1958 in Canadian television
The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 1958. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches.


1958 in Cape Verde
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in Cape Verde.


1958 in Chile
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in Chile.


1958 in China
Events in the year 1958 in the People's Republic of China.


1958 in Danish television
This is a list of Danish television related events from 1958.


1958 in Danish television, Deaths
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1958 in Dutch television
This is a list of Dutch television related events from 1958.


1958 in Dutch television, Deaths
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1958 in Estonia
This article lists events that occurred during 1958 in Estonia.


1958 in Estonian television
This is a list of Estonian television related events from 1958.


1958 in French television
This is a list of French television related events from 1958.


1958 in German television
This is a list of German television related events from 1958.


1958 in Iceland
The following lists events that happened in 1958 in Iceland.


1958 in India
Events in the year 1958 in the Republic of India.


1958 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 1958 include:


1958 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent Palestinian fedayeen terror attacks committed against Israelis during 1958 include:


1958 in Israel, Events, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism operations (military campaigns and military operations) carried out against Palestinian militants during 1958 include:


1958 in Italian television
This is a list of Italian television related events from 1958.


1958 in Japan
Events in the year 1958 in Japan. It corresponds to Shōwa 33 (昭和33年) in the Japanese calendar.


1958 in Laos
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in Laos.


1958 in Libya
The following lists events that happened in 1958 in Libya.


1958 in Luxembourg
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.


1958 in Malaya
This article lists important figures and events in Malayan public affairs during the year 1958, together with births and deaths of significant Malayans.


1958 in Michigan, Top stories
The Associated Press ranked the top Michigan news stories of 1958 as follows:


1958 in Michigan, Top stories
The United Press International ranked the state's top sports stories of 1958 as follows:


1958 in Michigan, Population
In the 1950 United States Census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 6,421,000 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1960, the state's population had grown 22.8% to 7,823,194 persons.


1958 in Michigan, Population, Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 40,000 based on 1950 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1940 and 1960 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.


1958 in Michigan, Population, Counties
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1950 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1940 and 1960 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.


1958 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during  1958 in New Zealand.


1958 in New Zealand, Incumbents, Government
The 32nd New Zealand Parliament commenced. In power was the newly elected Labour government led by Walter Nash.


1958 in New Zealand, Arts and literature
See 1958 in art, 1958 in literature, Robert Burns Fellowship, Category:1958 books


1958 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Film
See : Category:1958 film awards, 1958 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1958 films


1958 in New Zealand, Sport, Lawn bowls
The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Christchurch.


1958 in Norwegian football
The 1958 season was the 53rd season of competitive football in Norway.


1958 in Norwegian music
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1958 in Norwegian music.


1958 in Pakistan
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by GeneralizationsAreBad (talk | contribs) at 22:03, 8 December 2019 (ce). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1958 in Pakistan, Events, March
In the recent past there has been a growing criticism in Pakistan of US policy towards India. Since 1956, the American attitude towards Pakistan and India has seemed to be on a reversal. A powerful group within the US administration is suggesting that Pakistan, commonly known as "the most allied ally" of the US, has now become a demanding ally. India, on the other hand, can be projected as a model democracy in Asia to combat the moral influence of the communist bloc.


1958 in Pakistan, Events, March
The repercussions of this change in the American attitude is felt all over the place: India has become more stern in its dealing with Pakistan, while in the Parliament here the alliance with the US has been under-attack for a while. The Prime Minister's speech today seems to be a fitting climax to the debate. The drop scene is nobody's guess, though!


1958 in Pakistan, Events, October
He has said in his first radio broadcast that the army has entered politics with reluctance. He warns the political leaders, smugglers, black-marketeers and disruptionists. Meanwhile, the Constitution has been declared null and void.


1958 in Pakistan, Events, December
Last year's census shows that 51% of total output in large scale manufacturing is controlled by only 6% of the business houses in the country. This may be considered a result of the laissez-fair, private sector-led economy that the government has been encouraging since 1947. An unequal rate of growth between the two wings of the country seems to have been an important feature of economic development since the independence: only one-fifth of large-scale manufacturing is located in East Pakistan


1958 in Pakistan, Events, December
In a spree of purging the society of unwanted elements, the army regime has shortlisted 1,661 allegedly corrupt officials


1958 in Pakistan, Events, December
The military regime has arrested Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Sibt-e-Hasan and Faiz Ahmad Faiz, the editors of Lail-o-Nihar, Imroze and Pakistan Times respectively. All journals belong to Progressive Papers Ltd, whose major shareholder is Mian Iftikharuddin, the veteran leftist leader


1958 in Scottish television
This is a list of events in Scottish television from 1958.


1958 in Singapore
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in Colony of Singapore.


1958 in South Africa
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in South Africa.


1958 in South Africa, Railways, Locomotives
Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways.


1958 in Swedish television
This is a list of Swedish television related events from 1958.


1958 in Taiwan
Events from the year 1958 in Taiwan, Republic of China. This year is numbered Minguo 47 according to the official Republic of China calendar.


1958 in Thailand
The year 1958 was the 177th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the 13th year in the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), and is reckoned as year 2501 in the Buddhist Era.


1958 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1958 to Wales and its people.


1958 in architecture
The year 1958 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.


1958 in association football
The following are the football (soccer) events of the year 1958 throughout the world.


1958 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1958  throughout the world.


1958 in comics
See also:1957 in comics,other events of 1958,1959 in comics,1950s in comics and thelist of years in comics


1958 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1958.


1958 in film
The year 1958 in film in the US involved some significant events, including the hit musicals South Pacific and Gigi, the latter of which won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.


1958 in film, Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1958 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:


1958 in fine arts of the Soviet Union
The year 1958 was marked by many events that left an imprint on the history of Soviet and Russian Fine Arts.


1958 in jazz
This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1958.


1958 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1958.


1958 in motorsport
The following is an overview of the events of 1958 in motorsport including the major racing events, motorsport venues that were opened and closed during a year, championships and non-championship events that were established and disestablished in a year, and births and deaths of racing drivers and other motorsport people.


1958 in motorsport, Annual events
The calendar includes only annual major non-championship events or annual events that had own significance separate from the championship. For the dates of the championship events see related season articles.


1958 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1958.


1958 in music, Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest in the charts for the longest time in 1958, in their respective countries.


1958 in paleontology
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1958.


1958 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Birds, Newly named birds
A Strigidae, the types species of the new genus is Ornimegalonyx oteroi.


1958 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Birds, Newly named birds
A Rallidae, described as Porzana lacustris but transferred by Storrs L. Olson in 1977 to Pardirallus Bonaparte, 1856.


1958 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Birds, Newly named birds
An Accipitridae, the typespecies of the genus is Proictinia effera Wetmore, 1923.


1958 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Birds, Newly named birds
A Furnariidae, Dendrocolaptinae, The type species is Querandiornis romani, described in the Tinamiidae, transferred by Tonni & Tambussi, 1986 to Aves Incertae Sedis, transferred by Agnolin, 2016 to Dendrocolaptinae


1958 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1958 in poetry, Works published in English
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1958 in poetry, Works published in other languages
Listed by language and often by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1958 in poetry, Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1958 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1958 in professional wrestling
1958 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.


1958 in radio
The year 1958 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.


1958 in rail transport
This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1958.


1958 in science
The year 1958 in science and technology involved some significant events, listed below.


1958 in spaceflight
Explorer 1 was the first American satellite to reach orbit on 31 January 1958.


1958 in sports
1958 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.


1958 in television
The year 1958 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1958.


1958 in the Belgian Congo
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in the Belgian Congo.


1958 in the Philippines
1958 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1958.


1958 in the Soviet Union
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.


1958 in the Vietnam War
In 1958, the upswing in violence against the government of South Vietnam continued, much of which was committed by the communist-dominated insurgents now called the Viet Cong. In South Vietnam, President Ngo Dinh Diem appeared to be firmly in power, although many American officials expressed concern about the repressive nature of his regime. The United States continued to finance most of the budget of the government of South Vietnam. North Vietnam continued to campaign for reunification with the South while focusing on its internal economic development, but pressure from hard-pressed communists in the South was forcing the North to contemplate a more active military role in overthrowing the Diem government.


1958 in the Vietnam War, January
U.S. Ambassador Elbridge Durbrow and the heads of other U.S. government agencies in South Vietnam gave a negative assessment of the Diem government to Washington. They stated that discontent with the Diem government in rural areas was growing and a growing problem with internal security was anticipated. In the cities, Diem's secretive Cần Lao Party had succeeded in infiltrating many organizations and was feared. General Samuel Tankersley Williams, head of the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) for Vietnam, refused to concur with the report stating that he did not have "concern regarding internal security, the economic situation, or the executive ability of the government of [South] Vietnam."


1958 in the Vietnam War, January
Troubled by reports of oppression in South Vietnam, Socialist Norman Thomas resigned from the American Friends of Vietnam, a prominent lobbying group which supported the Diem government.


1958 in the Vietnam War, February
A South Vietnamese army truck was ambushed by insurgents and all occupants were killed. This was one of several attacks in February on government and military personnel in the Mekong Delta region of southernmost South Vietnam.


1958 in the Vietnam War, February
Three hundred Bình Xuyên insurgents attacked the Minh Thanh Rubber Plantation north of Saigon. The Government sent two divisions of army troops to attempt to hunt down the insurgents. Most of the incidents of violence in South Vietnam were committed by the remnants of the Binh Xuyen criminal gang and the Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo religious sects which had been suppressed by the Diem government in 1955 and 1956. Viet Cong "political advisers" were often attached to the insurgents.


