Legends Month: The best of Dennis Lillee

Seeing him bowl at the MCG, listening to people bang on the advertising hoardings, and chanting Lill-eeee Lill-eeee was just amazing. It was moving, the way the supporters and his teammates responded to him.

Back in the summer of 1970-71, two fresh-faced rookies entered Australia's Test set-up. Their names were Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell. No-one knew it at the time, but they were on the precipice of playing a history-making role in the sport across the next decade and more.

Thirteen years on, they played their final Test together, saluting adoring fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In between, the highlights reel is lengthy.

Chappell's quote above could apply to most of the matches Lillee played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but he is in fact talking about the 1977 Centenary Test, a match played to celebrate 100 years since the first Test was played, between Australia and England at the same venue.

It was a performance that defined Lillee the cricketer: part jaw-dropping brilliance, part sheer gut-busting effort – and ultimately decisive.

Australia had lost the toss on a dodgy-looking wicket and been skittled for 138. Only Chappell passed 30 for the hosts, though Lillee hung tough for an hour to make an unbeaten 10. It was the first of four telling contributions from the lion-hearted fast bowler, though the one that followed was far more befitting his reputation.

Striding rhythmically to the crease, and delivering with that copybook action, Lillee simply ripped England apart. In 13.3 overs, he claimed figures of 6-26, removing three of England's top four and returning to clean up proceedings with the final three wickets.

As Australia built a sizeable lead, Lillee played his part again, adding 25 across almost 90 minutes at the tail-end of the innings.

But it was the in the match's fourth innings, with the historic Test on the line, that his deeds in this match moved from simply outstanding to legendary.

England, improbably, were threatening a truly remarkable heist; in pursuit of 463, they were 4-346 midway through the final day.

"We got to the point where we were under the pump – the odds were in their favour," Chappell recalled for cricket.com.au.

"Dennis had bowled a lot of overs and I couldn't afford to run him in to the ground."

But Lillee was a difficult man to take the ball from, and he continued to thunder in, bowling over after over as Australia sought a famous victory.

Ultimately, his persistence paid off.

Leg-spinner Kerry O'Keeffe took the vital wicket of Derek Randall and England lost their last six wickets for 71 runs, falling short by 45 runs – their exact margin of defeat a century earlier.

Lillee claimed the final two wickets to fall, finishing with 11 for the match.

"Physically and mentally he was as strong as anyone I've ever seen," said Chappell.

"And as a captain and teammate, you just knew that if you needed a wicket, Dennis was most likely going to get it for you.

"The blood, sweat and tears that he put into it – I don't think anyone has spent more to be a great bowler than he did."