History of The England Cricket Team From 1945 - 1980s

1980s

Ian Botham took over the captaincy but was unfortunate to face the mighty West Indian side of the time in his first ten matches in charge. A fighting performance at home in 1980, in which they managed to draw 4 of the 5 tests and almost won at Trent Bridge, was followed by a crushing 'blackwash' in the West Indies in 1980/81 and, after a pair at Lord's in the first Test against Australia, in 1981, Botham lost the captaincy. Mike Brearley took over once again and a revitalised Botham tore through the Australians with bat and ball to bring exciting victories at Headingley, Edgbaston and Old Trafford. At Headingley, England won by 18 runs after following-on, only the second time in the history of England v Australia Tests that this has been achieved.

Keith Fletcher took over and lost a desperately dull series in India 1 - 0 in 1981/82, thanks to turgid pitches and dreadful over rates from both teams, but thanks largely to Ian Botham won a one off test in Sri Lanka on the way home. Bob Willis was appointed captain for the 1 - 0 victory over India and the 2 - 1 win over Pakistan in 1982 but the Ashes were lost 2 -1 on the 1982/3 tour, despite a thrilling 3 run win in Melbourne.

The 1983 World Cup was held in England, for the third time. They lost in the semi-finals to India, who then won the final. England defeated New Zealand 3 - 1 in the tests which followed but struggled on the 1983/4 tour to New Zealand and Pakistan, losing both rubbers 1 - 0. The West Indian, at its absolute peak, destroyed England 5 - 0 in 1984, to no-one's great surprise, and Sri Lanka drew their lone test at the end of the summer.

David Gower led England to an excellent 2 - 1 victory in India on the 1984/5 tour and the Australians were crushed by a powerful England batting display at home in England in 1985 with Gower, Tim Robinson and Richard Ellison among the stars. Hopes that this improvement could see a challenge mounted on the 1985/6 tour of the West Indies were dashed as England were pummelled to defeat by fearsome fast bowling. A shellshocked England went down to India 2 - 0 at home before beating New Zealand 1 - 0 but there were few hopes that the Ashes could be retained on the 1986-87 tour. Famously described by the journalist Martin Johnson as the team that 'can't bat, can't bowl and can't field' Mike Gatting's men regrouped and swept all before them and dominated the series, winning 2 - 1.

A strong Pakistan team, boasting the talents of Javed Miandad, Abdul Qadir and Imran Khan beat England 1 - 0 home and away in 1987 and 1987/88 and a draw in the 'return' Centenary Test in Australia was followed by a 0 - 0 draw in three tests against a New Zealand side spearheaded by Martin Crowe and Richard Hadlee. The first World Cup to be held abroad (and also the first to be contested with 50 over games, not 60) in 1987 saw England lose to Australia by 7 runs, in a hugely exciting final.

England were battered by the West Indies once again at home in 1988, although the blackwash was averted in a 4 - 0 defeat. A succession of England batsman were injured at the crease and a victory against Sri Lanka at the end of the summer did little to heal the bruising England had received. Unusually there was no tour that winter, with political troubles raising their ugly head and the proposed Indian trip being cancelled, but England's respite was short lived as Allan Border's Australians heralded the dawn of a new age of antipodean dominance as they trounced England 4 - 0 in 1989. The Ashes were not to be regained for another long 16 years. A South African rebel tour was announced even before the series ended with Graham Gooch and others being banned for their part for three years. A new look team of 'young lions' fared better than in previous tours in a 2-1 defeat in the West Indies in 1989/90.