1958 in the Vietnam War, March
As part of their efforts to advance the Unification referendum, North Vietnam sent letters to the Government of South Vietnam proposing a loosening of economic restrictions between the two countries and preparations for a "free general elections by secret ballot". The messages were either rebuffed or ignored by the South Vietnamese government.


1958 in the Vietnam War, April
At a communist party meeting, Prime Minister of North Vietnam Phạm Văn Đồng stated the North should pursue reunification of Vietnam by peaceful means. The statement highlighted a dispute among North Vietnamese leaders. Lê Duẩn and Lê Đức Thọ favored support for an insurgency in South Vietnam to unite the two Vietnams by force.


1958 in the Vietnam War, April
The CIA estimated that the Viet Cong numbered 1,700 armed men.


1958 in the Vietnam War, June
To defend themselves against the offensives of the South Vietnamese army, the Viet Cong — contrary to the wishes of North Vietnam — began organizing themselves into military units. The first battalion of Viet Cong troops was established in Zone D in mid-1958. Zone D, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Saigon, was an important communist base area.


1958 in the Vietnam War, July
Communist party leaders met with representatives of the highland Montagnard people in Quang Ngai Province of South Vietnam to plan an uprising against the Diem government.


1958 in the Vietnam War, July
(approximate date) Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai's advice to the North Vietnamese government was that it should focus on promoting "socialist revolution and reconstruction in the North." Zhou said that "realization of revolutionary transformation in the South was impossible at this stage." The North should await "proper opportunities." China was not enthusiastic about a military attempt by North Vietnam to unify the two Vietnams.


1958 in the Vietnam War, July
The U.S. Embassy in Saigon reported to Washington that "in many remote areas the central government [of South Vietnam] has no effective control."


1958 in the Vietnam War, August
An insurgent force of 400 men raided the Michelin Rubber Plantation north of Saigon. The plantation was defended by a company security force and 200 South Vietnamese soldiers. The defenders were taken by surprise and lost more than 100 weapons and $143,000 in cash. The raid was led by a Bình Xuyên commander with Viet Cong advisers. President Diem had visited the rubber plantation only a week earlier.


1958 in the Vietnam War, August
General Williams, the head of MAAG, opposed the use of the South Vietnamese army to respond to the growing number of Viet Cong attacks. He believed that the primary duty of the army was to contest an invasion of South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese army, a remote possibility in the view of most U.S. officials. MAAG training and equipment for the South Vietnamese army was focused on creating an army capable of fighting a conventional war.


1958 in the Vietnam War, August
Despite William's objections, in the latter part of 1958 the South Vietnamese army carried out several inconclusive operations against Viet Cong strongholds in the Mekong Delta (including the Plain of Reeds).


1958 in the Vietnam War, September
Hilaire du Berrier published an article in the conservative magazine The American Mercury highly critical of the Diem government and its American supporters. Du Berrier said that Diem "was imposed on a people who never wanted him" and that the American public had "not been told the truth." He characterized U.S. policy as "misguided meddling" and the Diem government as a "police state."


1958 in the Vietnam War, September
Chinese leader Mao Zedong introduced his "noose strategy" in a speech to Supreme State Council of China. He said that each new commitment of the United States overseas was a hangman's noose around America's neck. The multiplying commitments would ultimately strangle the U.S. and lead to the failure of "U.S. imperialism."


1958 in the Vietnam War, October
The Ugly American, an anti-communist novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer, was published and serialized in The Saturday Evening Post. The novel was a scathing indictment of the personnel of the United States Department of State and other U.S. government agencies in the fictional Southeast Asian country of Sarakan, easily identifiable as South Vietnam. The book was influential and a bestseller. The hero of the book was modeled on CIA operative Colonel Edward Lansdale, a close collaborator of President Diem from 1954 to 1957.


1958 in the Vietnam War, October
Most Americans working in Southeast Asia were portrayed as being insulated from the people of the country in which they lived. The communists by contrast worked in the villages winning "hearts and minds". The book has been criticized for its paternalistic portrayal of Southeast Asians and the simplistic solutions it advanced to defeat communism.


1958 in the Vietnam War, October
The Ugly American contrasted sharply with Graham Greene's 1955 novel The Quiet American which portrayed a Lansdale-like character as naive and ineffective.


1958 in the Vietnam War, December
Le Duan, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, made a clandestine visit to South Vietnam to assess the situation of the Viet Cong and the resistance to the Diem regime. North Vietnam assessed late-1958 and early-1959 as the "darkest period" of the communists in South Vietnam when the forces of South Vietnam "truly and efficiently destroyed our party." Communist party membership declined and nearly disappeared in some parts of South Vietnam.


1958 in the Vietnam War, December
The PAVN and Pathet Lao occupied several villages in the Tchepone district of Laos, near the Demilitarized Zone dividing North from South Vietnam. North Vietnam claimed the villages had historically been part of Vietnam.


1958 in the Vietnam War, December
The Diem government of South Vietnam, by the end of 1958, had killed 12,000 persons and arrested 40,000 in its campaign to repress the communists and other opposition in South Vietnam.


1958 papal conclave
Following the death of Pope Pius XII on 9 October 1958, the 1958 papal conclave met from 25 to 28 October and on the eleventh ballot elected Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, Patriarch of Venice, to succeed him. He accepted the election and took the name John XXIII. He was the second Patriarch of Venice to be elected Pontiff in the 20th century after Pope Pius X.


1958 papal conclave
Some 51 of the 53 cardinals participated as cardinal electors. The Communist governments of Hungary and Yugoslavia prevented the other two from traveling to Rome.


1958 papal conclave
In comparison with the conclave of 1922, when three cardinals failed to reach Rome in time for the start of the conclave that opened on the tenth day following the pope's death as required, or that of 1939, when three cardinals reached Rome on the morning the conclave opened under new rules 18 days after the pope's death, all the cardinals who made the trip reached Rome by 22 October with days to spare before the conclave began 16 days after Pius' death.


1958 papal conclave
For the first time the speed of travel matched the internationalization of the College of Cardinals, thanks to the advancement in air travel. As one newspaper put it, "the Archbishop of New York can reach Rome today faster than the Archbishop of Palermo did a generation ago". This conclave included cardinals from 21 countries, compared to 16 at the previous conclave, and 21 non-Europeans compared to seven. The 17 Italians out of 51 represented their lowest percentage since 1455.


1958 papal conclave, Papabili
The cardinals anticipated a long conclave. There was no "dominating personality" as Pius had been in 1939 and the customary search for contrast suggested a "pastoral pope" to follow a "diplomatic pope". Another analysis set the likely age range between 55 and 70, with a preference for an Italian outside the curia. Several papabili were discussed. The conservative, supporting Vatican centralization of authority, Giuseppe Siri of Genoa was only 52 and his election would have meant another long papacy like that of Pius. The liberal, more disposed to granting independence to local authorities, Giacomo Lercaro of Bologna was 67.


1958 papal conclave, Papabili
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was now the Patriarch of Venice after more than 25 years in the diplomatic service of the Holy See in Bulgaria, Turkey and France. Approaching 77, his age marked him as a possible compromise choice in expectation of a short pontificate, along with his "reputation for being broad-minded and conciliatory". He also represented a combination of diplomatic and pastoral experience. Gregorio Pietro Agagianian, the Catholic Armenian Patriarch of Cilicia, had spent much of his adult life in Rome.


1958 papal conclave, Papabili
He was relatively young at 63 and highly respected, but his non-Italian heritage would have made him a surprising choice. Other candidates mentioned were Ernesto Ruffini of Palermo; and two curia officials, Valerio Valeri and Alfredo Ottaviani. Benedetto Masella, the 79-year-old chosen as camerlengo on 9 October, a veteran diplomat, was also mentioned as a compromise candidate with "his chances diminished because of his age". Also mentioned as a radical departure from tradition was Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, whom Pius had not made a cardinal.


1958 papal conclave, Papabili
The New York Times cast a wide net, offering more than a dozen names, including two non-Italians, Paul-Émile Léger of Montreal and Manuel Goncalves Cerejeira of Lisbon. Life magazine's coverage included portraits of Agagianian, Lercaro, Montini, Ottaviani, Roncalli, Ruffini, Siri, and Valeri. As the press speculated about interest in a transitional pope and possible discussions among the cardinal electors, the Vatican's mouthpiece Osservatore Romano denounced the "irresponsible lightness" with which the press approached the subject, especially its reports of electioneering. A Moscow radio broadcast criticized Pius for meddling in politics and hoped for a new pope devoted instead to "religious problems".


1958 papal conclave, Papabili
Betting establishments reported Roncalli was favored by their clients, given 2 to 1 odds. By the second day of the conclave, after four ballots produced no results, speculation centered on Roncalli, Valeri, Masella, and Agagianian, the first three elderly and the last an unlikely outsider.


1958 papal conclave, Participants
Pope Pius XII tried in the consistory of 1953 to bring the membership of the College of Cardinals to the maximum of 70, the limit established by Pope Sixtus V in the sixteenth century. On that occasion he named 24 cardinals. When one cardinal-designate, Carlo Agostini, died on 28 December at the age of 64, the Vatican announced another cardinal designate the next day, Valerian Gracias of India, so the College reached its full complement of 70 members, with 26 of them Italian.


1958 papal conclave, Participants
Deaths in the intervening five years, including those of Celso Costantini on 17 October and Edward Mooney of Detroit on 25 October just hours before the start of the conclave, had reduced the College to 53 members. József Mindszenty feared the Communist government of Hungary would not allow him to return if he attended the conclave, and government authorities refused to grant him safe conduct despite a request by the U.S. State Department at the request of the College of Cardinals.


