'sea Legs Meant I Couldn't Bowl' - When England Travelled To Australia By Boat

Distance is simply a immense portion of nan Ashes romance - cricket's oldest rivals separated by 10,000 miles; half nan world away, nan eventual sporting pilgrimage.

Ben Stokes and his England people of 2025-26 knowledgeable Australian hostility arsenic soon arsenic they touched down. The skipper was splashed crossed nan beforehand page of The West Australian connected his presence successful Perth.

At slightest Stokes and his men travelled down nether successful eventual comfortableness - airdrome lounges, business class, beds successful nan entity (perhaps not restful for Mark Wood, a unspeakable flyer).

For England players of nan past – and Australians travelling nan different measurement – an Ashes travel was undertaken by boat, meaning weeks and weeks astatine sea.

The modern cricketer would astir apt baulk astatine nan prospect. By contrast, David Larter, portion of nan past England squad to scope Australia by vessel connected nan 1962-63 tour, had a "dream" experience.

"You enjoyed being connected a immense water liner for illustration that, and nan life it afforded while you were connected there," Larter, now 85, tells BBC Sport.

"The Marylebone Cricket Club, successful their wisdom, paid for america to recreation first-class. We sewage a substance of aged millionaires taking successful a spot of sun, and us. It was retired of this world.

"It was a clip for bonding. By nan clip we sewage to Perth, we had a coherent unit, fresh to move arsenic one."

Even nan 1962-63 circuit was not rather nan gruelling expedition of erstwhile Ashes journeys. The England squad flew portion of nan way, to Aden, wherever they met their alloy The Canberra for nan remainder of nan travel to Perth. In Larter's words, that meant "just" 10 days connected nan precocious seas.

Larter was only 22 astatine nan time. Standing astatine 6ft 7in, he was a bowler of lively pace, tin of extracting dispute bounce. He played successful nan past Gentlemen v Players fixture successful nan summertime of 1962 and made his Test debut later that twelvemonth against Pakistan.

It was only 2 years aft Larter had made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire. Before then, he worked successful an security office. He was nan youngest personnel of a squad led by Ted Dexter and containing bona fide greats for illustration Colin Cowdrey, Ray Illingworth, Fred Trueman and Brian Statham.

England were looking to triumph backmost nan urn aft being beaten 2-1 connected location ungraded successful 1961.

Almost unfathomably, pinch nan first Test not opening until 30 November, England gathered successful London much than 2 months earlier, astatine nan extremity of September.

First nan plane, past nan vessel - surrounded successful Aden by section traders looking to rate successful connected nan tourists. In Larter's biography, written by Richard Sayer, location is simply a communicative of erstwhile BBC cricket analogous and Test Match Special doyen Brian Johnston joshing pinch 1 salesman by attempting to discuss a value for 1 shoe, alternatively than nan full pair.

After motorboat location was nan mobility of really to capable nan days astatine sea.

"In my case, you eat," says Larter. "Honestly, I've ne'er had, either earlier aliases since, specified a sustained spell of magnificent eating.

"The stewards loved us. They'd bring these awesome trolleys of awesome food, and they knew we'd eat it."

With copious amounts of nutrient disposable and an Ashes bid to hole for, nan players had to support fit.

"We'd person an workout convention successful nan morning, past location were badminton courts netted disconnected for us. We'd shove weights about, and jump up and down and things for illustration that," says Larter.

The England guidance wanted to return things a shape further.

By chance, Dexter recovered that British jock Gordon Pirie was connected board. Pirie won 5,000m metallic astatine nan 1956 Olympics successful Melbourne.

"He was invited to organise us," says Larter. "He turned up pinch his shorts connected and decided nan champion workout would beryllium moving astir nan boat.

"It's rather a agelong measurement astir 1 of those large boats, but I did what I was told."

Not everyone successful nan touring statement was arsenic agreeable arsenic Larter. Trueman, ne'er awkward of speaking his mind, had conscionable bowled much than 1,100 overs successful nan English summer.

"Fred voiced an sentiment which meant successful nary measurement was he moving around," says Larter. "That conscionable wasn't what we did to get fit. To get fit, we played cricket.

"Fred said he'd conscionable bowled each those overs successful nan season, and he wasn't going to tally astir a vessel for anyone. The Gordon Pirie point died disconnected aft that."

For Larter, nan travel was not conscionable a first England tour, but a first clip retired of nan country. On nan precocious platform he mixed pinch nan able travellers, little down he encountered nan Poms emigrating to a caller life down under.

"We recovered nan top reception came downstairs," he says. "There were group emigrating aliases moving for each sorts of reasons. A batch of them were young, retired to make caller lives. It was absorbing to meet them. There were much than a mates of decent bars and you could person a quiet pint."

The travel was not a consecutive transition to Perth. Remarkably, England tuned up for a circuit of Australia by hopping disconnected successful Sri Lanka to play a crippled successful Colombo.

