County	Tasmania
Colors	}}

Green Gold & Red

|coach = Tim Coyle |captain = George Bailey |founded = 1851 |ground = Bellerive Oval |capacity = 16,000 |fcdebutvs = Victoria |fcdebutyr = 1851 |fcdebutvenue = Launceston |title1 = Sheffield Shield |title1wins = 2 |title2 = Ford Ranger Cup |title2wins = 4 |title3 = KFC Twenty20 Big Bash |title3wins = 0 |website = Tasmanian Tigers }}

The Tasmanian Tigers represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and the domestic Twenty20 competition known as the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. Should they win the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash they would qualify for the international Twenty20 Champions League, but they have not yet done so.

The Tasmanian Tigers are administered and selected by the Tasmanian Cricket Association (TCA) which was founded in 1906. However Tasmania had representative sides prior to the establishment of the TCA. Tasmania played in the very first first-class cricket match in Australia against Victoria in 1851, which they won by three wickets. Despite winning their first match, and producing many fine cricketers in the late nineteenth century, Tasmania was overlooked when the participants in Australian first-class tournament known as the Sheffield Shield were chosen in 1892. For nearly eighty years the Tasmanian side played an average of only two or three first-class matches per year, usually against one of the mainland Australian teams, or warm-up matches against a touring international test team.

Tasmania were finally admitted to regular competitions when they became a founding member of the Gillette Cup domestic one day cricket tournament upon its inception in 1969. They have performed well in it, particularly recently, winning it four times, in 1978–79, 2004–05, 2007–08 and in 2009–10, making them current champions. They have also been runners-up twice, in 1977–78 and 1986–87. It took a further eight seasons before Tasmania were admitted into the Sheffield Shield in 1977–78, and it was initially on a reduced fixtures list, giving them little hope of competing on an even footing, or challenging for the title. By the 1979–80 season, they had become full participants, and slowly progressed towards competitiveness within the tournament. The Tigers won their long-awaited first Sheffield Shield in the 2006–07 season—after almost 30 years in the competition—and their second five years later in 2010–11. They have also been runner-up three times, in 1993–94, 1997–98, and 2001–02. The Tigers were also runners-up in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash in 2006–07, but have yet to win that tournament.

The Tasmanian Tigers play their limited overs cricket in a predominantly green uniform, with red and gold as their secondary colours, and have a Tasmanian Tiger as their team logo. They play home matches at Bellerive Oval, Clarence on Hobart's Eastern Shore, though matches are occasionally played at venues in Devonport and Launceston.

Home grounds

Tasmania have traditionally played cricket both in the state capital Hobart, and Launceston which is the largest city in the north of the state. Cricket was first played on open ground in Hobart, but soon dedicated fields began to be laid out. One such field was the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain. Although it wasn't officially opened until 1880, cricket had been played on the site prior to this. From the 1880s however, it became home to both the Tasmanian Cricket Association and the state's first-class side. To ensure equal access to the population in the north, Tasmania would often also play home matches at the NTCA Ground in Launceston, which had also hosted the first-ever first-class match in Australia, between Tasmania and Victoria in 1851.

When Tasmania was admitted to the Gillette Cup for the 1969–70 season, they began to spread the matches to a third venue, Devonport Oval in Devonport. The TCA Ground had remained the Tasmanian team's official home ground though.

During the re-branding process of the early 1990s, the TCA was faced with a dilemma about their ground. The TCA Ground had a reputation for poor soil and windy conditions, and games were often played in blustery condition with chilly winds blowing off nearby Mount Wellington. The decision was made to move both the offices of the Tasmanian Cricket Association, and the official home ground to Bellerive Oval in Clarence. The decision was a wise one, as it saw test cricket introduced to the state for the first time, and coincided with an improvement in results for the Tasmanian side.

Logos, colours and shirts

It is not known what colour caps the first first-class sides of Tasmania wore. Sometime towards the middle of the 19th century, the state had also adopted dark green, red, and gold as the states unofficial colours, and these have persisted in used by state representative sporting teams since then. Bottle green has occasionally been used in the place of dark green.

