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Terry Alderman remains one of Australia’s greatest swing bowlers and a true Ashes specialist of the 1980s. Born on 12 June 1956, Alderman built his reputation through accuracy, discipline, and deadly movement outside the off stump that troubled England time and again.

Making a dream Test debut at Nottingham in the 1981 Ashes, Alderman stunned England with match figures of 9 wickets, instantly announcing his arrival on the international stage. His dominance continued throughout the decade, becoming the only bowler in cricket history to take more than 40 wickets in two different Test series — 42 wickets in the 1981 Ashes and 41 wickets in 1989.

An astonishing 100 of his 170 Test wickets came against England at an average of just 21.00, proving his unmatched success in Ashes cricket. He also became Western Australia’s leading first-class wicket-taker with 433 wickets.

His career saw dramatic moments too — including a serious shoulder injury at the WACA while stopping a pitch invader and a three-year international ban following the rebel tours of South Africa. Despite setbacks, Alderman’s legacy remains legendary, later earning Wisden Cricketer of the Year honours and induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

Watch the incredible journey of one of cricket’s finest swing bowling craftsmen.

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Transcript
00:00Terry Alderman, a name that quietly echoed feared in English dressing rooms throughout
00:04the 1980s. He was born on 12 June 1956 and he went on to become one of Australia's finest
00:11master of swing-balling. He was not about rough haste or dramatic aggression. Alderman's weapon
00:17was precision, patience, and that led swing-teasing movement outside of them that repeatedly trapped
00:24England's best batters in a web of uncertainty. The Ashes became his personal hunting ground
00:30where he produced performances that still stand untouched in cricket history. Remarkably,
00:36he remains the only baller to claim more than 40 wickets in two separate test series. A staggering
00:4242 wickets in the legendary 1981 Ashes and another 41 during the 1989 campaign, proving his dominance
00:50across eras. But every great story has a beginning and Terry Alderman's dream started at Nottingham
00:57in June 1981, making his test debut against England. He announced himself in unforgettable fashion,
01:05dismantling the batting lineup with a figure of 4-for-68 in the first inning and 5-for-62 in
01:11the
01:11second. It was not just a debut, it was an announcement a swing-balling craftsman had
01:17arrived, and England were about to learn that patience and accuracy could be just as lethal as paid.
01:30And he's got his first test wicket.
01:41Congratulations all round for Terry Alderman, a vital wicket, a 1-1 to claim, too, as your first test victim,
01:50the great Geoff Boycott.
01:53A very important breakthrough indeed for Australia.
02:02Yes, he's gone. Another lovely outswinger just leaving the bat. Willie had to play a stroke.
02:11And no mistake with the catch. Another fine bit of bowling by Terry Alderman and England in deeper trouble at
02:1792-for-5.
02:24Goal!
02:27Right over the top of it, swinging.
02:31Yorker and England's captain on his way. And a great bit of bowling again by Alderman.
02:36And you can see the disappointment on Botham's face. It can be a cruel game.
02:52And a good catch again. There at fourth slip is Graham Yallop. And once again it's a wicket falling to
03:01a catch in that close cordon behind the stumps. Graham Yallop taking the catch to give Alderman his fourth wicket.
03:09What a dream debut for this year.
03:11West Australian.
03:22And he's gone. Couldn't get his bet out of the way of that one. Little outside edge. Marsh making no
03:29mistake.
03:30And Alderman has got Jeff Boycott out for the second time in the match. And England are in trouble. Only
03:3618 runs ahead at 12-for-2 in this second innings.
03:43Again this movement away from the bat. Good length ball. Draws Boycott forward.
03:52And up they go. No mistake whatsoever.
03:56Very experienced player with three test hundreds against Australia. He's got a better record against Australia than against any other
04:04team. He's going to need all that experience now.
04:08Oh yes. And a great catch. A very fine low catch indeed by Rodney Marsh. And England now really in
04:19deep trouble at 13-for-3.
04:23A pair for Bob Woolmer on his return to the England side. And another very good delivery indeed by Alderman.
04:32And it wouldn't I think have carried to slip. So Marsh probably had to go for it.
04:45Yes he's out. The ball nipping back.
04:48Downton doubled up by it and unable to keep it out. And David Constant having no doubts.
04:58England 109-for-7. Paul Downton LBW to Alderman for-3. And the first vital breakthrough for Australia this morning.
05:08Good piece of bowling this by Terry Alderman. Previous two deliveries going away.
05:14That one going straight on pitching just outside the off stump and hitting Paul Downton in front of middle and
05:23off.
05:28That's in the air and a simple catch for Rodney Marsh. England's ninth wicket goes down.
05:35Alderman takes his fifth and his ninth in the game. And England have just one man left.
05:42And this was quite a nasty lifting delivery. Which he tried to pull and I think in fact it went
05:53off his glove in the end.
05:55And a nice little.
05:56Terry Alderman cricketing legacy is deeply stitched into ashes folklore. Where England repeatedly found
06:03themselves undone by his relentless accuracy and late swing bowling. Out of his 170 test wickets,
06:10an incredible hundred came against England alone. Captured at a remarkable average of just 21.
06:17Number that underlined how completely he mastered one opponent across an era.
06:22Beyond the international arena, Terry Alderman became a giant of domestic cricket as well,
06:28finishing as Western Australia all-time leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket with a massive
06:34tally of 433 wickets. A record built on discipline and endurance rather than sheer pace. His excellence
06:41was formally recognized when he was named one of the Wisdom Cricketer of the Year in 1982. And later,
06:49his contribution to Australian cricket earned him induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame
06:55in 2001. However, his journey was not without dramatic twists. In one of the cricket's most unusual
07:01movements at the Waka ground in 1982, Terry Alderman suffered a serious shoulder injury while attempting
07:08to tackle a pitch invader. An incident that ruled him out of the game for more than a year and
07:14briefly
07:15halted his rising career. Controversy followed later when his participation in the rebel tours of South
07:21Africa during 1985-6 and 1986-7 resulted in a three-year international ban, keeping him away from the
07:30highest level of during prime playing years. Yet Alderman's connection with the game never faded.
07:36Even today, he remains an influential voice in Western Australia cricket, contributing as a radio
07:42commentator, corporate speaker, and a coach, continuing to pass on the art of swing-balling to a new
07:48generation.
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