Can England Recapture the Spirit of 1987 to Win the Ashes in Australia?
As England prepare themselves in Australia for their first test match of the 2010/11 Ashes series, there are those of us who dwell on the past and who remember with great relish the victorious Mike Gatting team of the 1986/7 who were the last team to bring the coveted urn back home. That particular series had many highlights, none more so probably than the magnificent batting of England opener, Chris Broad, who scored a century in each of the 2nd 3rd and 4th test matches a performance that earned him the ‘Player of the Series’ as well as man of the Match in the second test. Broad will hope that son, Stuart Broad, can win a similar in this series. England got off to a flyer in 1986/87 winning the first test by 7 wickets, with Ian Botham playing one of his great innings. ‘Beefy’ hit 138 runs off just 174 balls in England’s first innings and was particularly savage to Merv Hughes, hitting him for four big sixes. The brilliant all rounder was aided and abetted by opener, Bill Athey and cap