1958 papal conclave, Participants
Aloysius Stepinac was too ill to travel from Zagreb, and he was forbidden from leaving Yugoslavia as a condition of his release from prison in 1951. This reduced the number of attendees to 51, 15 of whom were in Rome on 9 October, 45 of whom were in or near Rome by 16 October. All 51 reached Rome by 22 October. Of the 51 electors who participated in the conclave, 17 were Italians. The required two-thirds plus one majority was 35 votes.


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
The cardinals were required to set the starting date of the conclave between the 15th and 18th days following the death of the pope, no earlier than 24 October and no later than 27 October. On 11 October they set 25 October for its opening. The conclave was held from 25 to 28 October at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
The voting patterns in the conclave are hard to establish, but some information is consistently reported. Identified as a group with a particular interest, French cardinals were thought to seek greater independence from Rome and Stefan Wyszynski of Poland was thought to be their ally. Several of the French also knew that Roncalli, as nuncio in Paris, had been influential in the careers. Roncalli himself had learned that he had many supporters in conversations with other cardinals before the conclave began.


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
One newspaper reported that Cardinal Pierre-Marie Gerlier of Lyon, asked whom the French cardinals supported as he entered the conclave, said "Roncalli". Giovanni Battista Montini (later Pope Paul VI), a longtime curia official who had recently become Archbishop of Milan, consistently received two votes even though he was not yet a cardinal.


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
There was no ballot on the first day. Four ballots on the second day proved inconclusive. Both times the smoke that reported the results of the morning and afternoon ballots appeared white at first, leading to excited false reports that the election was over. The official responsible for arrangements outside the conclave notified the cardinals that the color of the smoke had been misread and provided them with "smoke torches from a fireworks factory". The third day's four ballots again failed to select a pope and there was no confusion about the color of the smoke.


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
Requests from a doctor inside the conclave for medical records suggested several cardinals were ill. It took a few ballots for supporters of Lercaro, "who was known to favor a simplified liturgy in local languages", and of "the aggressively sententious" Siri to recognize they could not garner the necessary 35 votes. The deadlock that then developed between Roncalli and Agagianian led Cardinal Eugène Tisserant, Dean of the College of Cardinals, to suggest Masella as a compromise candidate without success. Roncalli later said that his name and Agagianian's "went up and down like two chickpeas in boiling water". Black smoke reported the ninth and tenth ballots were inconclusive on 28 October at 11:10 am.


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
Roncalli accepted his election shortly before 5 pm on 28 October, the fourth day of the conclave and the third day of balloting, and white smoke signaled his election at 5:08 pm. When asked what his name would be, he responded with his surprising choice of a name that had been avoided for centuries:


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
I will be called John. A name sweet to me because it is the name of my father, dear to me because it is the name of the humble parish church where I received baptism, the solemn name of numberless cathedrals scattered throughout the world, and in the first place of the most holy Lateran Church, Our Cathedral. A name that in the extremely ancient series of Roman Pontiffs has the primacy of plurality. Twenty-two Johns of indisputable legitimacy are numbered among the Supreme Pontiffs, and almost all had a brief pontificate. I have preferred to hide the smallness of my name behind this magnificent succession of Roman Pontiffs.


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
An antipope had used the name John XXIII during the Western Schism in the 15th century when three men claimed to be the pope, but Roncalli's mention of 22 "of indisputable legitimacy" established that he wanted to be John XXIII. Some historians thought the question of the earlier John XXIII's legitimacy was unresolved, but Roncalli was less interested in ancient disputes than in the associations he had for the name John and a desire to break with the popes named Pius that preceded him. Later he gave Cardinal Maurice Feltin of Paris another reason: "in memory of France and in the memory of John XXII who continued the history of the papacy in France".


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
Following an old tradition, immediately after his election, Pope John gave his scarlet zucchetto to the Secretary of the conclave, Alberto di Jorio. This indicated that John would include him when he first named cardinals. Nicola Canali announced the results of the election and Roncalli's choice of name. Pope John appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and gave his blessing. At his request, the cardinals did not leave their enclosure but remained in the conclave overnight. He joined the cardinals for dinner that evening, but did not eat.


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
The conclave ended the next day after Mass in the Sistine Chapel and an address by Pope John to the cardinals which was broadcast on radio. He set the date of his coronation for 4 November, sooner than is traditional and a Tuesday rather than the traditional Sunday, perhaps because it was the feast of Saint Charles Borromeo, whom Roncalli had made the subject of a five-volume study. He was reported to have expressed regret that he would "never again see Venice".


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
Early reports said that Roncalli led in the balloting on the morning of the third day and then received almost unanimous support in that afternoon's single ballot. With the election of a 77-year-old, many churchmen interpreted the choice of Roncalli as picking a "pope of transition". John XXIII himself said, when he took possession of the Lateran Basilica on 23 November 1958: "We do not have the right to see a long way ahead of us."


1958 papal conclave, Balloting
In early November, Pope John wrote letters to Mindszenty and Stepinac expressing regret that they were unable to participate in the conclave. On 17 November he announced a consistory to create new cardinals on 15 December. Ignoring the longstanding maximum of 70 members, he increased the size of the College to 74 members.


1958 papal conclave, Siri thesis
Some Sedevacantists believed that Cardinal Siri was actually elected Pope in the 1958 papal conclave on 26 October, taking the name of Gregory XVII, but that his election was then suppressed, duress having been applied to him, especially by the French Cardinals led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Eugène Tisserant, who would have brought up the threat of anti-Catholic turmoils in USSR-dominated Eastern Europe, if Cardinal Siri, considered a staunch anti-Communist, became the new Pope. There was confusion prior to the final election concerning the smoke and who was really elected pope.


1958 papal conclave, Siri thesis
While Siri was a favourite for election before the conclave, he failed to secure enough votes from traditionalist cardinals once the conclave started, because at 52 a long pontificate would have been anticipated, and his election would have likely prevented other cardinals who wished to be pope from being elected.


1958 papal conclave, Conclave reform
John XXIII waited several years before issuing a motu proprio to modify certain aspects of the procedures for a papal conclave. In Summi Ponitificis electio, issued on 5 September 1962, he laid out additional rules for impressing all participants with the need for secrecy, even warning the cardinals about communications with their staff (paragraph XIV). His one practical modification reversed his predecessor. Pius XII had required a vote of two-thirds plus one for election. John returned the margin to two-thirds (paragraph XV).


1958 Úrvalsdeild, Overview
It was contested by 6 teams, and ÍA won the championship. ÍA's Þórður Þórðarson was the top scorer with 10 goals, the first time a player reached double digits in the Úrvalsdeild. This was the final season where single round would decide the championship


1958 Úrvalsdeild karla (basketball)
The 1958 Icelandic Basketball Tournament was the 7th season of the top tier men's basketball league in Iceland. The season started on 21 February 1958 and ended on 27 March 1958. ÍKF won the its fourth title by posting the best record in the league.


1958 Úrvalsdeild karla (basketball), Competition format
The participating teams played each other once for a total of 5 games. The top team won the national championship.


1958 – Paris Olympia
1958 – Paris Olympia is a live album by drummer Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers recorded at L'Olympia in 1958 and originally released on the French Fontana label.


1958 – Paris Olympia, Reception
Scott Yanow of Allmusic called it "Hard bop at its best, all of it propelled by the powerful drumming of Art Blakey".


1958/59 NTFL season
The 1958/59 NTFL season was the 38th season of the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL).


1958/59 NTFL season
St Marys have won their third premiership title while defeating the Buffaloes in the grand final by 80 points.


1958–59 1re série season
The 1958–59 1re série season was the 38th season of the 1re série, the top level of ice hockey in France. Chamonix Hockey Club won their 17th league title.


1958–59 A Group
Statistics of Bulgarian A Football Group in the 1958–1959 season.


1958–59 A Group, Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and CSKA Sofia won the championship.


1958–59 A.C. Milan season
During 1958-59 season Milan competed in Serie A and Coppa Italia.


1958–59 A.C. Milan season, Summary
The team won its 7th title with a superb season  included the arrival of Brazilian forward José Altafini from Palmeiras. Following the World Cup in Sweden, Altafini's talent and offensive potential had been noticed by Milan's agents during some friendly matches in Italy against Inter and Fiorentina in preparation for the upcoming tournament, in which Altafini scored. He was purchased by the Italian club prior to the World Cup in Sweden for 135 million Lire.


1958–59 A.C. Milan season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1958–59 A.C. Milan season, Competitions, Coppa Italia
Italian Football Federation re-lived the knock-out tournament after fifteen years with two editions in season 1958–59. The first edition was played before the kick-off of Serie A tournament due to 1960 European Nations' Cup qualifying which starting on 28 September 1958. The second edition was played during the Serie A championship.


1958–59 AHL season
The 1958–59 AHL season was the 23rd season of the American Hockey League. The Eddie Shore Award was first awarded to the "Defenceman of the year." Six teams played 70 games each in the schedule. The Buffalo Bisons finished first overall in the regular season. The Hershey Bears won their second consecutive Calder Cup championship.


1958–59 AHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points;


1958–59 AHL season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


1958–59 AHL season, All Star Classic
The 6th AHL All-Star Game was played on January 15, 1959, at the Hershey Sports Arena, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The defending Calder Cup champions Hershey Bears won 5-2 versus the AHL All-Stars.


