The sight of Merv Hughes, that magnificent trademark moustache now as pale as his old cricket whites, ringing the bell before play might have served as something of an inspiration for an Australia team struggling to deal with the loss through injury of a key bowler.
It was during the second Ashes Test on this very ground 30 years ago that Australia’s Craig McDermott was taken to hospital in agony with suspected appendicitis, later diagnosed as a twisted bowel, and ruled out of the game and the series. Hughes led the attack as Australia were forced to play on without one of their key bowlers – Mark Waugh shared the new ball – but they won handsomely all the same (it did help, to be fair, that after winning the toss their top four batters scored 111, 152, 164 not out and 99, and they defended the resulting score of 632 for four declared with an innings and 62 runs to spare).
