Top 10 Sporting Whitewashes
Australia have already whitewashed England once this winter and may be about to do it again in the one day series which got us thinking about other famous batterings in sporting history. There have been plenty of whitewashes over the years and here is our top 10.
10. Australia 5-0 England – 2006/07
This winter is not the only time the Aussies have embarrassed the English on the cricket pitch, in fact it was only seven years ago that they last secured a test series whitewash in the Ashes. After England spectacularly claimed the urn in 2005 they crumbled to defeat at the hands of Warne, McGrath etc. just 18 months later.
9. John Lowe 5-0 Leighton Rees – 1979
There have been a total of nine whitewashes in World Darts Championship finals but this was the first in only the second final ever. In 1978 Rees had edged out Lowe to become the first ever champion of the world but Old Stoneface got his revenge 12 months later in fine style.
8. The All Blacks - 2013
The All Blacks have always been a fearsome presence on the rugby field but never more so than in 2013 when they became the first international team in history to win all their games over the year. 14 wins including seeing off Australia, South Africa, England, France and Ireland made it a memorable year for the New Zealanders.
7. South Sydney Rabbitohs - 1925
The most dominant team in rugby league history is the South Sydney Rabbitohs who romped to 12 straight wins in what was then called the New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1925, later becoming the National Rugby League. Their points difference ended at +103 with second placed Western Suburbs on +16.
6. Steve Davis 9-0 Mike Hallett – 1988
In snooker’s Triple Crown of the World Championship, UK Championship and Masters, only one final has ended in a whitewash, that being the 1988 Masters finale. The Nugget was at the height of his powers in ’88 winning all three of the majors and he showed no mercy to the inexperienced Hallett who failed to get a frame on the board.
5. Steffi Graf beat Natalya Natasha Zvereva 6-0, 6-0 –1988
Zvereva only reached one Grand Slam final in her career and she may have wished she never bothered with the match at the French Open lasting just 32 minutes and the Belarusian failing to win a single game. This was not the first time this had happened but it was the first and only time in the Open era.
4. USA - 400m & 800m at the 2004 Olympics
It is difficult to gauge what exactly is a whitewash at an Olympics but USA came as close as anyone to achieving one in 2004 when they won gold, silver and bronze in both the men’s 200 and 400 metres in Athens; Shaun Crawford and Jeremy Wariner picking up the most prized medals.
3. England 3-0 Australia & Australia 0-2 England - 1986-87
Given England’s Ashes plight it is only fair to mention their days in the sun, unfortunately they came well over a century ago. The English won all three tests at home in the 1986 series and then travelled Down Under that winter to win both contests in a two match series claiming back-to-back whitewash wins, albeit in short series.
2. Dresdner SC – 1942/43
A handful of teams have won every single match in a football season but arguably the most impressive was Dresdner SC in 1942/43 when they claimed 23 straight victories in the German Championship. Over that season they banged in 152 goals and let in just 16 making them as dominant a team as any in the sport.
1. Miami Dolphins – 1972
The only team ever to win every game in the NFL, both regular season and play-offs, some feat seen as it has been going since 1920. The Dolphins claimed the Super Bowl to end the season with 17 straight wins thanks to a number of star players including legendary quarterback Bob Griese.