Roope predicts exciting Series

Graham Roope was in the England side that regained the Ashes in 1977 © Getty Images

The Aussies have landed! And Graham Roope just can’t wait for the action to begin.

Roope featured against all the Test-playing nations of his time in a 21-match England career but it was the sight of a baggy green cap that really made the adrenaline flow.

“An Ashes Test is unique, one of the great sporting contests,” said Roope, 58, a member of the England side that regained the Ashes under Mike Brearley in 1977.

“The intensity was something I’d never experienced before, even though I’d played against West Indies, Pakistan, India and New Zealand by the time I made my first appearance against Ian Chappell’s side in 1975.

“The Aussies simply never let up. The sledging was non-stop and you had to be so mentally strong to cope with the pressure out in the middle. And nothing has changed; this is going to be a very tough series.

“If I was a betting man, I’d tip Australia to win, perhaps 3-1. But there won’t be any poundings this time and England do have half a chance if they can perform to their maximum and compete totally.

“We need Steve Harmison back at his best, Andrew Flintoff fully fit and Michael Vaughan among the runs again. But you only have to look at the players Australia can afford to leave out to see how strong they are.

“And, of course, they have Shane Warne. Even if we see off the pace attack, he’s still going to be the main threat - world class, a genuine matchwinner.”

Roope, who made over 400 first-class appearances and scored nearly 20,000 runs in an 18-year career with Surrey, is now coach at Woodhouse Grove School in West Yorkshire.

And he first savoured the Ashes atmosphere at The Oval 30 years ago when England, recovering from a winter battering Down Under from Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, trailed by 341 runs on first innings.

But they topped 500 second time around to earn a creditable draw and Roope, who still plays for Hall Park in Yorkshire’s Airedale and Wharfedale League and on the charity circuit with the Lord’s Taverners and Emmerdale, recalled: “It was a tremendous rearguard action.

“All the batters hung around for a long time and I was in there for over four hours for 77.

“Even though I was an attacking player at county level, that tended to be my role for England. Alec Bedser was chairman of selectors at the time and he wanted me to stick around rather than go for my shots.

“That turned out to be my highest Test score and it was a significant match because we proved we could stand firm against Lillee, Thomson and Max Walker.”

Two years later, England regained the Ashes with an innings victory over Greg Chappell’s men at Headingley, a match which will forever be remembered for Yorkshire legend Geoffrey Boycott’s 100th first-class hundred.

Roope was at the non-striker’s end when Boycott stroked to Chappell to the mid-on boundary to reach three figures – but it was a close-run thing, with Roope leaping clear as the ball flew past on its way to the rope.

“I dread to think what Boycs would have said if the ball had hit me and he’d been out next ball,” said Roope, who also played minor counties cricket for Berkshire.

“Even now, people want to talk about that moment; if I believed everyone who claims he was there, the crowd would have been a world record.

“That game has to be the abiding memory of my whole career. I played 21 times for England and won a championship and one-day trophies with Surrey.

“But to play in the match where we regained the Ashes was very special indeed. I just hope a new generation of England players is about to discover how good it feels.”