The bounce at WACA forced keepers to stand a few yards behind Getty
'Vic Marks was awestruck. The then 26-year-old was emerging up the ranks having made his One-Day International (ODI) debut for England a year earlier after being a consistent performer as an offspinning allrounder for Somerset in county cricket.
Marks thought he had seen it all in his blossoming career before he ventured to the WACA as a punter with some mates in late 1981 to watch the fearsome West Indies batter a hapless Australia in an ODI. "We were square of the wicket with Michael Holding running in at Bruce Laird and I've never seen a 'keeper so far back," Marks recalls to Cricbuzz. "They (the batsmen) should have run every time they missed it. It was spectacular. (West Indies wicketkeeper Jeff) Dujon was...I don't know... 30-35 yards back. It felt that far anyway. "It was just an amazing sight. I had never seen anything like that," he adds.
As the final WACA Ashes Test nears, there has been much sentiment over the iconic Perth ground and its fast and furious pitch - even though the wicket has been excruciatingly flat in recent times. Despite several Tests being blighted by batting bores, the nostalgia from the WACA's heyday creates a lump to the throat of cricket aficionados - even for Marks who has endured watching England being pummelled over the years.
Marks, who played six Tests for England before transitioning into a respected cricket writer and commentator, has watched continual horror shows of his compatriots at the WACA but winning a Sheffield Shield title for Western Australia in 1986-87 ensures some pleasant memories.
"I have a soft spot because I had a really enjoyable season with WA," he said. "The pitch was reasonably quick but lots of runs were scored. You can over-complicate things because of the WACA's reputation. I didn't bowl differently although it didn't turn much but there was a bounce.
"I was in a strong side and top-order wickets tumbled because we had great quicks like Bruce Reid and Chris Matthews," he adds. "My job was to keep it tight and eventually batsmen got out because of the pressure."
As Marks has witnessed in the flesh, some of cricket's most visceral images have been spawned from the mythical WACA pitch initially conjured by former curator Roy Abbott, who for 33 years fed it the seemingly magical Harvey-Waroona soil.
Cricket was often at its rawest at the WACA, resulting in players being probed both physically and mentally like never before. For international players, the WACA was often considered the barometer of the Australian tour.
Marks said the anticipation of a match there was unparalleled. "I like the WACA because it is a unique venue mostly because of that pitch," he said. "It was fair and true but my goodness the bounce was exceptional. That makes for some exciting cricket."
Like Marks, Alan Mullally has a distinct vantage point of the WACA having played for both England and WA. He grew up in Perth after leaving England with his family at the age of five and made a shock First-Class debut following an unexpected call up in WA's team against Queensland in the 1988 Sheffield Shield final.
Ten years later, Mullally played his sole Test match at the WACA but, typically, it ended in tears for England. After being sent in by Australian captain Mark Taylor, England were routed for 112 with Damien Fleming and Glenn McGrath combining for eight wickets.
England made a brave comeback on day two as Australia collapsed losing their last six wickets for 31 runs to be bowled out for 240. Mullally led the charge with a bowling performance he rates his finest at Test level although he unluckily finished with the sedate figures of 1-36 from 21 overs.
"It was the best I've bowled at Test level and I kept beating the Waugh brothers repeatedly but they just wouldn't nick it," Mullally recalls. "The only player I got out was (nightwatchman) Jason Gillespie but that's how it goes in cricket."
Despite the brief rally, England crumbled again in their second innings to lose within three days. Mullally, who was once infamously rated England's worst ever number 11, made a pair. "Batting was always difficult for me, so the demons in the WACA pitch made no difference," Mulllally quips.
Mullally grew up a West Indian fan and has particularly fond memories of the inimitable calypso quicks tearing through the Australians at the WACA during their heyday. "The West Indies dominated at the WACA for years and I'll never forget some of the performances from Michael Holding and Curtly Ambrose in particular," he says. "I always wanted to be like them and bowl fast because of what I saw at the WACA. It was just always a special feeling to have the ball in your hand at the WACA and know you are going to get that extra bounce.
"It was nice to see the fright from the batsmen when the ball was really hopping around," he adds.
As the curtains come down on Ashes cricket at the WACA, there is hope that a fast and furious wicket can be unfurled one last time at the old warhorse of a ground. Marks, who will be covering the Test for The Guardian, is hoping for a fitting finale even if it might be to the detriment of his compatriots.
"I hope - not from an English perspective - that the last Ashes Test at the WACA will go out with a traditional WACA pitch," he said. "So we all know what we are missing because that type of pitch does make for some spectacular cricket."