The cricket team quickly adopted dark green as their cap colour, and although this is similar to the more iconic Baggy green cap worn by the national side, the use of it by Tasmania pre-dates the national side doing so. Soon after the development of the flag of Tasmania in 1876, the red lion-passant that is featured in the state badge upon the fly was also adopted to feature upon the cap badge.

This cap, in dark green with a red lion upon a white disk was in use throughout the late nineteenth, and most of the twentieth centuries. In 1991 the Tasmanian Cricket Association re-branded and modernised its business structure, at the same time taking on a new logo to publicly show the modernisation of its organisation. The new logo featured a thylacine, a well known symbol of the state in front of a red and dark green background, with three strips rising from its back, symbolic of three stumps in front of a large golden ball. This logo was used to replace the lion on the front of the cap that had served for 120 years.

In the 1995–96 season, all of the domestic sides in Australia re-branded with nicknamed monikers in the style of American sports franchises. It was a practice common in the countries football codes, but previously never done in cricket anywhere in the world. The Tasmanian cricket team naturally chose to adopt the Tasmanian Tiger as its animal representation, and changed the cap badge once again. The new logo featured a thylacine's face on a triangular logo, with three strips across one of the ears.

Squad

Players with international caps are listed in bold. style="text-align:center"George Bailey (cricketer)Ricky PontingAlex DoolanAshton MayEd CowanMark CosgroveEvan GulbisNick Kruger style="text-align:center"Luke ButterworthJames Faulkner (cricketer)Matthew Day (cricketer)Matt Johnston (cricketer) style="text-align:center"Tom Triffitt style="text-align:center"Ben HilfenhausBrendan DrewXavier DohertyJackson BirdSam RainbirdSandy RogersMarc SimondsJeremy Smith (cricketer)

No.	Name	Nat	Birth date	Batting Style	Bowling Style	Notes
colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right	Batsmen
style="text-align:center"	7	Steven Cazzulino	||	February 01, 1987	Left-handed	–
style="text-align:center"	10	George Bailey ||		September 07, 1982	Right-handed	Fast bowling>medium	Captain (cricket)>Captain
style="text-align:center"	14	|		December 19, 1974	Right-handed	Fast bowling>medium	Cricket Australia contract
style="text-align:center"	15	|		November 29, 1985	Right-handed	–
style="text-align:center"	20	|		August 07, 1989	Right-handed	Fast bowling>medium	Rookie
style="text-align:center"	27	|		June 16, 1982	Left-handed	Right arm leg break
style="text-align:center"	99	|		June 14, 1984	Left-handed	Fast bowling>medium
style="text-align:center"	??	|		March 20, 1986	Right-handed	Fast bowling>medium
style="text-align:center"	??	|		August 14, 1983	Left-handed	Fast bowling>medium
colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right	All-rounders
style="text-align:center"	1	Jason Krejza	||	January 14, 1983	Right-handed	Right arm off break	Cricket Australia contract
style="text-align:center"	18	|		October 28, 1983	Left-handed	Fast bowling>fast-medium
style="text-align:center"	25	James Faulkner ||		April 29, 1990	Right-handed	Fast bowling>fast-medium
style="text-align:center"	31	Matthew Day ||		September 22, 1987	Right-handed	Fast bowling>fast-medium
style="text-align:center"	??	Matt Johnston ||		October 15, 1985	Left-handed	Fast bowling>medium
colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right	Wicket-keepers
style="text-align:center"	8	Tim Paine	||	December 08, 1984	Right-handed	–	Cricket Australia contract
style="text-align:center"	19	|		November 13, 1990	Right-handed	–	Rookie
colspan="7" style="background: #DCDCDC" align=right	Bowlers
style="text-align:center"	11	Adam Maher (cricketer)>Adam Maher	||	November 14, 1981	Right-handed	Fast bowling>fast-medium
style="text-align:center"	16	|		March 15, 1983	Right-handed	Fast bowling>fast-medium	Cricket Australia contract
style="text-align:center"	21	|		December 16, 1983	Right-handed	Fast bowling>fast-medium
style="text-align:center"	24	|		November 22, 1982	Left-handed	Left-arm orthodox spin>Slow left-arm orthodox	Cricket Australia contract
style="text-align:center"	??	|		December 11, 1986	Right-handed	Fast bowling>fast-medium
style="text-align:center"	??	|		June 05, 1992	Right-handed	Fast bowling>medium-fast	Rookie
style="text-align:center"	??	|					Rookie
style="text-align:center"	??	|		November 25, 1993	Right-handed	Right arm Leg break	Rookie
style="text-align:center"	??	Jeremy Smith ||		October 23, 1988	Right-handed	Fast bowling>fast-medium	Rookie

