Australia were a divided team under the captaincy of Kim Hughes in 1981. But it did not stop Terry Alderman bowling brilliantly and being named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
Terry Alderman had another wonderfully successful Ashes tour – this time in a winning cause – in 1989 when he took 41 wickets at 17.36 and was player of the series.
It was typical of Terence Michael Alderman that when he looked back on his remarkable bowling success in England in 1981 he attributed it to two main factors – sharing the new ball with Dennis Lillee and the state of English pitches. Certainly no blame for the failure of the Australian team in what was an unusual series could be attached to the young Perth primary school teacher. Representing his country for the first time, Alderman played in all six Tests and stamped himself not only as a seam bowler of the highest quality, with a record 42 wickets in the series, but also as a slip fielder with a sure pair of hands.
Born on June 12, 1956, Alderman, the fourth of five children, had something of a sporting start in life. His father, William, was a big-kicking Australian Rules football centre half-back, who represented Western Australia and also opened both the batting and the bowling for the Western Australian colts cricket team without ever making the first-class scene.
Alderman followed naturally in his father’s footsteps, playing both cricket and football during his schooldays at Aquinas College in Perth. He continued to play football as an amateur until the end of the 1978 season, when he decided that it would be foolish to continue mixing the two sports. By then he was already beginning to make his mark as a medium-paced bowler, although it would have required a crystal ball of remarkable clarity to foresee the impact he would make in England three years later.
Another helpful influence had been Daryl Foster, the West Australia team coach. “Daryl spurred me on in regard to fitness, which is not one of my fortes,” Alderman admits. “I love golf and enjoy walking and I’ve taken up squash. I also like sauna – they’re a poor man’s way of losing weight. But I’ve done a lot more running in the last 18 months than I used to.” Alderrman’s fitness was reflected in the stamina he showed in his long bowling spells in England. Married in December 1977, to Jane Elizabeth Johnson, a school teacher from Derbyshire whom he met in Perth, he has always appreciated the family influence on his life.
Despite his record-breaking performances in England, Alderman refuses to be carried away. “I play the game from one game to the next. I’ve seen the high points and the low. If you can survive them, you’ll be OK.” Judging by the attitude and ability of this most pleasant young man, he will be.
