Gladstone Small speaks with journalist Tony Bishop from Guerilla Cricket about the legendary 1986/87 Ashes tour.

How did England beat the Aussies? Where did Gladstone’s love of cricket came from?

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A special ‘Inside the Tour’ online event, in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK.

Mark Pougatch hosts a bonus episode where he’s joined by some familiar faces from the Inside The Tour podcast, as well as appearances from the 2021/22 Ashes squad members.

We’ve teamed up with Prostate Cancer for this event to help to raise awareness of prostate cancer, which former cricketer Allan Lamb is currently getting treatment for.

Guestlist:

Allan Lamb: Former England cricketer who played in the 1986/87 Ashes series. Since his prostate cancer diagnosis, he is raising awareness for others to get tested.

Gladstone Small: Former England cricketer who played a key role in winning the 1986/87 Ashes. He took the winning catch at the SCG.

Alec Stewart OBE: Former cricketer and former captain of the England cricket team.

Lawrence Booth: Cricket writer for the Daily Mail and editor of cricket magazine Wisden.

Take Prostate Cancer UK’s 30-second risk checker here:

https://prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=risk-checker&utm_content=organic-link

Find more info and donate to Prostate Cancer UK at prostatecanceruk.org

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English cricket is in a bad place and Australia isn’t faring much better. As they prepare to meet in the Ashes of 1986/87, cricket’s ultimate contest dating back to the 1800s, there are tongue-in-cheek suggestions this is the battle for test cricket’s ‘wooden spoon’. England had lost 5-0 to the West Indies on their previous tour, to India and New Zealand at home that summer, banned their best player and changed their captain. It’s hard to imagine worse preparation. Australia were also feeling the impact of retirements and rebel tours, draining their team of talent. Did Allan Border really want to be the captain? Do the selectors know what they’re doing? This is the story of two proud nations, in cricketing disarray…

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England’s ramshackle cricketers arrive in Australia and, true to recent form, start losing to part-time state teams. The cricket seems secondary to the drinking as England lurch from the Bundaberg Rum Distillery to parties with the America’s Cup yachtsmen in Perth. “We were rubbish, truly rubbish”. As the late cricket writer Martin Johnson wrote at the time: “There are only three things wrong with this English team. They can’t bat, they can’t bowl and they can’t field.” Of course, at the time, he was totally correct. Just a little premature. On the eve of the first test, things take a surprising turn thanks to a legend of English sport...

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“One of the greatest innings I’ve ever seen” says Phil De Freitas who, for a few hours, on the second day of the first test match, stood at the non-striker’s end at The Gabba in total awe. Sir Ian Botham’s final test century was one of his most memorable. In one over, he struck the bemused Merv Hughes for 22. It just so happened to be the over which brought up his three figures. Botham had been in trouble with the TCCB, so much so, some selectors didn’t want him on the tour. This is why he wanted to be there – why he had to be there. This is the story of one of the greatest innings, from one of the greatest England cricketers, and the result which shocked Australia.

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One down in the series, Australia needed their world-class batsman and skipper Allan Border to step up, which he promptly did. Less predictable was the performance of a gangly Nottingham opener and a Cornish wicketkeeper. Chris Broad and Jack Richards turned into the unlikely England heroes of the second test match. We track Richards down to his home in Belgium to hear a surprising story of anxiety from an international sportsman whose career ended early, trapped by his fears. And if we tell you the Adelaide 3rd Test is more memorable for it’s rest-day than the cricket, that gives you an indication of where we may be heading. It gets messy…

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The tour arrives in Melbourne. Not just for the Boxing Day test, but far more importantly for the Christmas Day party. That’s right: England’s preparation for a series-clinching test match involved fancy dress, with the meticulous preparation that brings; and as close to an all-nighter as possible. Graham Dilley gets injured in the nets. Gladstone Small claims he’s bowling to Elton John. We’ve heard some tall tales on this series but this is right up there. This is the story of a remarkable test match and an even more remarkable after-party...

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After losing by an innings at the MCG, the Australian inquest started. Allan Border gathered a group of “survivors” in a Melbourne hotel to draw a line in the sand. Down the road, at Kooyong, his ignominy was compounded by Pat Cash winning the Davis Cup for Australia. Prime Minister Bob Hawke rubs salt into Ashes wounds. “If only we had 11 Pat Cash’s at the MCG today” he famously remarked. One Pat Cash joins us on the pod. Amazingly, six months later, Border was lifting the World Cup. How did that happen?! This is the story of how a cricket team, usurped by a tennis team, recovered to become a global superpower.

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With the series lost, Australia panicked. Needing inspiration, they turned to ‘Taylor’. But not the one everyone was expecting. Mark Taylor - the brilliant young opener and future captain - was most people’s choice. So, when the team for the 5th test was leaked, Taylor’s phone rang off the hook, unaware of a call-up which in reality had never happened! The Taylor in question was a New South Wales back-up spinner, Peter Taylor. Peter Who? Well, exactly. This is the search for a man who has gone down in Aussie sporting folklore. Anyone know where he is?!

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The tour wasn’t over yet. After winning a one-day series in Perth, between the 4th and 5th tests, England set themselves a challenge: to wrap up a ‘Grand Slam Tour’ by winning the World Series Cup, another one-day competition also featuring Australia and the West Indies. This is where Allan Lamb, after a disappointing test series, decides to step up, smashing 18 of 5 balls to beat the Aussies at the SCG. The party with Elton John continues, another 80s pop star makes an appearance and Dennis Lillee gets stuck in a lift. All this before the conversation with Allan Lamb takes a surprising turn…

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After telling the remarkable story of the British and Irish Lions on their famous tour to South Africa in 1997, “Inside The Tour” returns for a second series, charting cricket’s astonishing Ashes series between Australia and England in 1986/87.

It was hugely significant for both nations; after this, England wouldn’t win the Ashes again for 18 years. The embarrassing defeat sent Allan Border’s Australia to rock bottom and yet, somehow, they recovered to become a cricket superpower.

This is the story of that incredible journey, told by players from both teams plus host Mark Pougatch, in Australia at the time as a backpacking 18-year old. His diary brings to life a crazy, chaotic story of unknown call-ups, unlikely heroes, megastar supporters and a result which shocked the sporting world.

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