"We walked retired connected to nan section and Ted Dexter said I would beryllium opening nan bowling," says Larter.

"I marked retired a run, ran in, and fell level connected my face. A existent sprawler. I picked myself up, went back, came successful again and did nan aforesaid thing.

"I'd mislaid my onshore legs. They weren't going wherever I wanted, because I'd been connected nan boat.

"Ted came crossed and said 'what's wrong?'. I said they don't work! He took maine off. Barry Knight had to decorativeness nan over.

"We were entertained and looked aft by nan British Army. They put connected a large barbecue connected nan formation for us. How do you get to that from a mini municipality successful Suffolk? On nan formation successful Sri Lanka pinch each of these bully people. It was an eye-opener, conscionable being there."

Another learning curve for Larter was his brushwood pinch England's circuit manager. In those days, nan head not only kept nan players connected nan consecutive and narrow, but besides acted arsenic a figurehead. Tours were sociable occasions, pinch hands to beryllium shaken and speeches to beryllium made. The head was often seen arsenic an ambassador for nan visiting team.

On nan 1962-63 tour, nan astonishment prime for nan domiciled was Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, nan 16th Duke of Norfolk.

"You had to respect nan truth he was of royal descent," says Larter. "You weren't cheeky to him.

"First point successful nan morning, he was addressed arsenic 'your grace'. If you were introducing him to anyone, it was 'his grace'. After that, for nan remainder of nan day, it was 'sir'. There was that people of respect, a spot for illustration being successful nan forces. You knew who to salute, and who not to.

"He amazed america pinch his knowledge of nan game. He was bully astatine wanting to cognize astir america and invited america each to dinner, 2 players astatine a time. Apart from that, his societal movements were respective scales supra us."

Not each of nan touring statement had a affirmative position of nan Duke, whose beingness added to a database of distractions successful nan eyes of Trueman. Among nan playing squad was nan Reverend David Sheppard, while Dexter's woman Susan, a model, was besides connected nan trip.

"All that nan newspapers and tv programmes were afloat of was wherever nan Duke's horses were running, wherever David Sheppard was preaching and what Mrs Dexter was wearing," bemoaned Trueman.

This week, England will play their 1 and only warm-up lucifer earlier nan upcoming series, a three-dayer against England Lions successful Perth.

In 1962, England played 9 matches successful 5 different states crossed six weeks earlier nan first Test began. In 5 months successful Australia they played 22 matches connected apical of nan 5 Tests, reaching each corners of nan country.

Larter lapped up nan Aussie lifestyle, surviving disconnected his circuit interest of £1,250 – worthy much than £23,000 today.

"I sewage offered astir 3 jobs, conscionable by talking to people," he says. "I astir thought 'this is nan spot for me'. I almost moved there.

"There was ne'er thought of a telephone home. I wasn't offered and I ne'er thought of it. We'd get airmail and yesterday's Telegraph newspaper sent to nan dressing room.

"We had Christmas meal connected nan beach. That was surreal. How does an Englishman return his Christmas meal connected nan beach? It was almost a astonishment to america to find nan Australians celebrated Christmas arsenic overmuch arsenic we did, conscionable successful a different way."

But Larter's Ashes was bittersweet. Despite appearing to person attributes that would suit Australian conditions, he did not play a Test, stuck down established new-ball brace Trueman and Statham successful nan pecking order.

Though England went 1-0 up by winning nan 2nd Test successful Melbourne, Australia deed backmost to level nan bid successful nan 3rd Test successful Sydney. Two much draws near nan bid level astatine 1-1, meaning nan location broadside retained nan Ashes.

It was "depressing" for Larter, though opportunity was still astir nan corner. Incredibly, England pressed connected from Australia to New Zealand, stretching nan circuit to six months. Larter played successful each 3 Tests, picking up 7 wickets successful nan lucifer successful nan bid opener successful Auckland. England won 3-0.

"I was really pleased to return a bagful of wickets," says Larter. "It was almost 'that showed em'."

By nan clip England returned location it was almost nan extremity of March and nan caller region play was only weeks away.

Larter floated astir nan England squad for nan pursuing 3 years, taking his full of Test caps to 10.

He was portion of nan squad for nan pursuing Ashes circuit of Australia successful 1965-66, this clip a travel taken exclusively by plane. There was much disappointment connected Australian soil. Larter suffered an ankle wounded that would yet extremity his career. It was different Ashes circuit connected which he did not play a Test.

He drifted distant from nan game, describing his feelings arsenic "anti-cricket". Larter turned down coaching jobs to subordinate his father's haulage business.

He now lives successful mid-Wales pinch his woman Thelma. He has his ceremonial England headdress connected show and still has nan squad photograph from nan 1962-63 tour, on pinch immoderate projector slides of images captured aboard The Canberra.

"It was an unbelievable experience," he says. "I mean that successful its due sense. You couldn't judge it was going to happen, but it did.

"Apart from not playing, I had nan clip of my life. It was wonderful."

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026

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