1958–59 Aberdeen F.C. season
The 1958–59 season was Aberdeen's 46th season in the top flight of Scottish football and their 48th season overall. Aberdeen competed in the Scottish League Division One, Scottish League Cup, and the Scottish Cup


1958–59 Allsvenskan (men's handball)
The 1958–59 Allsvenskan was the 25th season of the top division of Swedish handball. 10 teams competed in the league. IK Heim won the league and claimed their third Swedish title. Örebro SK and Lundens BK were relegated.


1958–59 American Soccer League
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Frietjes (talk | contribs) at 15:54, 14 March 2020. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1958–59 Arsenal F.C. season
During the 1958–59 English football season, Arsenal F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.


1958–59 Arsenal F.C. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1958–59 Ashes series
The 1958–59 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each scheduled for six days with eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1958–59, and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club. The England team led by Peter May was labelled the strongest ever to leave England.


1958–59 Ashes series
It had the formidable bowling attack of Fred Trueman, Frank Tyson, Brian Statham, Peter Loader, Jim Laker and Tony Lock; the all-rounder Trevor Bailey; the outstanding wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans; and the batting of Colin Cowdrey, Tom Graveney, Raman Subba Row and Ted Dexter. They had won the last three Ashes series in 1953, 1954–55 and 1956, but lost the series 4–0 to Australia. It was one of the biggest upsets in Test cricket history and the biggest margin of defeat in an Ashes series since the 5–0 "whitewashing" inflicted by Warwick Armstrong's Australians in 1920–21.


1958–59 Ashes series
The triumph of the Australian team was mainly due to its aggressive captain Richie Benaud, now regarded as one of the greatest captains in Test cricket, who led what appeared to be an average team to five series victories in succession. The Australian fielding was outstanding, turning many a half-chance into a catch. Their opener Colin McDonald made 519 runs (64.67), the first batsman to exceed 500 runs in an Ashes series since Len Hutton in 1950–51. Benaud and Alan Davidson had previously underperformed against England, but now realised their full potential. Benaud took 31 wickets (18.83), the most by an Australian in an Ashes series since Monty Noble in 1901–02, and Davidson 24 wickets (19.00).


1958–59 Ashes series
In English eyes at least the defeat was partly the result of questionable umpiring and the even more questionable bowling actions of Ian Meckiff, Keith Slater, Jim Burke and Gordon Rorke. The team was also handicapped by a long list of injuries, with 12 of their players being unfit to play at some point on the tour.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane
The First Test was, I honestly think, the dullest and most depressing I have ever watched... Even at this range of time one finds the gorge rising at the recollection of a piece of cricket for which there was no tactical or technical justification whatever. Did England think the pitch was going to go? Did they hope to bat out a draw? The answer is that the pitch at the end was perfect, and Australia's eight wicket win was gained with a day and a bit to spare.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Preliminaries
Compared to the Fifth Test against New Zealand at the  in 1958 England made only two changes to their team. Willie Watson had only just recovered from his knee operation and was replaced as the number three batsman by the in form Tom Graveney. Fred Trueman was laid low by lumbago, which also affected him when he arrived in Queensland in 1962–63, and was replaced by Peter Loader even though he had just recovered from a strained Achilles tendon and high temperature.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Preliminaries
Loader, Laker, Lock and Statham had taken plenty of wickets on tour and Graveney and captain Peter May had made the most runs. Australia also had two changes from their last team, the Fifth Test against South Africa at  in 1957–58. Captain Ian Craig had resigned due to ill-health and was replaced by the debutant strokemaker Norm O'Neill and Peter Burge replaced Bobby Simpson, who was twelfth man. Australia did not recall the veteran Ray Lindwall even though he had taken 7/73 for Queensland against the MCC and had swung the ball prodigiously.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Preliminaries
After vice-captain Neil Harvey captained an Australian XI to a 345 run defeat against the MCC the selectors made the surprise choice of Richie Benaud as Australian captain. He had just succeeded Craig as the captain of New South Wales, but had yet to lead his state. There was a thunderstorm before the match which precluded net practise and the air was heavy, which made the loss of Trueman's swing bowling all the more meaningful.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England first innings
Four years before Len Hutton had won the toss, put Australia in to bat and watched them made 601/8 declared. The week before Neil Harvey had said that "the pitch at Brisbane was the best in Australia for batting", but Keith Miller wrote "the best thing Benaud could do for Australia was lose the toss", No captain had put the opposition in to bat in an Ashes series and won since Johnny Douglas in the  at Melbourne Cricket Ground in the 1911–12 Ashes series.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England first innings
Bearing this in mind it was a bad toss to win and May made the difficult decision to bat on a green wicket which looked favourable to the fast bowlers in the expectation that it would flatten out in the afternoon. Arthur Milton was surprised by a straight ball by Ian Meckiff (3/33), who had been spraying his deliveries up to two feet on either side of the stumps.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England first innings
Keith Miller recalled "Meckiff was all over the place...the cynical reckoned he fired too wide to be hit...it was, in fact, the most erratic piece of fast bowling I had ever seen in a Test match. Yet it helped to put Australia on top". Peter Richardson depended on neat deflections for many of his runs, but had not managed to adapt to the faster Australian wickets and Benaud fed in an extra slip and another when the England opener slipped the ball between the fielders until he was caught by Ken Mackay off Alan Davidson (3/36) and England were 16/2.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England first innings
Tom Graveney (19) was beaten several times by Davidson and was dropped by Norm O'Neill, who then damaged a finger fielding and was sent to hospital for x-rays. He added 46 with May (28) before wicket-keeper Wally Grout snapped them both up. Cowdrey (13) fell a great catch by Lindsay Kline and Godfrey Evans to another by Peter Burge. Benaud had made his new ball bowlers stay on for over an hour in their opening spell, and called them back for more until they were exhausted.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England first innings
He had been bowling to give them a rest, but now started on the long England tail. "The Boil" Trevor Bailey (Bailey was pronounced "Boiley" by the Australians) took two hours to make 27 in his own dull way, but hit a couple of boundaries after seeing Jim Laker do so. Davidson had to leave the field exhausted and Benaud (3/46) had Bailey stumped to end the innings for 134.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Australia first innings
There was only time for two overs before stumps and Brian Statham made the ball lift outside the off-stump, which might have produced a wicket given another quarter of an hour, but Colin McDonald and Jim Burke survived the day on 8/0. The first day had produced only 142 runs and although the Saturday was bright and clear and good for batting, only 148 runs were made as an excellent England bowling attack regained the initiative and the Australian batsmen eked out the runs.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Australia first innings
Burke edged a catch to gully, but Trevor Bailey was too deep to catch it and after a slow start—and much to everybody's surprise—he peeled off a couple of cover-drives off Peter Loader. Loader was repeatedly no-balled and was replaced by Bailey and the openers took their partnership past fifty when the sightscreen was laboriously moved and Loader returned round the wicket to have Burke caught behind for 20.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Australia first innings
The teams went off for lunch at the fall of the wicket and returned on 55/1 with Neil Harvey coming in instead of Ken Mackay as announced by the scoreboard, indicating that Benaud wanted the runs to flow. Bailey had McDonald caught in slip for 42 in two hours and Norm O'Neill (who had not broken his finger as first thought) came in with the hopes of Australia hanging on his shoulders.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Australia first innings
May set a defensive field to limit his runmaking, but he hit his first ball for four before the runs dried up and he was outpaced by "Slasher" Mackay. Loader (4/56) caught Harvey l.b.w. after he had spent an hour making 14. Bailey (3/35) accounted for the out of form Peter Burge and had O'Neill was caught by a spectacular diving catch by Tom Graveney for 34 in 151 minutes, Jim Laker (2/15) had Mackay (16) caught behind, much to his displeasure and Australia ended the day on 156/6, 22 runs ahead. After the rest day Australia did not long survive the fall of Benaud (16) on the Monday morning, l.b.w. to Loader and the tail collapsed to 186 all out despite the best efforts of Alan Davidson (25), last man out to Laker.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England second innings
Even Australia's collapse gave them a lead of 52 on a wicket which had dried out and looked a lot better for batting, but the England openers failed again. Peter Richardson was brilliantly caught and bowled by Richie Benaud who had relieved Alan Davidson. Peter May sent in Trevor Bailey—"The Barnacle"—at number three, a very negative move given his reputation as England should have been looking to runs. He was soon joined by Tom Graveney when Milton was caught by Wally Grout off Davidson at 34/2.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England second innings
The stylish Graveney was often criticised for getting out carelessly, but he survived two l.b.w. appeals in an over from Benaud, who beat the bat twice more without success. They took the score to 92/2 by the end of the day, a lead of 40 runs, with only 122 runs coming in the day. On the fourth day Graveney was halfway down the wicket going for an easy single when Bailey sent him back and he was run out for 36 after staying in for nearly three hours.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England second innings
May was soon out to Benaud (4/66), but Colin Cowdrey (28) stuck in for over two hours before he was caught by Lindsay Kline at grass level. Umpire McInnes was unsighted, but after a nod from Umpire Hays at square-leg umpire gave Cowdrey out, even though he was briefly called back by Harvey, who doubted that the ball had carried. "The Boil" remained glued to the crease for 357 minutes making the slowest 50 by an Englishman in Tests. "Trevor was apt to enjoy playing a character part. '