Source(s): Cricinfo , Cricket Tasmania

History

Introduction of cricket to Tasmania

Cricket almost certainly has been played in Tasmania since the time of European settlement in 1803. It was a popular pastime among marines, who were responsible for security in the fledgling colony. The first recorded match is known to have taken place in 1806, although it is most likely that unrecorded matches were already being played at this time. According to the colony's chaplain, and famed diarist, Robert Knopwood by 1814 the game had become very popular, especially around the festive season at Christmas.

By the 1820s there had still not been any official club organisation, but matches were being played on a regular basis. Cricket is recorded as having been played in the settlements at Richmond, Clarence Plains, Kempton, Sorell, in the Macquarie Valley west of Campbell Town, Westbury, Evandale, Longford and Hadspen.

Many of these matches seem to have been organised between hotel licensees in order to create profits through the sale of food and beverages, and through betting on the outcome. One such match that was arranged in March 1826 by Joseph Bowden, the hotelier of the Lamb Inn on Brisbane Street was played for a winner's purse of 50 guineas between “Eleven Gentlemen from the Counties of Sussex and Kent against the choice of the whole Island of Van Diemen’s Land”.

There is no evidence to suggest an "official cricket season" during the first two decades of the colony, and many of these games initially seem to have been played around June and July, to coincide with the traditional English cricket season, rather than the Tasmanian summer. Accounts of such matches suggest games were often played in atrocious conditions due to winter rains and cold conditions. But by the 1830s, logic had prevailed and cricket seems to have reverted to the southern summer months. Club cricket had also become well-established by the 1830s. One of the earliest men responsible for organising cricket within the colony was John Marshall, who was established the Hobart Town Club soon after his arrival from England. Soon the Derwent Club had been formed, and in 1841, the Launceston Cricket Club was formed, making it the oldest surviving cricket club in Tasmania, and second oldest in Australia. Cricket had soon also spread into many regional settlements throughout the Colony of Tasmania, making it one of the most popular pastimes there. Some matches were played as part of district festivals, with large banquets following play.

Beginnings of first-class cricket in Australia

By the late 1840s organised cricket was doing well in both Hobart and Launceston, and was spreading throughout the colony. In 1850 the first "North" versus "South" match was held in Oatlands, midway between Hobart and Launceston, and won by the South. The success of the match prompted promoters to organise an inter-colonial match, and the inaugural first-class cricket match played in Tasmania, which was also the first ever first-class cricket match in Australia, was played in 1851 between Victoria and Tasmania in Launceston at the Launceston Racecourse. The game was billed as "The Gentlemen of Port Phillip versus the Gentlemen of Van Diemen's Land". The game featured four-ball overs and no boundaries, attracted a crowd of about 2500 spectators, and it was a timeless match, but only lasted for two days. Tasmania emerged victorious by three wickets.

Geographic and social isolation

Despite winning the first ever first-class match in the Australian colonies, Tasmania felt its geographic isolation in the form of a lack of competition. Few touring sides wished to undertake the long sea journey to the island in the late 19th century. The game also developed more slowly, with Tasmanian clubs maintaining a belief in amateurism at a time when mainland clubs were turning to professionals to further their development. Also a lack of innovation stymied progress. The Victorian side that visited in 1858 had adopted the new round arm form of bowling, and it demolished the Tasmanian batting order unused to the technique. The population decline of the 1850s as Tasmanians moved to the Victorian goldfields also had a negative effect on the quality of players Tasmania could select.

