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Force of personality made Merv Hughes a force in International cricket -
and what a personality! With his shaved head and enormous moustache
Merv wanted to look menacing, although the effect, as former England
captain Tony Lewis said, was more that of the villain in a pantomime.
His deliveries though, were menacing, almost snarling at the batsman as
time after time they jammed his fingers against the bat handle. Hughes
was not really fast and his nickname Merv the Swerve was appropriated
from a Welsh rugby star more for onomatopoeic reasons than any sharp
movement of the ball. Basically Hughes took wickets with willpower. He
built his career on willpower as well.
Ian Botham took a liking to his
bowling in 1985-86 and came close to hitting him into obscurity. Merv
pressed on. He took 5-130 and 8-87 against West Indies in the Perth Test
of 1988-89 and despite only taking one more wicket in the next three
Tests he established himself as the archetypal Australian cricketer.
Thousands would join in his limbering-up exercises on the Melbourne
boundary. Soon parties would turn up for a day's Test cricket sporting
fake Merv moustaches and banners proclaimed that Hughes was the
lovechild of the equally hirsute David Boon. Amid all the fun and games
Hughes made himself an important member of Allan Border's team. He took
15 wickets in four Tests when England toured in 1991-92 and in 1993 took
over as spearhead of the attack when Craig McDermott was taken ill. (Bob Harragan)
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