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England second innings
Barnacle Bailey' as a sobriquet had stuck all too firmly...to the infinite frustration of the crowds—which here at Brisbane showed their feeling by simply staying away" wrote E.W. Swanton, who questioned "whether victory, if it should come, is worth the cost in terms of sterile, boring play that makes one sick at heart to watch". To be fair to Bailey he had been hailed as a saviour playing in this fashion in 1953 and 1954–55 and was unlikely to change his style at the end of his career.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England second innings
Benaud did not help as he set the field to cut off the stonewaller's limited repertoire of strokes, with Meckiff bowling down the leg side. One pressman roused himself to ask when Bailey had last scored a run, "Twenty minutes past two" answered the England scorer George Duckworth, "Today or yesterday?" was the reply. Just before stumps Bailey suddenly rushed down the pitch to take a swipe at Mackay, missed and was bowled for 68.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, England second innings
It was a strangely reckless end as a few more minutes would have allowed Peter May the use of the heavy roller in the morning to break up the wicket for his bowlers. Bailey had batted for 458 minutes and scored from only 40 of the 427 balls he faced. Only 106 runs were made in a full day's play, the lowest in an Ashes Test.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Australia second innings
Coming back on the fifth and penultimate day Australia needed 146 runs to win and did so in style thanks to Norm O'Neill. The spinners Jim Laker and Tony Lock were brought on early as May's only hope was that the pitch would take spin, but few balls turned and he maintained his defensive field placings. Laker had McDonald out for 15, and Lock dismissed Harvey for 23. Jim Burke looked uncomfortable and dug himself in while O'Neill started to hit the ball and ran for singles when other batsmen in the match were content to stand still. He rattled up 71 not out in under two hours and hooked Loader for his seventh boundary for the winning runs, Burke having spent over four hours making 28 not out, even slower than Bailey.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Result
Australia won the First Test by 8 wickets to go 1–0 up in the series, the fourth win in four Tests for Australia against England at the Woolloongabba. England's scoring rate of 23 runs in every 100 balls (the equivalent of 1.38 runs per six-ball over) was one of the worst in Test cricket, Australia made 34 runs off every 100 balls (the equivalent of 2.04 runs per six-ball over). The England manager Freddie Brown wanted to make an official complaint about Meckiff's bowling, but captain Peter May thought that it look like sour grapes.


1958–59 Ashes series, First Test – Brisbane, Result
Instead they talked unofficially to the Australian chairman of selectors Sir Donald Bradman who retorted "And what of the action of the England bowlers Tony Lock and Peter Loader?" and that they should "first of all put their own house in order". It was an inauspicious start to the brighter cricket May had promised, which was needed to revive the fortunes of Australian cricket that was being ignored by its youth. "The Future of Australian Cricket at Stake...the average young Australian is inclined to spend most of his weekends under water...and caring for his lady-friend. There are many other things to do in the sunshine than play cricket".


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne
The events of the Melbourne Test at the New Year would have tested the philosophical detachment of any cricket writer, of whatever school. I'm glad to see in my preview before the game I noted that the increase in doubtful actions had been the most remarkable aspect of Australian cricket on the tour, and I named three suspects—Meckiff, Slater and Burke. I said that both Slater and Burke had been no-balled, once in each case, for throwing, and that I hoped the Australian umpires would do their unpleasant duty if the 'be not entirely satisfied', as the Law ordains. Vain Hope!


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Preliminaries
The loss of the First Test was not the end of the series and Peter May well remembered the crushing Brisbane defeat in the First Test of the 1954–55 Ashes series, which Len Hutton had won 3–1. Arthur Milton had returned to form with innings of 85 against Tasmania, but had broken his finger in a gutsy 37 against South Australia.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Preliminaries
With the spare opener Raman Subba Row nursing a broken wrist Willie Watson—who had been part of the 1950 FIFA World Cup England squad in Brazil—was brought in, but Trevor Bailey was promoted to the opening spot regardless of his paralysing influence at Brisbane. Fred Trueman had recovered from his back trouble to take 5/46 and 4/33 against South Australia and said he was fully fit, but was not chosen. Instead May preferred to keep the pace attack that had bowled so accurately in the first innings at Brisbane.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Preliminaries
The Australians dropped Peter Burge from their twelve-man squad and brought in the 22-year-old Keith Slater who had taken 4/33 for Western Australia in the first match of the tour and could bowl both fast-medium and off-spin. In the end he was twelfth man instead of the talented batsman Bobby Simpson, who made his Ashes debut.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England first innings
The wicket was greener than usual for the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the air was heavy again, the dark clouds dimming the ground, but the pitch was not expected to last and when Peter May won the toss on his 29th birthday (New Year's Eve) he had to bat first even though his opening batsmen were known to be brittle.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England first innings
They survived into the third over when "Davo" Davidson (6/64) wrecked the innings with three wickets; Peter Richardson caught by Wally Grout for 3, Willie Watson undone by a yorker on his fourth ball and Tom Graveney for a golden duck by a brute of a ball that swung viciously and caught him leg before wicket. Peter May came in at 7/3 to survive the hat-trick and rebuild the innings, bringing up his first runs with a magnificent drive off Meckiff.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England first innings
Davidson bowled neatly and made the ball move, but "Meckiff used the whole bowling crease, delivering balls from near the stumps and as wide as possible to the return crease" and could find no swing. Fortunately for England Trevor Bailey was full of confidence and hit 6 fours in two and a half hours on his way to 48. Ken Mackay replaced Meckiff and almost had May caught in the slips, and Richie Benaud who replaced him missed a caught and bowled with his first delivery, but Davidson was kept on until lunch, when he was exhausted.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England first innings
They returned after lunch and the crowd saw the unprecedented sight of "The Boil" hitting Benaud for successive boundaries, but he was caught by the Australian captain off a slower ball from Meckiff, who had finally replaced Davidson and England were 92/4. Colin Cowdrey came in low at number 6 and stuck in for another do or die partnership with May, both playing disciplined innings with classical strokes. With Neil Harvey and Norm O'Neill dominating the covers runs were hard to come by and they ended the day on 173/4.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England first innings
Benaud delayed asking for the new ball as his fast bowlers were tired and May and Cowdrey attacked the slow bowling, particularly that of Lindsay Kline. The captain reached his century by pulling Kline to the mid-wicket boundary and hitting the next ball with such power that Mackay, 50 yards away, did not have time to move before it flew past him for another four. It was the first Test hundred by an English captain in Australia since Archie MacLaren made 116 in the  at Sydney in 1901–02.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England first innings
The new ball was now taken with England 206/4 and Davidson and Meckiff returned to the attack, Meckiff (3/69) bowling May for 113 with an extra fast delivery that swung in and crashed into his stumps. Meckiff reckoned this to be the best ball he ever bowled "the sun was shining, and May was batting beautifully at the time. Yet he explained it later that he had completed lost the ball from the instant it left the hand".


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England first innings
Godfrey Evans (4) could not cope with Meckiff's pace and Cowdrey (44) was caught by Grout off Davidson and England collapsed to 218/7. Jim Laker (dropped off his first ball) stayed in for over an hour making 22 not out, but Davidson bowled Brian Statham and Peter Loader and they were all out for 259.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Australia first innings
Despite the England collapse the pitch was losing its moisture and looked better for runs. Colin McDonald and Neil Harvey saw the day out with 96/1 for the loss of Jim Burke, bowled by Statham for 3 when he left the ball alone. Lacking the pace of the Australian bowlers Statham and Loader could not make the ball lift as they had done and Trevor Bailey and Jim Laker suffered as Harvey struck 10 fours in his 60 not out by the end of New Year's Day.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Australia first innings
They returned to the fray the following morning with May setting only one slip as he tried to stop the flow of runs, which saved Harvey when he edged to the vacant second slip on 67. Bailey bowled down the leg side with a leg field while Harvey watched the balls go by, but he and McDonald were able to run quickly between the wickets and keep the score ticking over, but only 39 runs were made off 18 eight–ball overs before lunch.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Australia first innings
Soon after the break Tom Graveney took a juggled catch at first slip off Statham to dismiss McDonald for 47 after four hours. Norm O'Neill came into a defensive field to Tony Lock bowling round the wicket and found it difficult to make runs, but tried one cracking drive that was stopped by the bowler and hurt his hand. Harvey tok 267 minutes to make his century, but there was a huge roar round the giant Melbourne Ground when he reached three figures.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Australia first innings
With his hundred up he attacked Laker and Lock, but with tight fields and accurate bowling he was unable to get away. The new ball was taken after tea and Statham had O'Neill (37) caught behind trying a powerful stroke off his back foot. Peter Loader, who had been plundered for 36 runs in 8 overs bowled Harvey (167) when he missed an on–drive. Considering the quality and the accuracy of the bowling Alec Bedser thought this was Harvey's best century and it was greatly appreciated by the 71,000 crowd.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Australia first innings
They could not have enjoyed what followed as Bobby Simpson and Richie Benaud went for ducks and Australia crashed from 255/2 to 262/6. Ken Mackay (18) and Alan Davidson (25) pulled the score to 282/6 by the end of the day, but Statham (7/57) had them out in the morning, then cleaned up tail for 308. He became only the sixth England bowler to take seven wickets in a Test innings in Australia after Tom Richardson (8/94), George Lohmann (8/35 and 8/58), Wilfred Rhodes (7/56 and 8/68), Doug Wright (7/105) and Frank Tyson (7/27). Once again Neil Harvey had scored over half the innings for Australia, but they were only 49 runs ahead.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England second innings
I never saw anything so blatant as Meckiff's action as, with the swell of the crowd in his ears, he came up that afternoon full pelt from the bottom end towards the pavillion...the English press camp were outspoken to a degree and at least one Australian, Jack Fingleton, writing in the Sunday Times, thought Meckiff should have been called... England had a grievance, without a doubt.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England second innings
The 49 run deficit was thought to be counterbalanced by the runs England could expect to get on a plumb wicket, but such hope were quickly dispelled. Richardson was out yet again trying to play the ball through the slips and being caught by Neil Harvey off Ian Meckiff. Willie Watson showed his lack of practice and was beaten by the pace of Alan Davidson. The 60,000 crowd were now strongly behind the Australian team and Tom Graveney's entry in the MCG was compared to the arrival of a Christian being fed to the lions in the Colosseum.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England second innings
He received a sharply rising ball from Ian Meckiff which was caught at full stretch by "The Claw" at short-fine-leg. Peter May joined Trevor Bailey, who was back to his usual stone-walling self and had stayed in for an almost an hour for 14 when he was finely caught by Jim Burke, also at short-fine leg, off a brute of a ball from Meckiff that rose high and hit his glove and bat-handle.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England second innings
Meckiff was bowling with far more accuracy than normal, but retained his fast pace and both he and Davidson bowled left-arm over the wicket, an unusual type of delivery that unsettled the England team. Benaud had also set a short-fine-leg with a short-leg behind him to catch the rising ball as the batsmen fended it off their body. Colin Cowdrey stayed in for 19 minutes before he played at a ball slanting wide across him and was caught by Wally Grout.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, England second innings
Godfrey Evans went for a run which wasn't there and cracked his finger as his flung himself at the crease trying to make his ground. May, who had played a typically self-denying innings of 17 in 98 minutes when he was caught by Davidson off Meckiff, again the ball was angled awkwardly across his body. Now there was only the tail to dismiss and they fell quickly; Tony Lock caught and bowled by Davidson, Jim Laker caught by in the slips by Harvey off Davidson and Peter Loader bowled by Meckiff for a duck to leave England 87 all out. Ian Meckiff (6/38) took the best Test figures of his career, backed up by superlative catching from the Australian fielders and Davidson's 3/41.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Australia second innings
Australia needed 42 to win and were 9/1 at stumps, with Colin McDonald lbw to Brian Statham (1/11). After the rest day nightwatchman Wally Grout was stumped by Evans off Jim Laker (1/7) despite the wicketkeeper's broken finger, but this was inadequate consolation for the easy Australian win as they made the 42/2 required.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Result
Australia won the Second Test by 8 wickets to take a 2–0 lead in the series. The English press thought England had been "thrown out", but there was no disguising that it was a dismal batting display from England on a good wicket. It was their worst score in Australia since Archie MacLaren's team were dismissed for 61 in 1901–02, ironically at  in the innings following the last time an England captain had made a century in Australia.