Despite the problems facing Tasmanian cricket, local teams did occasionally play against competitive sides. The English tourists of 1861–62, played against Tasmania, winning by four wickets. Tasmania played against Victoria three times in the early 1870s, but lost all three matches, convincing the Victorians that Tasmania was not suitably competitive. Tasmania did not play another first-class match until 1877, when it travelled to Adelaide to take on South Australia.

The 1880s provided better progress for the colony. In 1880 the TCA Ground had been established, providing a permanent ground to play on in the colony's capital, Hobart. The establishment of an organised regular local competition led to improvement in the quality of players. John Davies, owner of local newspaper ''The Mercury'', was a keen cricket fan, and through personal connections, he arranged various touring English sides to visit the colony, and victory for Tasmania against the English tourists in 1887–88 led to Victoria resuming competition with Tasmania.

In the 1890s, the colony was playing representative cricket against Victoria almost every year, and occasionally against New South Wales as well. The colony could also boast genuinely first-class quality players, such as Kenneth Burn, Charles Eady, and Edward Windsor, the first two of whom played test cricket for Australia. However, the retirement of Eady and Burn by 1910, and in-fighting between Hobart and Launceston again threatened first-class cricket in Tasmania. The outbreak of World War I also saw a large loss of playing talent, killed on the battlefields. Cricket was suspended during the war, and did not resume until 1923, albeit with severe financial problems.

Sheffield Shield wilderness

Following World War I, Tasmanian representative sides usually had to content themselves with matches against touring international sides during brief stopovers, while they travelled by ship to mainland capitals. Occasionally Tasmania would play the odd game against mainland state sides, but it was usually only one first-class match per season.

The inter-war years proved a period of consolidation for Tasmania, as the state struggled to recover from the devastation of the war. Club cricket was hampered by rivalry between the south, north and north-west. Several exceptional cricketers emerged in this period, such as Laurie Nash, Jack Badcock, though a lack of opportunity led many to pursue cricket careers on the mainland. The quality of cricket in Tasmania varied from time to time, but after World War II the standard was high. Cricket resumed much faster than it had done after World War I, and excellent players such as Ronald Morrisby, Emerson Rodwell, and Bernard Considine emerged. This prompted moves to be made by the Tasmanian Cricket Association for further matches and recognition.

Despite the skills of Rodwell and Terence Cowley, Tasmania struggled to beat Victoria in the 1950s. As a result, the Victorian Cricket Association decided to end the regular matches against Tasmania, and the English tourists also decided to downgrade matches against the state to second-class status. As a result, the Tasmanian Cricket Association made a first attempt to join the Sheffield Shield in 1964, but was rejected. The Australian Cricket Board of Control outlined areas in which the state's administration would need to be improved before Tasmania could participate in the Shield. Despite this, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia supported Tasmania by sending full-strength sides to take on the state as warm-ups to their Shield campaigns over the following few years. When the domestic one day competition was established in 1969, Tasmania was granted full playing status.

The arrival of Lancashire all rounder Jack Simmons in the 1972–73 season proved a turning point in the fortunes of the team. His inspirational captaincy lifted the competitiveness of Tasmania. In the 1974–75 and 1975–76 seasons, Tasmania were losing semi-finalists in the Gillette Cup. The Tasmanian team was finally admitted to the Sheffield Shield by the Australian Cricket Board in 1977 on a two-year trial basis, although it played a reduced roster in comparison to the other states. Tasmania's points on the ladder were calculated at x5 and /9 due to the fact they only played each other state once (instead of twice) during the season. A famous victory by 84 runs at the TCA Ground against the Indian tourists in 1977 helped the TCA to convince mainland cricket authorities that Tasmanian cricket was nationally competitive.

National competitiveness

Simmons had proved an inspirational captain for Tasmania, and although the side only won one of the twelve first-class matches under his leadership, that had more to do with the quality of the homegrown players at the time. His List A cricket record was more successful, leading Tasmania to six victories in eleven matches. He also assisted the TCA in modernising the administration of cricket in the state.

