Reid (27 wickets), McDermott (18 wickets) Alderman (16 wickets) and Hughes (15 wickets in four Tests) destroyed England as Australia won series 3–0.
Billy the Kid only played two Tests but took 18 wickets. By contrast, Devon Malcolm was England’s top wicket taker with 16 wickets in five Tests. While we are at it, Michael Atherton was Player Of the Match in the drawn third Test having scored 105. In the same match, Greg Matthews scored 128 at a strike rate of 75 in Australia’s only innings, then bowled 58 overs in England’s only innings going for 2.5 runs an over. Joel Wilson must have been awarding the prize.
The 1990-91 player of the series Bruce Reid didn’t tour England in 1993. McDermott was ruled out with a twisted colon after the second Test. The NMU this series was Paul Reiffel who took 19 wickets at 20.84 in three Tests. Had McDermott been fit for the series, it’s likely Australia would have gone with two quicks and the two spinners Tim May and Shane Warne, while Reiffel would have carried the drinks. Warne (34 wickets), Hughes (31 wickets with a bung knee), May (21 wickets) and Reiffel did the damage. Australia won that series 4 – 1.
The epitome of NMU this series came in the second Test at Lords where Australia won by an innings and 62 runs. When McDermott’s colon prevented him from sending anything down, Allan Border gave the ball to Hughes, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, May, Warney and even had a bowl himself. May was given the ball in both innings before Warney. I bet England wished Australia continued to prefer the South Aussie offie over The King.
For England, Graham Gooch was joint Player of the Series having topped the run scorers with 673. Peter Such was England’s leading wicket taker with 16.
You’ll never guess which bowler was the NMU in 1994-95 where Australia won 3-1. Nope, you won’t. Yep, you’re right. You’re absolutely right. It was indeed Mark Waugh. Eight wickets at 19.82 across five Tests. Player of the series McDermott (32 wickets) and Warne (27 wickets) were the only specialist bowlers who played all five Tests.
Damien Fleming (three Tests, 10 wickets), Glenn McGrath (two Tests, six wickets) and Jo Angel (two Tests, three wickets) also chipped in. May only took one wicket in three Tests and wasn’t selected for Australia in Tests again.
For England, Darren Gough took 20 wickets (third most in the series) and Graham Thorpe topped the minnows run scorers with 444.
Shane Warne. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)
Surely it’s about now we need to bring Kasper into the NMU discussion. In the 3–2 series win in 1997 the Aussies’ best pace attack was McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Reiffel. Yet Michael Kasprowicz took 14 wickets in three Tests at 22.14. Warne and McGrath combined for 60 series wickets while Dizzy (16 wickets from four Tests) and Reiffel (11 wickets from four Tests) added the cherry.
For England, Thorpe again topped the run scorers with 453. Andy Caddick equalled Warne’s series wickets with 24.
Who said it was all about fast bowlers, anyway? Okay, yeah well there was Mark Waugh in 94-95 I spose. But in 1998/99 the NMU was Stuart MacGill who topped the series wicket-takers with 27 from four Tests at 17.70. He wasn’t the last Stuart to top the series wicket-taker as NMU, either.
It’s a little-known fact that Gillespie, Warne and Kasprowicz only played one Test each in the 1998-99 series. Fleming (16 wickets in four Tests) and Colin “Funky” Miller (nine wickets from three Tests) added the F-bombs.
For England, Gough took 21 wickets and Nasser Hussain scored 407 runs at 40.61 with no centuries.
Damien Martyn was the NMU in 2001, but he’s a batter. And he’s not named Stuart, Sarfraz, Scott or Boland so we’ll overlook him. This is also the first time that the best pace attack of McGrath, Gillespie and Brett Lee played five Tests together. Most of the previous series the best pace attacks played no Tests together during a series. It’s true. Look it up.
Australia won the 2001 series 4–1. McGrath (32 wickets) and Warne (31 wickets) did the damage, which is getting very predictable now guys. Gillespie (19 wickets at 34.31) and Lee (nine wickets at 55) indicated that the cracks in the Aussie team were starting to show.
For England, joint Player of the Series Mark Butcher topped the run scorers with 456 and Gough took 17 wickets.
Aussies had that same pace attack for 2002–03, and they played two Tests together. This time it was “Mr 12th Man” Andy Bichel who was NMU with 10 wickets in three Tests at 35.10. By contrast, Lee took 13 wickets in three Tests at 41.23. Australia won the series 4–1.
