Australian cricket team
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| Australia | |
 |
|
| Test status granted | 1877 |
| First Test match | v England at Melbourne, March 1877 |
| Captain | Ricky Ponting |
| Coach | John Buchanan |
| Official ICC Test and ODI ranking | 1st (Test), 1st (ODI) [1],[2] |
| Test matches - this year |
681 5 |
| Last Test match | Australia v Bangladesh at Chittagong, April 2006 |
| Wins/losses - this year |
314/178 5/0 |
| As of 30 April 2006 | |
The Australian cricket team, together with the English cricket team, is the joint oldest team in Test cricket having played its first Test match in 1877. The team has won 315 of the 682 Test matches it has played against other countries and today is regarded as the leading Test match playing nation by the International Cricket Council by heading its Test Championship table.
Australia is also a leading international one day team having won 381 of the 625 One Day Internationals it has played against other countries. Australia won the Cricket World Cup in 1987, 1999 and 2003 (and is the only Nation to have won the World Cup 3 times) and currently heads the ICC One Day International Championship table.
The one-day team will be known as the "Commonwealth Bank one-day international team" following a three year deal between Cricket Australia and the Commonwealth Bank. The name change comes into effect in the 2006-07 Commonwealth Bank Tri-series.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
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- Main Article: History of the Australian cricket team
The History of the Australian cricket team is rich and diverse. Together with the English cricket team, they participated in the first Test match in 1877. The early highlight of Australia's early history was the 1882 test match against England at the Oval. In this match Fred Spofforth took 8/38 in the last innings to save the match by preventing England from making their 85 run target. After this match The Sporting Times, a major newspaper in London at the time printed a mock obutiariy in which the death of English cricket was proclaimed and "the body was cremated and the ashes taken to Australia." This was the start of the famous Ashes series in which every two years Australia and England play a number of matches to decide the holder of the Ashes. This is, to this day, one of the fiercest rivalries in sport.
In the first half century or so these contests were generally friendly but competitive with both sides enjoying the visit to another country, and getting to play against quality cricketers. The famous Bodyline series temporarily changed things. The series was marred by the tactics used by the English captain Douglas Jardine to control the brillant batting of Don Bradman who completely destroyed the English bowling attack in the 1930 series. Jardine uesd his fast bowlers to bowl 6 boncers an over at head height over leg stump with 6 or 7 fielders around the leg stump in a close cathing position. Given the fact that there were no helmets around at the time the tactics were widely condemned by nearly all of Australia including many former Test cricketers and important politicians.
[edit] Recent tours
Ricky Ponting took over the captaincy from Steve Waugh, being appointed prior to the 2004 tour of Sri Lanka which Australia won 3-0. Later in the year, they won in India for the first time in 35 years, their only loss coming in a dead-rubber.
[edit] Pakistani Tour 2004-05
The 2004-05 summer season in Australia was against the touring Pakistani cricket team which Australia won convincingly, several matches ending on the 4th day (of 5). The first Test of 2005 ended with: AUS 568 and 1/62 v PAK 304 and 325; Ponting made 207 in the first innings, laying to rest a minor media issue of him not making a Test 100 in his first season as captain.
[edit] 2005 Ashes
The much anticipated 2005 Ashes tour to England became a watershed event in Australian cricket when, for the first time since 1986-87 a Test series was lost to the old enemy England, and The Ashes were thus surrendered. The summer started with four defeats in one week in one day matches (to England in a Twenty20 match, Somerset in a warm up match, and then Bangladesh and England in successive One Day Internationals). Australia and England tied the final match of the first one day international series, before Australia won the second series 2-1.
The first Test match at Lord's was a convincing victory for Australia, with Glenn McGrath in particular impressing. Captain Ricky Ponting afterwards famously said: We’ve a very good chance of winning 5-0. However at the second Test at Edgbaston star bowler Glenn McGrath was ruled out by a freak ankle injury after stepping on a ball in the practice nets; Ponting put England in to bat on a perfect batting wicket (England scored 407 runs on the first day) and England eventually won a pulsating match by two runs and so levelled the series. England dominated the rain-affected third Test at Old Trafford , but a fine rearguard innings by Ponting just saved Australia on the final day and the match was drawn. In the fourth Test at Trent Bridge Australia was again outplayed and forced to follow-on for the first time in 191 Test matches and eighteen years. Whilst England struggled to get the 129 runs they needed to win in their second innings (losing seven wickets in the process). Australia needed to win the fifth and final Test at The Oval to retain the Ashes but were hampered by bad weather, a strong England bowling performance on the fourth day and overly extended England rearguard batting (led by Kevin Pietersen and tailender Ashley Giles) on the final day before the match ended in a draw.
Ageing stars such as Hayden, Gilchrist, Martyn, Gillespie and Kasprowicz underperformed in the tour with some being subsequently dropped for new and younger talent. On the other hand Shane Warne, who took 40 wickets and scored 249 runs, gave an all-round performance of great skill and showed that even aged nearly 36 his powers are undiminished. Members of the old guard (Ponting, Langer, Lee and McGrath) played well.
[edit] ICC Super Series
The ICC (International Cricket Council) sanctioned a test and three match one day series for 2005. This series was to be played between the top ranking test and one day international nations (according to rankings as at April 2005) and an internationally selected Rest of the World XI. Australia was the top ranked nation in both forms of the game as at April 2005.
