Livin' on the Edge of Glory Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ian Botham

On the cricket field Ian "Beefy" Botham was mercurial, he was charismatic and a force to be reckoned with. But in 1981 he really established his legend. England were down and almost out. After the first two Tests of that series they trailed Australia 1-0. In the Third Test at Headingley Australia had made 401 in their first innings and then ripped through England to roll them for 174. Forced to follow on they had slumped to 7-135 in their second innings - still 92 runs behind and with only three tail-end batsmen to support Botham. "Beefy" opened his shoulders (and rode his luck) to smash the vaunted Australian attack to all parts of the Leeds ground. The last three wickets added 231 runs, leaving Australia with only 130 to chase to complete the victory.

Australia would collapse in the face of a searing Bob Willis attack, who took eight wickets and saw England home to a 19 run victory. From this point on Botham was unstoppable. He claimed five wickets for eleven runs in the next Test, which saw Australia bundled out for 121 and another loss. He sealed the series with a century in the Fifth Test and then closed out the series by taking ten wickets in the drawn last Test.

Answer: The Bodyline Series

This series is probably the most famous of Ashes battles in the history of the game. The English team devised the theory of "Bodyline", alternatively known as "Leg Theory", that involved stacking the legside with fielders and having a fast bowling battery that aimed short, fast pitched deliveries at the bodies of the Australian batsmen. If the batsman were to attack the bowling, it dramatically increased the risk of being dismissed but the alternative, being struck on the body, was far less palatable.

After the Third Test in Adelaide, during which the Australian captain Bill Woodfull was struck above the heart and the Australian wicketkeeper, Bert Oldfield, had had his skull fractured, the relationship between the two countries had soured so much that there were angry cables being sent between the Boards of Control of the two nations and threats were raised over the cancellation of the tour. England did curtail their activities in this respect, however, the shell-shocked Australians were still beaten in the final two tests to lose the series 4-1. The laws of the game were soon amended to outlaw the practice of leg theory.

Answer: England had won the Test by two runs

When Australia arrived in England for the 2005 Ashes series, they boasted a team full of legends. They had won the previous eight Ashes rubbers and were outrageous favourites to do so again. After England were savaged in the First Test by 239 runs it seemed like cycle was, once again, running its course. The teams arrived at Lords, a ground on which the Australians had not lost in over 100 years. England, however, were not to be denied and the two arch-rivals produced one of the most intense contests in their history. The home side had secured a 99 run lead after the first innings, but a Shane Warne masterclass, that netted him six wickets in the second innings, left Australia needing a gettable 282 in the last innings to win. All seemed lost when Australia found themselves 9 wickets down for 220. However, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz produced a remarkable backs-to-the-wall fightback that saw Australia get within three runs of victory, at which point Kasprowicz was dismissed when he gloved a catch to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.

A shattered Brett Lee sank onto his haunches, at which point he was consoled by Andrew Flintoff, producing one of the most enduring Ashes moments of all time. England would go on to win the series 2-1 and regain the Ashes.

Answer: Shane Warne

When Shane Warne arrived in England for the 1993 Ashes series, he'd only played in eleven Test matches and had enjoyed what could, at best, be described as moderate success. In the First Test at Old Trafford, he ambled up to the crease to deliver his first delivery. It drifted toward the batsman's (Mike Gatting) leg-side, where it landed in a rough patch, bit and spun viciously, across the batsman, past the edge of the bat and hit Gatting's off-stump.

To this point Warne had not been seen as a serious threat by the Englishmen but that delivery was like an earthquake in their dressing room. Warne would end the match with eight wickets and thirty four in the series as Australia romped to a 4-1 series win. Warne would go on to dominate Ashes series over the next decade, taking 195 wickets in 36 Tests between the two countries.

Answer: Thomson & Lillee

England travelled to Australia with the utmost confidence, late in 1974, that they would retain the Ashes urn. After all, Australia had not even threatened the Mother Country's grip on the trophy for more than six years and they had no real pace attack to boast about. Australia's fearsome spearhead from their last campaign, Dennis Lillee, had broken his back in 1973 and there was doubt that he would even bowl and, if he did, that he would even come close to being the same threat that he had been. Lillee's partner for this series was a raw-boned speedster by the name of Jeff Thomson who'd previously only played one Test match and had returned the unflattering figures of 0/110 (no wickets for 110 runs).

Lillee showed in his return that, whilst he may have lost a fraction of his speed during his convalescence, he had lost none of his aggression and had added other skills to his craft. At the other end Thommo's pace was terrifying and he delivered his thunderbolts with unerring accuracy. His nine wickets in the first Test set the tone for the entire series.

Australia would win the series 4-1 and regain the Ashes. The impact (or terror) that the two bowlers had had on the Englishmen during this rubber was never more clearly illustrated than in the final match. Thomson was left out due to an injury and Lillee broke down after bowling only six overs in the Test. The English batsmen dined out and their side secured a consolation victory.

