Agar ignites the Ashes
From debutant to history-maker in just 24 hours
WE live in an age of wonders. But when a teenager plucked from relative obscurity scores 98 on his Ashes debut batting at No 11, as Ashton Agar did against England at Trent Bridge this week, our disbelief enters new realms.
Agar, 19, with 10 first-class games before his test debut, shocked the cricket world on Wednesday when Australia selected him as their spinner.
But if that was not surprise enough, he announced himself afresh with a record in his maiden test innings, his 98 becoming the highest score by a No 11 batsman after it surpassed the 95 made by West Indian Tino Best against England last year at Edgbaston.
The greatest innings by a No 11 in test cricket was also one of the finest in Ashes history, because it arrived from the bat of a teenager with his team dangling at 117 for nine.
Add those extra elements of youth and pressure to a swashbuckling knock and Agar was guaranteed a place in folklore — 24 hours after taking delivery of his Baggy Green cap.
Seldom, if ever, have so many English observers wanted an Australian to reach his century, or groaned when he fell short. The collective “aah” that ran round Trent Bridge marked a brief cessation in hostilities.
The two sides met in no-man’s-land to acclaim an innings of great style and fortitude. All he must do now is live up to this promise.
“I was surprised by the support I was getting from the whole crowd,” Agar said. “There was a little bit of sympathy from them too, which was nice to hear.”
Even Graeme Swann, who caught him at deep midwicket off a Stuart Broad delivery, ran over to commiserate. As the man who shot Bambi, Swann was at first exultant and then vaguely contrite. “Well done, young fella,” said Swann as his victim left the field.
If the romance of Australia’s record 10thwicket partnership of 163 was lost on Alastair Cook’s men, they could hardly fail to salute Agar’s audacity in posting Australia’s highest score with the bat, after starting at 100 for one to achieve that feat.
And before the heroics, the phones were ringing hot at Henley Cricket Club as Brian Kenworthy, the club’s chairman, spent the day fielding calls from reporters the length and breadth of the land as the cricketing world scrambled to make sense of one of the more remarkable call-ups in recent test history.
“It’s a brilliant story,” Kenworthy said. “Extraordinary, really, going from Henley to Australia. But the best thing about it is he is such a nice bloke.”
He was referring to Agar, of course, whose call-up to wear the Baggy Green caught even seasoned observers by surprise.
And with good reason. Six weeks ago, Agar was donning his whites and stepping down the steps of the pavilion at Henley’s picturesque but modest Brakspear ground to take on the might of North Mymms CC in the Home Counties Premier League.
Around 30 spectators, including dogs and passing ramblers, enjoyed a comfortable nine-
Seldom, if ever, have so many English observers wanted an Australian to reach his century, or groaned when he fell short
wicket victory for the hosts in which Henley’s lanky left-arm spinner took four for 36, including a hat trick. All were arm balls. All coming back in.
They would be the last balls Agar would bowl for the club. From Henley, Agar was whisked away to join the Australia A tour where he clearly impressed coach Darren Lehman. One of Lehmann’s first decisions when he replaced Mickey Arthur was to add Agar and Steven Smith to the Ashes squad.
If his call-up surprised England’s players, however, Henley’s were less shocked. They knew Agar’s pedigree.
“The thing that struck me most about Ashton was his professionalism,” recalled David Barnes, Henley’s vice-captain and a self-employed plumber, who disclosed that Agar had been handed the nickname “Scotty” by his Henley teammates on account of his uncanny resemblance to the Australian golfer, and new Masters champion, Adam Scott.
“He is a young lad but he fitted in straight away. We took the mickey out of him a bit as there was a female photographer who was about his age who came to our games. But she only seemed to come when we were fielding.
“We teased him that she must have only been coming to see him as he’s a good-looking lad. Ashton loved it. He enjoyed the banter.”
Only in cricket could you go from playing 50over games in the Home Counties to starting in one of the most hyped test series of all time — all in the space of little over a month.
Although he made his first-class debut for Western Australia only five months ago, Agar had already been fast-tracked to tour India with Australia in March, picking up four wickets in the two matches he played. — ©