He followed this with 49 and 27* as Australia took the series lead with a seven-wicket win in the Second Test in Melbourne. Simpson then scored 70 and 149 for the Tasmania Combined XI in a loss to the West Indians, scoring more than half of the team's runs. After failing to pass 20 as the series was leveled in the Third Test, Simpson contributed 85 in a Fourth Test draw in Adelaide. Simpson saved his best performance for the deciding Test in Melbourne, scoring 75 in the first innings to complement match figures of 3/106. He removed the tourists' leading batsman Garry Sobers in both innings, caught behind by Grout, ending with a total of 3/106 from 36 overs. He had to bowl heavily as captain and front-line leg spinner Richie Benaud was increasingly troubled by a chronic shoulder injury.