Long before business-class flights and luxury lounges, England’s cricketers once travelled thousands of miles by sea to play the Ashes in Australia. The 1962-63 tour remains one of the last times the team set sail for the ultimate cricket contest — a voyage filled with food, fun, and a few unexpected challenges.
Life on board The Canberra
For David Larter, then a 22-year-old fast bowler, it was a dream experience. “You enjoyed being on a huge ocean liner like that,” he recalled years later. Travelling first-class on The Canberra, the team mixed with wealthy passengers and enjoyed lavish meals. “The stewards loved us. They’d bring great trolleys of food, and they knew we’d eat it.”
Training on the high seas
Despite the luxury, there was work to be done. Players set up makeshift badminton courts, lifted weights, and even jogged around the ship under the guidance of Olympic runner Gordon Pirie. But not everyone was thrilled. Fred Trueman, the fiery fast bowler, refused to run laps after bowling over a thousand overs in the English summer. “That just wasn’t how we got fit,” Larter said with a laugh.
Losing his land legs
The real trouble began when England stopped in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a warm-up match. Larter, excited to open the bowling, ran in — and fell flat on his face. “I’d lost my land legs,” he said. “They weren’t going where I wanted.” It took a few overs before he found his rhythm again.
Royal manners and seaside Christmas
The team’s manager, the Duke of Norfolk, added a touch of royalty to the trip. Players addressed him as “Your Grace” in the morning and “Sir” later in the day. The six-month tour stretched from Australia to New Zealand, where Larter finally made his Test debut and picked up seven wickets in Auckland.
Memories that lasted a lifetime
England didn’t win back the Ashes, but for Larter, the memories outshone the results. From Christmas dinner on an Australian beach to late-night chats with emigrants below deck, the voyage felt like something out of a dream. “Apart from not playing in the Tests,” he said, “I had the time of my life. It was wonderful.”
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