After making the Gillette Cup semi-finals in the 1974–75, and 75–76 seasons, Tasmania qualified for the final for the first time in the 1977–78 season, but lost to Western Australia at the WACA Ground by seven wickets. A surprise victory came the following year in the 1978–79 Gillette Cup domestic one-day competition, in a repeat of the previous year's final. The game was played at the TCA Ground in Hobart, and the home ground advantage proved decisive, with Tasmania beating Western Australia by 47 runs. Within a fortnight Tasmania had won their first Sheffield Shield match, again beating Western Australia, this time by four wickets in Devonport. The victory showed the mainland states Tasmania was capable of competing among the nation's best.

The presence of the Simmons, and the 1978–79 Gillette Cup victory had brought attention to Tasmanian cricket, and soon other international professionals joined the state for brief stints to both help out Tasmania's development, and gain further experience in Australian conditions. Michael Holding, Winston Davis, Patrick Patterson, Richard Hadlee and Denis Lillee were among the more notable players to represent Tasmania in the late 1970s and early '80s.

After finally being admitted to the Sheffield Shield permanently, the Tasmanian side initially struggled for success and consistency, and were the competition's whipping-boys throughout the 1980s and early '90s. The rise of a local hero in the form of David Boon, who by 1984 had achieved international fame, showed the country, and the world, that Tasmanian cricket was here to stay. Wicket-keeper Roger Woolley also briefly rose to prominence, representing Australia in two tests, and four One Day Internationals in 1983–84. The pair had become the first Tasmanians to represent Australia at test level since Charles Eady in 1910.

Despite their skills, the Tasmanian side struggled to win throughout this period. Regardless of the lack of competitive success, one exceptionally bright point came with the unearthing of a rare talent in Ricky Ponting, who would go on to become one of the world's best batsmen.

Tasmanian Tigers era

A reshuffle in the administration and organisation of the TCA in 1991 did not have an immediate effect, but the mid 1990s brought a more professional approach, and the state's side re-branded as the Tasmanian Tigers, and with a new headquarters in the renovated Bellerive Oval, the state finally started to achieve more regular success. The side surged to the final for the first time in 1993–94, only to lose to New South Wales, but showed they were capable of successes at first class level. The 1997–98 season saw the Tiger's qualify for the final off the back off a remarkable six straight victories, and they were desperately unlucky not to win the competition after such dominance.

In the late 1990s Tasmania continued to produce top level cricketers. Players such as Jamie Cox, Dene Hills, Shaun Young and Michael Di Venuto became stars of the state side, and can all be considered unlucky not to have found a place in the Australian side.

Recent successes

The Tigers continue to remain competitive in all forms of the Australian domestic game, and in 2006–07 were successful in claiming their first-ever Sheffield Shield title. Five years later, they won the Shield a second time in 2010–11. The Tigers have also qualified for the final on three occasions in 1993–94, 1997–98, and 2001–02, but at the time were unable to win the title.

The Tigers have fared better in the Ford Ranger Cup, winning it four times in 1978–79, 2004–05, 2007–08, and in 2009–10, making them the current champions. They have also been runners-up twice in 1977–78, and 1986–87. The Tigers were also unlucky to finish as runners-up in the second season of the Australian domestic Twenty20 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash competition in 2006–07.

Tasmania's recent successes at domestic level have been reflected in selection for the Australian national cricket team. Spinner Jason Krejza played two tests on the back of solid performances for the state, but failed to impress at international level. Brett Geeves was selected in the One Day International squad for 2008, and has since gone on to also play in the Indian Premier League. Fast-bowler Ben Hilfenhaus was included in the national squad for the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and a tour of India, before making his test cricket debut in South Africa in 2009. During the 2009 Ashes series, wicket-keeper Tim Paine was called into the squad as a late replacement for injured reserve wicket-keeper Graham Manou.