Answer: Jim Laker

After three Tests in the 1956 Ashes in England the series was tied at one win apiece. After England had posted a formidable 459 in their first innings, Australia had steadily built their total to 48 when Surrey off-spinner Tony Lock struck by dismissing Jim Burke. From that point onwards, his Surrey teammate, Jim Laker took over. He totally bamboozled the Australian batsmen and took the next nine wickets. Australia was forced to follow on and, in their second innings, Laker went one better and took all ten wickets. Laker became the first man to take all ten wickets in an innings of a Test match and his nineteen wickets for the match set a almost unbeatable record.

England drew the next Test to claim the series 2-1 and retain the Ashes. Laker would complete the tournament with 46 wickets at the mind-blowing average of 9.60.

Answer: Substitute fieldsman

The 2005 Ashes series in England rates as one of the best rubbers of cricket between the two countries this century and would have rated highly in the previous hundred years. With the series tied at one win apiece, England posted a formidable first innings total of 477 and then bundled the Australians out for 218 in their first dig. Forced to follow-on (bat again) the Australians had their backs to the wall and mounted a steady rear-guard action. The score was nicely placed with Australia two down for 155 when Damien Martyn pushed a ball into the covers and called for the run. It was a risky one at best (and that's being kind) and Ponting should have sent his partner back and then called for the medical team to examine Martyn and ensure he wasn't suffering from heat-stroke. That's when England's substitute fieldsman had swooped on the ball and threw down the stumps.

Ponting stormed off the ground and delivered a verbal spray to the England coach, Duncan Fletcher, for which he copped a fine. Ponting had spoken to the referees about how the English side had being employing their substitutes. Instead of using the player that didn't make it into the Test team i.e. a true twelfth man, they were employing specialist fielders from throughout the country. Whilst not against the rules, it was not exactly within the spirit of the game. As if to highlight the anomaly, the 23-year-old Pratt was, at the time, struggling to stay in his county team's first eleven.

The outcome of the game was a tense victory to England. Two weeks after the Test, Ponting did meet with Gary Pratt, congratulated him on his effort and autographed a pair of his own boots which he passed onto Pratt.

Answer: David Hookes

David Hookes made his debut during the 1977 Centenary Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In a Test that was chock full of highlights, the baby-faced left-hander showed that he had what it took to take on the big boys. Hookes was chosen after only a handful of first class games and repaid the faith with a blazing half century, highlighted by the twenty runs plundered off Greig in one over. To this point Hookes had been a target of Greig's who was constantly in the youngster's ear with a view to break his concentration.

Hookes looked to have a bright career ahead of him and, whilst he constantly bullied attacks at Sheffield Shield level, he never managed to find that consistency at the higher grade. In 23 Tests he only scored one century and his career ended with a golden duck at the MCG against India in 1985, in the same Test that a young Steve Waugh made his debut.

Answer: Ashton Agar

Batting at number eleven in a Test side is an indication that, perhaps, batting is not a significant skill in your repertoire. Someone forgot to mention that to Ashton Agar as he walked out to face the English attack at Trent Bridge during the First Test in the summer of 2013. Australia was teetering at 9 for 117 when Agar joined the late Phillip Hughes at the crease. Ashton would belt 98 runs of 101 deliveries before being caught on the fence by Graeme Swann off the bowling of Stuart Broad. Along the way Agar became the first debutant to score fifty runs on Test debut, registered the (then) highest score by a number eleven in a Test and combined with Hughes to put on 163 runs for the last wicket.

Answer: Leg spinner

It seems strange that I would choose a failure to highlight the greatness of one man's career... and by that I mean Bradman's not Hollies. It was 1948 and Australia met England at the Oval for the fifth and final Test of the summer. As Bradman made his way to the crease for what would be his final Test innings, he was cheered all the way by the crowd. The England captain, Norman Yardley, stepped forward, shook Bradman's hand and congratulated him, while the English players all gave him three cheers.

Eric Hollies was no slouch as a bowler and Bradman defended his first delivery without drama. He edged the second, which deflected onto his stumps with just enough force to dislodge the bail. Bradman looked at the stumps, tucked his bat under his arm and walked off while the crowd remained silent, having witnessed, possibly, the most memorable duck in the game.

Just how good was Sir Donald Bradman? I could bore you with a mountain of statistics, but the best way would be through an anecdote. Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson was interviewed in 2015 by Robert Craddock for the television series "Cricket Legends". Thomson was prompted by Craddock that he (Thomson) had once bowled at the Don. Thommo responded that he'd been invited to a barbeque when Bradman asked him to bowl at him. Thomson fearing he would kill the legend only bowled a couple of leg-spinners at him. However, there were two young fast bowlers there who felt that knocking over the great Bradman would look good on their resume and they did not hold back. For the next twenty minutes Bradman smashed them all around the yard. What's so special about that... Bradman was 70 years old at the time, dressed in a suit and tie, wore no protective gear of any description and did not back away once.