1958–59 Ashes series, Second Test – Melbourne, Result
Having not made an official complaint after the game against Victoria or the First Test at Brisbane the MCC were in no position to make an official complaint now Meckiff had won a Test. No umpire in Australia, South Africa or New Zealand had called him for throwing. He had even survived complaints by New South Wales when he was chosen for the 1957–58 tour ahead of one of their bowlers, he had been filmed and given the approval of the Australian Board of Control and had the support of his captain Richie Benaud. With no other game coming between the two Tests the teams proceeded to Sydney for the Third Test.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney
A great effort would have been needed by the England batsmen to put them in a position beyond defeat, and Milton and Bailey went to the wicket with a load on their shoulders. Benaud at once set a very aggressive field, especially to Bailey, where he fielded only three yards from the bat to Meckiff's bowling, a little deeper for Davidson. Bailey had a word with Benaud, no doubt asking him not to move when the bowler was running up to bowl. I thought he was so close that if Bailey had put his bat out to swing at a ball he would have hit him.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Preliminaries
England obviously needed to do something to maintain their hold on the Ashes and three changes were made to the team. The first was forced as Godfrey Evans had broken his middle finger and the reserve wicket-keeper Roy Swetman made his Test debut. This was not so much of a loss as first thought, Evans had not batted well for some years and Swetman had impressed behind the stumps throughout the tour and his batting had improved beyond all hopes.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Preliminaries
Peter Richardson had failed repeatedly as an opening batsman in the Tests and was replaced by his old opening partner Arthur Milton, even though he had broken his finger at Christmas. Willie Watson was dropped in favour of the newly arrived Cambridge and Sussex batsman Ted Dexter, who was also a more than useful swing bowler. May also had his final trump card, the fast bowler Fred Trueman, who had been ill at Brisbane and left out at Melbourne.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Preliminaries
He is widely considered to be England's greatest fast bowler and with good reason; he was the first man to take 300 wickets in Tests—307 at (21.57)—had tremendous stamina and bowled with a near perfect side on action that produced late swing at high pace. He was full of confidence and believed that he could get any batsman out on any wicket. Australia made changes as well, dropping Lindsay Kline who had taken 0/77 in two Tests and Bobby Simpson who had made a duck but was retained as twelfth man for his fielding.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Preliminaries
Instead they brought in the dual purpose fast-medium seamer and off-spinner Keith Slater, who had been twelfth man in the Second Test, but who had been accused of throwing by the MCC and Keith Miller. Mel McInnes kept his place as umpire even though Peter May and Freddie Brown had pointedly asked if it was necessary for him to officiate in all the Tests.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England first innings
Peter May won the toss for the third time in a row and again decided to bat regardless of the ill-omens as the wicket looked easy going and was expected to take spin. Stonewaller Trevor Bailey who had been promoted in the batting order from 6 to 3, then 2 and was now asked to go in first with Arthur Milton. They were both out for 8 to Ian Meckiff and Alan Davidson and England were 23/2.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England first innings
Once again the England opening partnership had failed and Bailey, a considerable stumbling block for the bowlers down the order had been sacrificed at the top of the order. Tom Graveney (33) and Peter May (42) restored the innings as the fast bowlers found little swing, but Benaud kept them on for over an hour and May edged a ball past Neil Harvey at slip.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England first innings
With the shine taken off the new ball the pacemen were taken off and the spinners brought on, Richie Benaud getting turn almost at once and appealed for leg before wicket against May, but it was turned down. Keith Slater's first Test wicket was May after he had been hit for 4 and 2 and the captain looked in fine form, Slater getting the ball to hang back and it was hit where Benaud had placed Ken Mackay in the covers a few balls before, where he took a fine catch.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England first innings
Graveney edged Benaud just past Harvey which he managed to take for another stunning catch and Dexter was l.b.w. offering no stroke to Slater (2/40) and England were 98/5. The debutant Roy Swetman joined Colin Cowdrey to a great ovation from the 50,000 in the stands and survived a difficult catch to Harvey and another to Colin McDonald who had replaced "The Claw" at leg-slip, both chances off Benaud.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England first innings
The young wicket-keeper used his feet to go down the wicket, so when he padded up he could not given l.b.w., and began to make some runs with Cowdrey stroking the ball through the covers. After tea the vice-captain (34) gave Harvey another catch off Benaud, but Swetman and Tony Lock saw England safely to stumps with 190/6. The next day's start was delayed to past tea because of rain, made worse by the inadequate covering of the infield. When they finally resumed Benaud was spinning the ball more than ever and declined to take the new ball.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England first innings
Lock was out l.b.w. to Mackay, who ended Swetman's fine innings of 41 with another great catch off Benaud. Harvey also accounted for Jim Laker when he knocked the ball up into the air on the first attempt and ran five yards to catch it. Seeing the end was near Fred Trueman scattered the close fielders with a few powerful strokes and heaved the ball into the stands, but he was caught by Burke off Benaud to give the Australian captain 5/83 and England were out for 219. The first day was watched by John Mills and Trevor Howard, who were acting in Australia at the time. Howard compared the England collapse to the final act of the play he was in, saying "Hamlet was never like this".