Cricket Australia encouraged the state sides to recruit a foreign star for the 2009/10 season, in order to boost the appeal of the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash internationally. Tasmania pulled off one of the biggest coups in this recruitment programme, when they signed Sri Lankan star Lasith Malinga. Disappointingly for the Tigers, Malinga was forced to withdraw due to a change in international commitments for the Sri Lankan side. On 16 November 2009, Cricket Tasmania announced that Dimitri Mascarenhas would replace Malinga as Tasmania's overseas player for the 2009/10 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.. However Rana Naved-Ul-Hasan played instead of Mascarenhas. Ul-Hasan also played the following season of the Big Bash.

Notable players

Tasmanian Captains

All former players

Other notable former players

Keith Bradshaw

Kenneth Burn

Greg Campbell

Troy Cooley

Joe Darling

Winston Davis

Charles Eady

Richard Hadlee

John Hampshire

Neil Hawke

Michael Holding

David Hughes

Khalid Ibadulla

Tom Kendall

Alan Knott

Peter Lever

Dennis Lillee

Scott Mason

Rod McCurdy

George Palmer

Patrick Patterson

Mark Ridgway

Gavin Robertson

Franklyn Stephenson

Shane Watson

Dirk Wellham

Neil Williams

Tasmanian Hall of Fame

Jack Simmons (1972–1979)

Roger Woolley (1977–1988)

David Boon (1978–1999)

Brian Davison (1979–1988)

Peter Clough (1980–1984)

Danny Buckingham (1983–1992)

Jamie Cox (1987–2006)

Rod Tucker (1989–1996)

Dene Hills (1991–2001)

Shaun Young (1991–2001)

Colin Miller (1992–2000)

Ricky Ponting (1992–)

Michael Di Venuto (1992–2008)

Gillette Cup Team (1978–79)

Pura Cup Team (2006–07)

Daniel Marsh (1996–)

Coaches

Greg Shipperd

Brian McFadyen (2002–2005)

Tim Coyle (2005 – present)

Records

Team Records

Honours

Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup Champions: 2

:: 2006–07, 2010–11

Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup Runner-up (since introduction of final in 1982–83): 3

:: 1993–94, 1997–98, 2001–02

Domestic One-Day Cup Champions: 4

:: 1978–79, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10

Domestic One-Day Cup Runner-up: 2

:: 1977–78, 1986–87

Domestic Twenty20 Cup Champions: 0

::

Domestic Twenty20 Cup Runner-up: 1

:: 2006–07

See also

Tasmania in the 2009-10 domestic Ford Ranger Cup and Twenty20 cricket competitions

References

External links

Official website for The Tasmanian Tigers

Cricket Archive Tasmania (First-class)

Cricket Archive Tasmania (List A)

Cricket Archive Tasmania (Twenty20)

Further reading

R Page, ''A history of Tasmanian cricket'', Hobart, [1957]

R Finlay, ''Island Summers'', Hobart, 1992.

Category:Sporting clubs in Tasmania Category:Cricket in Tasmania

fr:Tasmanian Tigers ko:태즈매니언 타이거스 id:Tasmanian Tigers ja:タスマニアン・タイガーズ pt:Tasmanian Tigers

playername	Phillip Hughes
country	Australia
fullname	Phillip Joel Hughes
nickname	Hughesy
living	true
dayofbirth	30
monthofbirth	11
yearofbirth	1988
placeofbirth	Macksville, New South Wales
countryofbirth	Australia
heightm	1.67
batting	Left-hand bat
bowling	Right-arm off-break
role	Opener
international	true
testdebutdate	26 February
testdebutyear	2009
testdebutagainst	South Africa
testcap	408
lasttestdate	3 January
lasttestyear	2011
lasttestagainst	England
club1	Hampshire
year1	2010–present
clubnumber1	29
club2	Middlesex
year2	2009
club3	New South Wales
year3	2007–present
clubnumber3	22
club4	Sydney Thunder
year4	2011–present
columns	4
column1	Test
matches1	10
runs1	712
bat avg1	39.55
100s/50s1	2/2
top score1	160
deliveries1	0
wickets1	–
bowl avg1	–
fivefor1	–
tenfor1	–
best bowling1	–
catches/stumpings1	3/–
column2	FC
matches2	56
runs2	4,932
bat avg2	51.37
100s/50s2	16/25
top score2	198
deliveries2	18
wickets2	0
bowl avg2	–
fivefor2	0
tenfor2	0
best bowling2	0/3
catches/stumpings2	37/–
column3	LA
matches3	44
runs3	1,471
bat avg3	37.71
100s/50s3	2/9
top score3	138
deliveries3	0
wickets3	–
bowl avg3	–
fivefor3	–
tenfor3	–
best bowling3	–
catches/stumpings3	15/–
column4	T20
matches4	17
runs4	527
bat avg4	37.64
100s/50s4	0/4
top score4	83
deliveries4	0
wickets4	–
bowl avg4	–
fivefor4	–
tenfor4	–
best bowling4	–
catches/stumpings4	10/–
date	25 July
year	2011
source	http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/272364.html Cricinfo }}

