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Blood on the Tracks: England in Australia: The 1974-75 Ashes
As the 1975 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack put it, “Never in the ninety-eight years of Test cricket have batsmen been so grievously bruised and battered by ferocious, hostile short-pitched balls as were those led conscientiously by Mike Denness.”
Led by tearaway speedsters Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, the Australian bowling attack terrorised the tourists during the six-match series – by the end of the first Test, two English batsmen had suffered broken bones. There was plenty more suffering to follow as the Aussies blitzed their way to a 4-1 victory.
When Bob Dylan released his album Blood on the Tracks a few days after the Ashes had been surrendered it could have been timed deliberately to provide a future author with a book title that reflected events in Australia. Instead of songs reflecting a “bleak fatalistic view of love”, as one reviewer described it, the album might have been expected to deliver stories of broken bones and frightening near misses.
For that was the narrative of the doomed attempt by the England team to retain the urn in the face of a barrage of some of the most intimidating fast bowling ever witnessed. Nearly 50 years after Dylan’s generosity, David Tossell’s book offers a gripping and forensic account of this uniquely frightening and wince-inducing Australian summer and the indelible mark it left on cricket.
Led by tearaway speedsters Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, the Australian bowling attack terrorised the tourists during the six-match series – by the end of the first Test, two English batsmen had suffered broken bones. There was plenty more suffering to follow as the Aussies blitzed their way to a 4-1 victory.
When Bob Dylan released his album Blood on the Tracks a few days after the Ashes had been surrendered it could have been timed deliberately to provide a future author with a book title that reflected events in Australia. Instead of songs reflecting a “bleak fatalistic view of love”, as one reviewer described it, the album might have been expected to deliver stories of broken bones and frightening near misses.
For that was the narrative of the doomed attempt by the England team to retain the urn in the face of a barrage of some of the most intimidating fast bowling ever witnessed. Nearly 50 years after Dylan’s generosity, David Tossell’s book offers a gripping and forensic account of this uniquely frightening and wince-inducing Australian summer and the indelible mark it left on cricket.
441 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2024
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About the author
David Tossell
28 books6 followersDavid Tossell has been a sports journalist for four decades. Long-time head of European Public Affairs for the NFL (National Football League) and former Executive Sports Editor of the Today newspaper, he is the author of 17 sports books. He has been short-listed seven times in the British Sports Book Awards - for Bertie Mee (Best Biography, 2006); Grovel! (Best Cricket Book, 2008); Nobody Beats Us (Best Rugby Book, 2010); Tony Greig (Best Cricket Book, 2012); The Great English Final (Best Football Book, 2014), Natural: The Jimmy Greaves Story (Best Biography and Best Football Book, 2020). He has also been short-listed twice for MCC/Cricket Society Book of the Year.
He has written books on football, cricket, rugby and American football.
He has written books on football, cricket, rugby and American football.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 17, 2024
Recommended
I was too young to have any interest in cricket in 1974/75 but got into the sport about the time of the 1977 Ashes series. As a result I read about the devastating effects that Killed and Thomson had had on the English game. This effect was reinforced by the domination of English batsmen by the West Indies for the rest of the 70s and through the 80s. This book relates how difficult a tour it was and how the new, ultra aggressive Australia of Ian Chappell's team would define Test cricket for many years. Excellently written, it is a book I can definitely recommend for lovers of the game.
I was too young to have any interest in cricket in 1974/75 but got into the sport about the time of the 1977 Ashes series. As a result I read about the devastating effects that Killed and Thomson had had on the English game. This effect was reinforced by the domination of English batsmen by the West Indies for the rest of the 70s and through the 80s. This book relates how difficult a tour it was and how the new, ultra aggressive Australia of Ian Chappell's team would define Test cricket for many years. Excellently written, it is a book I can definitely recommend for lovers of the game.
October 4, 2025
Really enjoyed this. The series was a little before my time but I knew all about the peak Lilllie & Thomson era. Hard to believe the selection process back then, and the witting was on the wall even before the team arrived in Oz. I think England assumed or rather banked on Lillie not being 100% fit and Thomson not being someone to worry about. They couldn’t have been more wrong! I think this was the prelude to Clive Lloyd integrating a pace battery with the WI that ruled the world over the next decade or so. Very well written book and highly recommended.
May 22, 2025
David Tossell has written a very good book read on the England cricket tour of Australia 1974/75. Brings to life again the terror and trauma inflicted by the extreme pace bowling of Thompson and Lillee. They were the winning element for the Aussies in their 4/1 victory over England.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews