Cricket: How Derek Underwood secured The Ashes
This was written up as the "Fusarium Test" because the pitch had been infected by a fungus following a freak storm a few days earlier. It was damp, entirely grassless and mottled, seemingly perfect conditions for spin bowling. But I had looked at a pitch on the morning of a match many times and thought it would definitely turn only to be proved wrong, so I did not get over-excited on first inspection.
Australia were obviously distrustful of the pitch and there was speculation later that it had been deliberately done, but there was no conspiracy theory at the time. They won the toss and batted and, though I took six wickets in the second innings, it was our performance in the first that set up victory.
I remember Ray Illingworth brought himself on after nine overs on the first morning but Australia got to lunch with only one wicket down. Immediately after the interval Illy and I bowled in harness and from 79 for one I took four wickets, bowling flatter and quicker than usual to make use of the pitch, and the captain two to reduce them to 98 for seven. The collapse was not as dramatic or quick as the figures suggest but was a result of the pressure we had created. Ian Chappell took almost 50 overs to make 26 and stopping them scoring increased their tension. Illy was a great bowler to have on at the other end because he was as mean as I was.
His four wickets in the match were crucial but it was his stand of 104 with John Snow which helped put us more than a hundred runs ahead that turned the match. Ashley Mallett and John Inverarity reaped the same dividends from the pitch but at that stage Mallett was inexperienced and we scored off him despite his five-wicket haul.
Their second innings began on Saturday morning and after an initial burst from Snow and Geoff Arnold we went for spin at both ends. I had a spell of five for 18 in 13 overs either side of lunch and we knocked off the 20 runs we needed to win shortly after tea.
We had been lucky enough to win the Ashes in Australia in 1970-71 and by going 2-1 up at Leeds with one to play we retained the urn. Not that there was much time for celebration - we were left cursing the early finish as it meant we had to report to our counties for John Player League matches on Sunday.
Then what happened
Australia took the final Test at The Oval to square the series and won the Ashes back in 1974-75. Underwood played his last Test for England in 1982 and took 297 wickets in total. He is president of Kent.