Phillip Joel Hughes (born 30 November 1988) is an Australian cricketer. He is a left-handed opening batsman who is widely considered to be one of the most promising prospects for Australia's future. He made his Test debut at the age of 20 after just two seasons with New South Wales.

Early life and junior career

Hughes was born in Macksville, a small town on the north coast of New South Wales, to parents Greg and Virginia. The son of a banana farmer and an Italian mother, Hughes was also a talented rugby league player who once played alongside Australian rugby league international Greg Inglis. He played his junior cricket for Macksville R.S.L Cricket Club, where he excelled so quickly that he was playing A-Grade at the age of 12. At the age of 17, Hughes moved from Macksville to Sydney to play for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket while he attended Homebush Boys High. He scored 141* on his grade debut and enjoyed a solid 2006–07 season scoring 752 runs at an average of 35.81 with a highest score of 142*. He represented Australia at the Under-19s World Cup in 2007. He was coached at Activate Cricket Centre in Mortlake.

First-class career

After scoring runs prolifically for New South Wales youth teams and Western Suburbs in Grade Cricket, Hughes was handed a rookie contract by New South Wales for the 2007–08 season. After scores of 51 and 137 for the New South Wales Second XI against Victoria's Second XI, Hughes was rewarded with a call up by Blues selectors to make his first-class debut. He played his first senior game against Tasmania on 20 November 2007 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. At 18 years and 355 days, Hughes was the youngest New South Wales debutant since Michael Clarke in 1999. In a comfortable victory for New South Wales, Hughes opened the batting and got his career off to a solid start, scoring a fluent 51 and taking 2 catches.

Hughes had an outstanding debut season for New South Wales, playing 7 matches and scoring 559 runs at an average of 62.11 with 1 century and 6 fifties. The highlight of Hughes' excellent season came in New South Wales' Pura Cup final victory over Victoria. He scored 116 off 175 balls in the Blues' second innings to help put his team in a commanding position. At 19 years of age, this innings made him the youngest ever player to score a century in a Pura Cup final. Hughes was rewarded for his achievements by winning the New South Wales Rising Star Award and earning an upgrade to a full state contract for the 2008–09 season.

He was signed by Middlesex on a short-term contract, as cover for Murali Kartik for the beginning of the 2009 English cricket season. He was available for first six weeks of the season, and played in three County Championship matches, all eight of Middlesex's Friends Provident Trophy group matches and the first few matches in the Panthers' defence of the Twenty20 Cup. In most other years, a contract for the opening six weeks of the season would involve playing 4–6 Championship matches, some but not all FPT matches and no Twenty20, but the scheduling for 2009 has to accommodate ICC World Twenty20 and the eventually-cancelled Stanford Super Series. It has been noted that despite Hughes holding an Italian passport by virtue of his Italian mother, Middlesex resisted signing Hughes up as a Kolpak player and instead signed him as a foreign player. He enjoyed strong success in England, scoring 574 runs in his three first-class matches, including three hundreds, at an average of 143.50. Of his time at Middlesex, he commented "I thoroughly enjoyed it and the preparation has been great. The big thing that came out of it was that I played at three Test grounds I'm going to be playing on and got to experience them before this big series coming up. Lord's was my home ground there for Middlesex and I played at The Oval as well and Edgbaston. It couldn't have really worked out any better. The big thing was just going over there to experience the whole different culture really, the weather, the wickets and the bowlers as well."

