Bob Massie's 16/137 on Test Debut — Lord's, 1972 Ashes

The 1972 Ashes was the first away series for Ian Chappell as Australia captain. Lillee, in his second Ashes campaign, was the side's strike bowler. Massie, by contrast, was a journeyman seamer from Western Australia whose career had been built largely on club cricket and a season with Kilmarnock in Scotland. His selection for the tour had been controversial; his selection for the second Test, after a wicketless debut, was an act of faith by Chappell who believed the Lord's slope and the Dukes ball would suit him.

England under Illingworth were the holders of the Ashes after their 1970-71 victory. Their batting, led by Boycott and Edrich, was considered the best in the world. The first Test at Old Trafford had been an England win by 89 runs, and the visiting bowling — Lillee aside — had looked underpowered. The Lord's Test was widely expected to extend that pattern.

Massie had impressed Chappell in nets at Lord's the day before the match, swinging the ball alarmingly off the surface in muggy conditions. The forecast for day one was overcast — perfect swing weather. Australia's plan was to use Massie from the Pavilion End, where the slope assisted the inswinger to right-handers, and Lillee from the Nursery End. The plan was simple but depended on conditions holding.

England chose to bat. Boycott, the senior opener, faced the third over of the match.

Massie, 25, had been signed to play league cricket in England in 1971 and had developed an unusual late-swing technique with the Dukes ball that the Australian selectors decided to gamble on for the Lord's Test. He opened the bowling alongside Dennis Lillee in his second international match (he had taken 0/27 on debut in the first Test at Old Trafford with the Reader ball).

England chose to bat. Massie, swinging the ball both ways at brisk medium pace from the Pavilion End, dismissed Geoff Boycott, John Edrich, Brian Luckhurst, Basil D'Oliveira, Tony Greig, Alan Knott, John Snow and Norman Gifford in the first innings — finishing with 8/84 in 32.5 overs. England were dismissed for 272. Australia replied with 308 thanks to Greg Chappell's 131. England, batting again 36 behind, were systematically demolished — Massie this time taking 8/53 in 27.2 overs to bowl them out for 116. Australia chased 81 to win by eight wickets.

“I have never seen a ball swing like that, before or since. Bob made it talk.”

“It was as remarkable a piece of swing bowling as Lord's has ever seen, and the conditions were never quite repeated.”

Massie's performance was the talk of English cricket through the rest of the summer. The Lord's authorities offered him membership; the Western Australian Cricket Association struck a commemorative tie. Wisden called the spell "as remarkable a piece of swing bowling as Lord's has seen". The mythology grew quickly: that Massie had achieved the impossible — to swing the Dukes ball both ways at pace, in the most prestigious arena in the game, on debut.

The remainder of his Test career was a sad coda. Massie took 23 more wickets in his next five Tests at high cost, was dropped after the 1973 West Indies series, and never played international cricket again. He returned to Western Australian Sheffield Shield cricket and eventually to club cricket. The combination of his 16/137 and his career disappearance gave him a particular cricketing immortality: the man who could not be repeated, even by himself.