Cricket in the '50s: Discovering New Boundaries The decade of the 1950s in Australian cricket takes us from the end of the 'Bradman Era' through to the beginning of the 'Benaud Era'. The game went through many trials and tribulations, there were issues of captaincy, losses in three consecutive Ashes campaigns, allegations of 'doctored' pitches, controversy over illegal bowling actions and the advent of television coverage.The 1950s was the decade where Australia ventured beyond its traditional boundaries, for the first time making visits to the West Indies (1955) then India & Pakistan (1956 and 1959/60). By the end of the decade, Australia had played official matches in every corner of the cricket world. In an era when players were also expected to hold down full time employment, Australia made eight overseas tours!New heroes emerged; Harvey, Benaud, Davidson, Simpson, Sobers and Trueman would soon become household names as cricket strove to maintain its popularity as the 'King' of summer games in Australia.Cricket in the '60s: Winds of Change The 1960s began with what has been regarded as the 'Greatest Test Series Ever Played', Australia v West Indies 1960/61, then all the drama of the 1961 Tour of England, with the 'Battle of The Ridge' and the dramatic final day at Old Trafford.The game's most contentious issue, illegal bowling actions, reached its climax with the 'no balling' of Ian Meckiff by Umpire Colin Egar in December 1963.The 1960s saw a shift in the axis of power in world cricket. For the first time in the space of a few years, the traditional powerhouses of the game, Australia & England were both defeated by the West Indies and South Africa. The tragedy of the 'D'Oliveira Affair' and world opposition to the policy of apartheid would see South Africa banished from the world stage for nearly a quarter of a century.Cricket in the '70s: The Chappell Era (2002) The 1970's turned out to be the most tumultuous period in the hist