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia first innings
There was time for three overs before the end of the day, but Roy Swetman dropped Colin McDonald in the first over and Fred Trueman was not best pleased, "getting a wicket in my first over is always a great motivator, and seeing a decent chance put down annoyed me". He bowled again on the Monday morning after a long dry Sunday and Jim Burke edged another chance off Trueman which a diving Swetman just reached, but he was unable to hold onto it.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia first innings
The Yorkshire fast bowler also got edges off Burke in the untenanted lep-slip area and McDonald just wide of the wicket-keeper. With the wicket made for spin and the pacemen getting nowhere May brought on Jim Laker (5/107) and Tony Lock (4/130). McDonald and Burke started walking down the pitch, sometimes even before Laker delivered the ball, but Burke edged a catch to Lock at short fine-leg to end their opening partnership on 26.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia first innings
Laker and Lock varied their bowling with flight and changes of pace and Lock moved from bowling round to over the wicket as when he saw that he could make the ball turn. Neil Harvey was worried by Laker using the rough and was with him stranded on a front foot stroke when a ball pitched middle-and-leg took out his off stump. McDonald was still moving down the wicket when he missed only for Swetamn to fumble the stumping.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia first innings
Norm O'Neill decided to drive firmly and one powerful stroke went past Tom Graveney just 10 yards away who got hand to the ball, but failed to take a difficult catch. None of these chances were easy, but Australia had been able to make then stick in the England innings and it would cost the tourists as O'Neill settled down to make 77. May switched the bowlers' ends using Statham, who O'Neill edged twice through vacant second slip to the boundary, but the change produced a wicket when Graveney dived forward to take McDonald off Lock.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia first innings
This brought the opener Les Favell to the crease at 87/3 and after surviving several loud l.b.w. appeals began to cut the spinners to the boundary and reached 50 before stumps in an unbeaten stand of 99. Laker's arthritic bowling finger hurt so much that he couldn't sleep, but after they brought up their century stand Australia was Lakered and Locked on the Tuesday morning, Cowdrey taking a catch off Lock for Favell and Swetman off Laker for O'Neill, Benaud was bowled by Laker trying to hit him out of the ground and they were 208/6.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia first innings
This brought "Slasher" Mackay and Alan Davidson together and England needed their wickets quickly to even the first innings score. Davdison repeatedly edged the ball just off his stumps and was lucky to survive, but May kept the spinners working for an hour after the new ball was due, but with no wickets forthcoming Trueman and Statham came back into the attack. There was little life in the pitch, Swetman taking the ball about his knees, and no or little swing.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia first innings
The heat in Sydney reached 100 °F/38 °C and Fred Trueman was sweltering in the outfield when a man on the Hill shouted "Fred, you look in need of a beer, mate" and gave him a can of Fosters to the delight of the crowd. When he returned after his next over he found twenty beer cans waiting in a line in front of the boundary fence. Davidson was playing a restrained innings instead of hitting the ball around the ground and Mackay foreswore his stonewalling to hit boundaries, so they ended up keeping pace with each other.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia first innings
May brought back his spinners and as the score passed 300/6 used Bailey for the first time, though like the others he found little swing. The seventh wicket finally came when Trueman (1/46) was back for a short spell when there were clouds about and bowled Mackay (57) with a swinging yorker on 323/7—a stand of 115. Davidson was in trouble for ten minutes, but finally went leg before to Lock for 71. With the last recognised batsman dismissed on 353/8 the innings was wrapped up for 357, a lead of 139.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England second innings
There was time for one over before the end of play and Bailey and Milton survived on 1/0. Richie Benaud set a very aggressive field, himself just three yards from Bailey, close enough to be hit by the bat, and was asked not to move as the Meckiff came in to bowl in case he distracted the batsman. Meckiff did not bowl for long as he bruised his Achilles tendon and retired from the field.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England second innings
Milton and Bailey held out for an hour and saw off the fast bowlers, before Milton edged a Benaud googly to Davidson and Bailey, after sweeping Slater to the boundary tried to sweep Benaud and was caught by Bobby Simpson, who had come on for Meckiff, and England were 37/2.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England second innings
Graveney was playing consistently into the twenties and thirties and was out for 22 when he missed a full toss from Davidson and was l.b.w.. May had been playing and missing several times in a row going for shots and looked vulnerable, but at 64/3 he was joined by Cowdrey for another heroic partnership. Benaud was still crowding the batsmen with close fielders and Cowdrey began to stroke powerfully to drive them away. May called for a new bat and Peter Richardson brought out three; a barracker shouting "Peter, you haven't got one there wide enough!"


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England second innings
The new bat appeared to solve his problems as May found his touch and they added 92 runs between lunch and tea. After tea they passed the deficit and Benaud became very defensive for the only prolonged period in the series, bowling ten overs of negative leg theory. Len Hutton thought Benaud was worried about being Lakered and Locked on the sixth and final day, but Bill O'Reilly called it "tossing in the towel".


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England second innings
Benaud rested Davidson the next morning after he opened the bowling and gave him the new ball with Keith Slater bowling at fast-medium pace, but it barely swung or moved off the pitch and by lunch both batsmen were on 82 and the score 231/3. Slater looked outclassed in Test cricket and after lunch he was replaced by the part-time bowling of Jim Burke, and to everyone's surprise he bowled May for 92 with a faster ball after a partnership of 182.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, England second innings
Ted Dexter came in, but Benaud returned to a more attacking mode and had him caught behind as he tried to play his strokes. Cowdrey now played out time as the next two batsmen fell cheaply, Swetman L.b.w. to Burke and Trueman stumped first ball off Benaud. After eighty minutes in the 90s Cowdrey reached his century, May declared on 287/7 and the game was saved.


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Australia second innings
Australia needed 151 runs in 100 minutes, but Benaud did not attempt it. Laker (2/10) was soon brought on and yorked Burke. May asked McDonald, who had pulled a hamstring when playing the MCC for the Australian XI, if he wanted to retire, but as he was walking off the pitch Benaud sent out a runner and insisted that he bat, but was bowled first ball. Harvey and O'Neill batted out time and Australia finished the game on 54/2


1958–59 Ashes series, Third Test – Sydney, Result
England and Australia drew the match. England were happy that they had saved the Test, but their batting was still weak with only Graveney, May and Cowdrey capable of playing Benaud's leg-spin with any confidence. Trueman had bowled well without any luck and Laker and Lock had shown their spinning skills, but the English fielding needed to be improved. Benaud was criticised for his defensive tactics, but said he had a job to do and 2–0 up was good for him and his team.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide
Rorke, who is six feet four inches, has a very short run which produces tremendous pace, and is another bowler whose action is subject to criticism. His delivery, to say the most, was unusual, and it was amazing to me that a bowler could generate so much pace from such a short run...he lands some four feet beyond the batting crease at the moment of delivery, with a tremendous drag, and it means he delivers the ball from some nineteen yards.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Preliminaries
The Australians dropped Keith Slater and replaced him with the veteran fast bowler Ray Lindwall after an absence of 18 months. Although now 37 he had been training hard and had bowled well, having taken 7/73 against MCC. With 212 Test wickets Lindwall was the second greatest Australian wicket taker after Clarrie Grimmett (216) and he was determined to beat the record.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Preliminaries
Ian Meckiff had bruised his Achilles tendon at Sydney and was unfit to play, but any joy the England camp may have felt was reduced when they debuted the 6-foot-5-inch (1.96 m) "Blonde Giant" Gordon Rorke after he had taken 6/58 against Queensland and 4/57 in the recent tour match. Incidentally, Rorke was the only Australian tailender as the other ten players were First Class cricket centurions. For England, Peter Richardson returned to open the batting with Trevor Bailey because Arthur Milton had re-fractured his broken finger and Raman Subba Row still had a damaged wrist.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Preliminaries
The alternative opener was Willie Watson—who replaced Ted Dexter—but he had made 141 batting at number 6 against Victoria and May wanted to keep him in the lower-middle order. Peter Loader had a groin strain that had kept him out of the New South Wales game, but the great shock was that the off-spinner Jim Laker, England's best bowler, could not play because his arthritic spinning finger was immobile. As a result, Frank Tyson was recalled after two years out of the team, having had taken 3/40 and 4/55 in the last two matches.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Preliminaries
Godfrey Evans replaced Roy Swetman as wicket-keeper even though his broken middle finger had not fully mended as the young Surrey keeper had proved fallible behind the stumps. As a result, May had four fast bowlers and only one spinner on a pitch that was traditionally a good batting surface with low bounce, though the South Australia game at Christmas had seen a green, pacey wicket. This was the only Test in which the three great England fast bowlers of the 1950s Tyson, Trueman and Statham all played together. Mel McInnes was umpire again, much to the annoyance of the England team as he had made mistakes in all his matches leading up to the Fourth Test. The 1956 Australians successfully asked for the great English umpire Frank Chester to be removed when an illness made his decisions erratic.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia first innings
May won the toss for the fourth time in a row and felt obliged to bowl first so that his pacemen would get the benefit of any life there was in the pitch, but the wicket was brown and dry and full of runs. It was a gamble that relied on a quick breakthrough, though May may have been nervous about the effect of Ray Lindwall, Alan Davidson and Gordon Rorke on his fragile batting line up.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia first innings
Brian Statham got the first ball to nip back and almost hit McDonald's stump, and another went between Jim Burke's bat and pad only to miss off stump. Tyson bowled a good spell for no luck as did Trueman when he was brought back on and the batsmen played and missed throughout the day. Just before lunch Burke deflected a ball off his glove to first slip, where Evans dived out to catch it, but Umpire McInnes gave Burke (then on 24) not out.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia first innings
Burke fell later for 66, the only Australian wicket to fall on the first day, when he mis-cut a ball from Trevor Bailey to Colin Cowdrey in the gully. He had batted for over four hours in an opening partnership of 171 during which he made two boundaries. Neil Harvey came in and at the end of the day hit Tony Lock for a long straight six towards Adelaide Cathedral, the longest boundary in the world, and "directed our eyes to the towers and pinnacles".


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia first innings
Harvey and McDonald saw stumps at 200/1 and carried their partnership to 268/1 when McDonald retired hurt after pulling a leg muscle. Harvey (41) was run out when he called for a second run and Brian Statham hitting the stumps. Statham (3/83) caused a small collapse to 294/4 (effectively 294/5) as he bowled Les Favell and had Ken Mackay caught by wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia first innings
McInnes took such a long time to give Ken Mackay out when he snicked the ball to Evans that in the end Mackay walked back to the pavilion, almost unheard of in Australia at the time and the crowd applauded his sportsmanship. Norm O'Neill (56) was playing well and one terrific pull smacked into the boundary fence before any fielder could move and added 75 with Richie Benaud who hit 7 fours in his 46, including a powerful hook off Trueman (4/90).