Australia had an opportunity to begin the rebuilding process following the Ashes series loss at the Super Test held against a Rest of the World team in Sydney in October. Although the match was of poor quality with the World team underperforming, it was a good opportunity for some of the Australian team to get back on track. Many did, especially Hayden who scored 111 and 87 and Gilchrist who scored 94 in the first innings and made seven dismissals. Stuart MacGill (who had not played in the 2005 Ashes) took nine wickets. Overall, the Australian Cricket Team clean sweeped the World XI Team 3 - 0 in the One Day International Series, and also won the 6 day Test Match.
[edit] vs West Indies
In November Australia continued to perform well winning a three match Test series with the West Indies comfortably. Stars were Hayden (again) (who was clearly intent on proving that rumours of his cricketing death were premature - he scored 445 runs at an average of 89) and Hussey who had an auspicious debut season. Gilchrist, however, was out of touch with the bat as he had been in England.
[edit] South Africa Tour
In the 2006 cricket tour to South Africa, Australia lost the 1-day series 3-2 after a record-breaking final ODI. Setting South Africa a world record target of 434 off 50 overs (the previous record being 398-5 scored by Sri Lanka vs Kenya 10 years previously), South Africa managed to beat Australia by 1 wicket with a new record score of 438. Earlier, Ricky Ponting top-scored with 164 off 105 balls. South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs, likewise batting at No 3, went on to score 175 off 111 balls thereby playing an instrumental role in the run chase. Many other records were broken in the same match. A total of 872 runs were scored (The previous record was 693 when India beat Pakistan by five runs in Karachi in March 2004). Mick Lewis had the ignominy of becoming the most expensive bowler in ODI history with figures of 0-113 in his 10 overs.
[edit] Bangladesh Tour
Following the South African series, Australia toured Bangladesh for a two-test series. Despite expectations of a one-sided contest, the first test proved a very close affair with Bangladesh (historically the weakest test-playing nation) scoring more than 400 first-innings runs and bowling Australia out for 269 in the first innings on a very good batting wicket and ultimately setting Australia a challenging 307 for victory. Ponting's men were able to win this match by three wickets. However, in the second match Australia dominated throughout, winning by an innings and 80 runs. In Australia's only innings, Jason Gillespie became the first nightwatchman to score a double century with 201 not out.
[edit] 2006-07 Cricket Australia contracted players
Each year, Cricket Australia's National Selection Panel (NSP) names a list of 25 players which form a core group from which selectors choose Test and One-day International teams for the coming year. Contracted players are paid a base retainer, which is levelled according to a player ranking system decided by the NSP as well as match fees, tour fees and prize money for on-field success.
Un-contracted players remain eligible for selection and can be upgraded to a Cricket Australia contract if they gain regular selection.
The 2006-07 list was announced on May 1, 2006.
| Player | State | Test cap | ODI cap | ODI shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricky Ponting (captain) | Tas | 366 | 123 | 14 |
| Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain) | WA | 381 | 129 | 18 |
| Nathan Bracken | NSW | 387 | 142 | 59 |
| Stuart Clark | NSW | 396 | 153 | 8 |
| Michael Clarke | NSW | 389 | 149 | 23 |
| Dan Cullen | SA | 397 | 159 | 6 |
| Jason Gillespie | SA | 370 | 127 | 4 |
| Brad Haddin | NSW | 144 | 57 | |
| Matthew Hayden | Qld | 359 | 111 | 28 |
| Brad Hodge | Vic | 394 | 154 | 17 |
| Brad Hogg | WA | 367 | 126 | 31 |
| Michael Hussey | WA | 393 | 150 | 48 |
| Phil Jaques | NSW | 395 | 158 | 5 |
| Mitchell Johnson | Qld | 156 | 25 | |
| Michael Kasprowicz | Qld | 369 | 125 | 16 |
| Simon Katich | NSW | 384 | 143 | 13 |
| Justin Langer | WA | 354 | 117 | 21 |
| Brett Lee | NSW | 383 | 140 | 58 |
| Stuart MacGill | NSW | 374 | 141 | 45 |
| Damien Martyn | WA | 353 | 109 | 30 |
| Glenn McGrath | NSW | 358 | 113 | 11 |
| Andrew Symonds | Qld | 388 | 139 | 63 |
| Shaun Tait | SA | 392 | ||
| Shane Warne+ | Vic | 350 | 110 | |
| Shane Watson | Qld | 391 | 148 | 33 |
+Shane Warne has announced his retirement from ODI cricket.
[edit] Significant Dates
- November, 1868: 1868 Aboriginal cricket tour of England
- 15 March, 1877: Test debut
- 28 December 1934: Women's Test team debut
- 5 January 1971: ODI Debut
- 23 June 1973: Women's ODI team debut
[edit] Trivia
- Charles Bannerman faced the first ball in test matches, scored the first runs in test matches and scored the first test century and half-century.
- Charles Bannerman also scored 67.34% of the Australian first innings total in match 1. This record remains to this day as the highest percentage of an innings total that has been scored by a single batsman.
- William Midwinter picked up the first 5 wicket haul in a test innings in match 1.
- Jack Blackham performed the first stumping in Test cricket in match 1.
- Fred Spofforth performed Test cricket's first hat-trick by dismissing Vernon Royle, Francis McKinnon and Tom Emmett in successive balls.
- Fred Spofforth also took the first 10-wicket match haul in Test cricket.
- Australia was the cricket team to first devise and and put in practise the strategy of decapitation.
[edit] See also
- Australian national cricket captains
- Australia A cricket team
- List of Australian Test batsmen who have scored over 5000 Test runs
- List of Australian Test cricketers
- List of Australian ODI cricketers
- List of Australian Test wicket-keepers
- Australian Cricket Hall of Fame
- Allan Border Medal
- Australian women's cricket team
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Cricket Australia - Cricket Australia