Hughes hit back to back hundreds at the end of the 2010/11 season to earn Hilditch's praise. In his last two first class matches for NSW in the 2010/11 season he scored 54,115,138, and 93. Australia chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch stated "I was thrilled for Phil, I think he turned the corner the last game. I spent a bit of time with him before the last Shield game and he seemed to be in a really good place. Having had a tough season, to emerge like he has is a credit to him."

List A career

Less than a week after his debut in first-class cricket, on 28 November 2007, Hughes made his List A debut against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. While he was not originally scheduled to play the match, sickness to Australian opening batsman Phil Jaques handed him the spot. Just as he did in his first-class debut, Hughes passed 50 but was eventually dismissed for 68, top scoring for New South Wales in a "controlled" display. After New South Wales' wicket-keeper Brad Haddin was struck in the head by a top edge, Hughes took on the 'keeping duties for nine overs. On 17 May 2009, Hughes made his first limited overs century, scoring 119 for Middlesex against Warwickshire.

Australian Test career

After consistently making runs at domestic level, Hughes was called up to replace Matthew Hayden on Australia's tour of South Africa in February and March 2009. He was selected to make his debut in the first Test match starting on 26 February 2009 at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg after making 53, then retiring, in Australia's tour match against the South African Board President's XI. He was dismissed for a duck in his first Test innings by Dale Steyn off just the fourth ball of the match, however he went on to top-score with 75 in the second innings, including 11 fours and a six.

Hughes hit his maiden Test hundred in the first innings of the second Test at the Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban on 6 March 2009, bringing up his hundred with a four and consecutive sixes from a Paul Harris over. He added another hundred in the second Innings. In doing so, Hughes, at the age of 20 years and 96 days, became both the youngest Australian since Doug Walters to score a Test century, and the youngest player from any country to score a century in both innings of a Test match. During the 2009 Ashes campaign, Hughes' unorthodox technique was exploited by fast bowlers, who targeted his upper body, and avoided bowling wide outside off stump, restricting his opportunities to play shots through the offside, most notably the cut shot. He was dropped from the team, for the third Edgbaston Test in favour of Shane Watson, who opened the batting in his place and provided the Australians with an extra bowling option.

He has since been the first choice of cover batsman for the Australians. A call-up for the Boxing Day Test match to cover for Ricky Ponting came first, and then a break through at the New Year's Test. Hughes, at his home ground was chosen to replace Simon Katich, who suffered an elbow injury. In the first innings Hughes was dropped first ball, but failed to make use of the opportunity, getting out for a duck. In the second innings he was involved in a century opening stand with Shane Watson. Hughes made 37 before he was out to a brilliant catch from Danish Kaneria.

Hughes was called up to the Test squad for the tour of New Zealand in March 2010. An injury to Shane Watson meant he was included in the playing XI for the first Test. Hughes once again failed to make use of the opportunity in the first innings, giving Brent Arnel his first Test wicket, making just 20. However in the second innings Hughes bolted out of the blocks to make 86 of just 75 balls, as Australia chased down the total of 105 with ten wickets to spare.

Later he was dropped from the 2010–2011 Ashes squad but was called up again as a replacement for Simon Katich who was nursing an Achilles injury which he sustained during the Ashes. Andrew Hilditch remarked on the eve of the fifth Ashes test match held at the SCG:

"Phillip Hughes has already proved that he has the ability to score hundreds at the international level. He has great potential and the [selection panel] is very interested in him being a member of our team. While we are yet to see that big score this series, we have seen some good signs during the last two test matches, and we are really confident that he will be able to cement his position through a weight of runs going forward."

Awards

New South Wales Rising Star Award: 2007

Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: 2009

Sheffield Shield Player of the Year: 2008/09

External links

Player Profile: Phillip Hughes from the New South Wales Blues

References

Category:Australian cricketers Category:Australia Test cricketers Category:Australian people of Italian descent Category:Middlesex cricketers Category:New South Wales cricketers Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Hampshire cricketers

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