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia first innings
The Yorkshireman never gave up and dismissed Benaud, Lindwall and Grout as the innings continued into the third day. McDonald returned at 407/7 with Burke as his runner and should have been run out when Trueman flattened the stumps when Burke ran round the back of McInnes and was out by yards. McInnes indicated that he was out then said not out as he could not see whether Burke had reached the crease in time.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia first innings
McDonald and Burke were walking to the pavilion when they were called back and McDonald was so annoyed that he told Fred to bowl straight and pulled away his bat to expose his stumps and gave the fast bowler "the easiest Test wicket I have ever taken". The Victorian opener had batted for seven hours and seven minutes for 170, his highest Test century and the highest score of the series.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia first innings
Alan Davidson hit 43 before he became the Tyson's only wicket, caught by Bailey two feet off the ground at short-leg, a poor reward for his untiring efforts with the ball and the outfield. Evans' unhealed finger broke again, but he continued to keep wicket on the second day and raised everybody's spirits with his chirpy optimism. He was replaced after the rest day by Tom Graveney, a part-time keeper for Gloucestershire who had played the part before at Old Trafford against South Africa in 1955. Australia's 476 was the highest innings of the series and virtually won the Ashes by protecting their 2–0 lead.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, England first innings
At the end of the Australian innings the temperature dropped and a breeze came up which helped the Australian bowlers Alan Davidson and Ray Lindwall with their swing. Peter Richardson and Trevor Bailey were soon out and at 11/2 Peter May (37), promoted to number 3 to protect the other batsmen, and Colin Cowdrey (84) were back at the crease. They attacked the bowling with finely tuned strokes and with Graveney (41) took England to 170/3, May was bowled by Richie Benaud (5/91) when he tried to hit him for six.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, England first innings
On the fourth day England collapsed to 188/9, Gordon Rorke (3/23) starting the rot by bowling Cowdrey, who edged the ball onto his stumps, and having Graveney caught by Benaud despite the ball coming off the bat at high speed. Tom Graveney recalled "I had a personal experience of Richie's tactical genius...he held up play while he moved the short leg round a couple of yards. It interrupted my flow because I was forced to wonder why he had done it and whether I should be expecting a new direction from the bowler.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, England first innings
This was exactly the reaction that Richie had wanted. There was no reason for the move other than to apply psychological pressure. He was a master at upsetting the concentration of batsman and reach their subconscious" Benaud then dismissed Trueman, Lock, Tyson and Evans, two caught by Wally Grout, one by Burke and the other by the bowler himself. England were 89 runs short of saving the follow on, but Willie Watson and Brian Statham stayed at the crease for 70 minutes. Statham, who batted left-handed, hit 6 fours in a new highest Test score of 36 not out.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, England first innings
Lindwall was given the new ball, but could only shave the stumps as Statham hit out. Davidson tripped in one of Trueman's foot marks and had to retire from the field. In the end Rorke bowled Watson to end the 52 run last wicket stand 37 runs short of their target. Rorke on debut returned figures of 18.1–7–23–3, his low economy due to his large number of almost wides and high pace and in one three over spell only one ball could have been played.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, England second innings
As the teams returned up the pavilion steps Sir Donald Bradman called Richie Benaud to one side and reminded him that England's only chance of retaining the Ashes was it they were forced to follow on and made a lot of runs. Benaud agreed with him, but excused himself as he had to go and tell Peter May that he was going to bat again. When he reached the dressing room he consoled May with what Sir Donald had said.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, England second innings
This was repeated by cricket commentators when a Test side in this situation must win, notably when Allan Border's Australians followed on at The Oval in 1985. Watson (40) returned with Richardson (43) and together they saw off the new ball to end the day on 43/0, and produced the highest England opening stand of the series, staying for almost three hours and adding 89. Davidson could not bowl after his injury, Rorke opened the bowling with Lindwall and Benaud had to bowl himself for a spell of four hours.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, England second innings
The partnership ended when Watson pulled a full toss from the captain and Les Favell ran in to take the catch on the boundary. Richardson fell to Benaud (4/84) padding up against a ball that didn't move having survived a l.b.w. appeal the ball before. May (59) and Graveney looked set for big scores, and the England captain struck Benaud for three successive fours before he was leg before by a torpedo from Rorke (2/78).


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, England second innings
Bailey was caught by Grout off Lindwall (2/70) on the last ball of the day, though he and Graveney thought the ball had come off the top of his pad. At 198/5 England's cause looked lost and Graveney could only look on as the lower order collapsed before him. Lock (9) stayed in for an hour as did Tyson, who made 33 in a stand of 46, but the other three tailenders only lasted 20 minutes and Graveney ended with 53 not out, having batted for over five hours. England's total of 270 put them only 34 runs ahead.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Australia second innings
Les Favell came into open the innings and hit the winning runs on his home ground as he and Burke made the 36/0 required.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Result
Australia won the Test by 10 wickets, the series 3–0 and regained the Ashes lost in 1953.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fourth Test – Adelaide, Result
Congratulations to Australia, they were the better team...I felt that with Laker not fit we had to gamble on the first morning. I thought this was the best way to win the match, but it did not come off. Richie Benaud has a fine team; he inspired them in the field and the team brought off some wonderful catches, and generally I thought Australia's out-cricket was some of the best I have seen. We never got the starts we would have liked and injuries on the tour generally affected the batting, but I have no excuses to offer.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne
And so Australia won the match by a very convincing margin of nine wickets and put the finishing touches to the biggest defeat England had suffered in a Test series for some time. It was the first time in forty-seven years that the captain on winning the toss had sent in the opposition and won a Test match in the England–Australia series. Australia had England on the run from the moment Benaud maintained an aggressive approach to the game, as well he might, being so much on top during the series.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, Preliminaries
In the 1950–51 Ashes series the MCC tour manager Freddie Brown arrived at Melbourne for the Fifth and final Test having lost the series 4–0, but won the match and won a great ovation from the Australian crowd who admired his fighting spirit throughout the series. He now arrived with Peter May's team hoping to do the same and the players were keen to salvage something from the tour.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, Preliminaries
Arthur Milton was sent home with his broken finger, Brian Statham and Peter Loader had been injured in a car accident when their tyre blew, Godfrey Evans was still recovering from his broken finger and Willie Watson suffered a groin strain bowling in the nets. This reduced the touring team to 13 fit players, but Jim Laker was ready to play and returned to the team with Ted Dexter and Roy Swetman. Tony Lock's 5 wickets had cost 75.20 and was dropped in favour of debutant off-spinner John Mortimore.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, Preliminaries
This was a surprise for the Australians, but even more so to Lock, who heard the news on the radio. The home team dropped batsman Les Favell in favour of the fast bowler Ian Meckiff whose bruised foot had healed. Mel McInnes was replaced as umpire by Les Townsend in his only Test as umpire.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, England first innings
For the first time in the series Richie Benaud won the toss and took the unusual step of putting England into bat, but he had four fast bowlers in his team and wanted to use them in the humid, swinging conditions. In the second over Ray Lindwall's first ball swung away and Trevor Bailey was caught first ball by Alan Davidson in third slip to give him his 216th Test wicket and equal Clarrie Grimmett's Australian record.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, England first innings
Just before the Test Bailey had given a talk to the inmates of HMP Pentridge and had been asked if he had ever been out first ball in a Test match. He said he had not, but retained his sense of humour as he ordered roast duck for dinner after his dismissal. Peter May fell to Meckiff and England were 13/2, but Peter Richardson made a dogged 68 by forgoing his favourate deflections through the slips which had cost his wicket so many times.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, England first innings
He added 48 with Colin Cowdrey (22) and 48 again with Tom Graveney (19), taking the score to 109/3. Tom Graveney was dismissed by Benaud; "I remember him getting me out in the 1958–59 Melbourne Test by attacking my leg stump. He bowled me two half-volleys, the first of which I drove hard to Colin McDonald at mid-on. The second was just a fraction slower, and I was committed to the stroke before I spotted it. McDonald held the catch and the critics put it down to another casual shot from Graveney.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, England first innings
They did not seem to notice the crafty part that Benaud had played in my dismissal". Ted Dexter was out first ball to Meckiff (2/57), Roy Swetman for 1 off Davidson and Richardson was caught and bowled by Benaud to leave England 128/7. Debutant John Mortimore showed his all round skills with an unbeaten 44, adding 63 with Fred Trueman (21) before Benaud (4/43) and Davidson (3/38) finished off the innings for 205 early on the second day.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, Australia first innings
The pitch still had some life when Fred Trueman and Frank Tyson opened the bowling, and Trueman was able to swing the ball. When Colin McDonald was on 12 he found one of his bails had fallen off his stumps, but an appeal for hit wicket was disallowed, though McDonald later thought that he must have hit the stumps when starting for a run. He also gave a catch to John Mortimore at short-leg, but the fieldman slipped on the wet ground and missed it.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, Australia first innings
Jim Burke showed a marked dislike to the short-pitched bowling and both bowlers exploited this until he lobbed a catch to Trueman off a Tyson bouncer. Jim Laker had a temperature and sore throat, but came on to bowl with Mortimore, but neither off-spinner could get the ball to turn like Benaud's wrist spin, which usually had an advantage in Australia. McDonald was now comfortable and was using his favourite cut stroke to make runs, but Neil Harvey was not comfortable against the faster bowling and Trueman had him caught by Roy Swetman off a beautiful out-swinger.


1958–59 Ashes series, Fifth Test – Melbourne, Australia first innings
Norm O'Neill came in to bat and on "a good day for batting and with an appreciative crowd in attendance I felt like a million", but was caught by Colin Cowdrey in the gully off Fred Trueman for a first ball duck. Four years later in the Second Test on the same ground he was dismissed in exactly the same manner for another first ball duck. This left Australia 83/3, but McDonald (133) added 71 with Ken Mackay (23) and 53 with Alan Davidson (17), who was bowled for Mortimore's first Test wicket.