Mark Waugh (Sean Garnsworthy/Getty Images)
For England, Michael Vaughan was player of the series with 633 runs. Caddick was equal top series wicket taker with 20.
Now here’s empirical evidence that the NMU theory also applies to series losses. When there was no NMU, there’s no Ashes for Aussies. In 2005 McGrath and Warne still combined for 59 series wickets even though Pigeon missed two Tests.
Unfortunately, they didn’t get enough support from Lee (20 wickets at 41), Kasper (4 wickets at 62.5) or Dizzy (three wickets at 100). England also had the three leading run scorers that series: Kevin Pietersen (473 at 52.55), Marcus Trescothick (431 at 60.27) and Freddy Flintoff (402 at 40.2). It was the first time since the 1980’s that Australia’s next man up didn’t man up next. No wonder we lost.
We all know the glorious series of 2007, when Australia regained the Ashes 5 – 0. More importantly, it hailed the arrival of Stuie “Sarfraz” Clark. Sarfraz was BoLo before there was BoLo. Stuie was replaced by Dan Cullen in the preceding tour to Bangladesh but forced his way back in ahead of Cullen and batting all-rounder, Jason Gillespie.
Stuie topped the Ashes series wicket takers with 26 wickets at 17. Not bad for a guy starting the series in his fifth ever Test.
Matthew Hoggard topped the English wicket takers with 13. KP (490 runs at 54.44) and Paul Collingwood (433 runs at 48.11) featured in the series leading run-getterers.
In 2009 with Lee injured it was up to Ben Hilfenhaus (22 wickets), Mitchell Johnson (20 wickets) and Peter Siddle (20 wickets) who had, to that point played 22 Test matches combined.
While they played all five Tests in the losing series, the trio topped the wicket takers for the series ahead of Stuart Broad with 18 at 30.22, Graeme Swann 14 at 40.50 and Sir James Anderson 12 at 45.16. How does England claim a series with their best bowlers averaging 30, 41 and 45?
Andrew Strauss did top the series run scorers with 474, but as far as I know he hasn’t been knighted. Anyway, despite losing the Ashes this triumvirate trumpeted the NMU testament and surely deserve some kind of moral victory.
Shaun Marsh. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Ryan Harris stepped up for three Tests in the 3–1 series loss in 2010-11, where Johnson struggled with control and Siddle was laboured with much of the heavy lifting. But it set the tone for his 24 wickets, Player of the Series performance in 2013 and obviously the obliteration of 2013-14. Shout-out to Ashton Agar and Phil Hughes as they fell 14 runs short of the winning target.
In 2015, Harris retired before the series started. His replacement? Pat someone.
The 2017-18 series was the first time Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon combined (for 87 wickets if you don’t mind). Shout out to Shaun “NMU” Marsh who scored 445 runs for the series at 74.16 in the 4–0 series win.
The NMU certainly won’t be going to our man Joel Wilson for his efforts in the First Test in 2019. He and Aleem Dar had 10 of their decisions overturned on review.
It’s pretty much been the cartel since then. Pretty much. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU will predictably say BoLo in 2021/22.
Sure he took 18 wickets at minus 4 in three Tests. But how about Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser? They replaced Cummins and Hazlewood in the second Test. I’ll say again: Cummins AND Hazlewood replaced. Neser scored 35 off 24 in his first Test innings, and Richardson took 5 for 42 in the 4th innings giving Australia a two-nil series lead.
But if you’re the type that rates Marco BoLo’s 6 for 7 in England’s 2nd innings at the MCG as a better performance, you must be Victorian.
As for 2023, the leading run scorers for each nation? Usman Khawaja (496) and Zac “Creepy” Crawley (480).
Merv. Bichel. Kasper. Bichel. Junior. A couple of Stuie’s. Ferguson. Neser. Australia has a strong and proud tradition when it comes to NMU.
So let’s not go to DEFCON 5 or start stock-piling toilet paper. It’s a home series. England have to win. Not just draw. They need to win. And Sydney will be rained out. So they have four Tests to overcome the Dogger, Loch Nese and Jake Beath Weatherald (Beath?). Even with the Cumminhoff out, the Aussies have a proven history of the next man stepping up.
Just ask next man up alum BoLo, who got a saloon passage in 2021-22 thanks to Fergo and Neser. A saloon passage. You know it’s true.
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