Aussie ODI one-gamers: From Bill Lawry to Jamie Siddons; Ashley Noffke and Dirk Nannes

From Bill Lawry to Jamie Siddons, Phil Emery and Dirk Nannes, Australia has had 20 players who were given a one-off shot in the ODI arena.

Alan Connolly

The Victorian was pretty much a Test regular from his debut against South Africa at the Gabba in 1963 right up until his solitary ODI appearance. With his ability to move the ball in even the most challenging conditions, Connolly was an effective contributor in the longest form of the game, eventually finishing with 102 wickets at an average just under 30. But his ODI debut didn’t go so well. He went wicketless and conceded 64 runs off eight overs. His last match for Australia came a week later in the fifth Test against England at the SCG.

Bill Lawry

If ever a player was born for Test cricket then the former Aussie skipper was it. So his one-time foray into the shorter form had fairly predictable results. His 27 at least got Australia off to a decent start. That it came off 49 balls and didn’t feature a boundary would hardly be surprising to those old enough to remember his doughty technique. Like Connolly, his Australian career was over by the end of the month.

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Graham McKenzie

One of Australia’s greatest Test pace bowlers of all time, it was a pity his skills were never tested in the one-day arena beyond the one game. McKenzie took 246 wickets in 60 Tests and looked poised to overtake Richie Benaud’s Aussie Test record before surprisingly moving to England. It was pretty stock standard McKenzie in the first-ever ODI against England, a couple of wickets and tough to get away.

Alan Thomson

The Victorian made history for taking the first-ever wicket in one-day cricket. His short ball outside off stump was hooked by Geoff Boycott to Bill Lawry at mid-wicket. It was the only contribution he made. Thomson found himself in the right place at the right time. He played just four Tests - all in the 1970-71 season against the Poms - and has the claim to fame as being the new-ball partner for Dennis Lillee in his Test debut.

David Colley

Got the nod for the 1972 Ashes tour, Colley played three Tests before making his solitary one day appearance in the second of the three-match series at Lord’s. It wasn’t particularly memorable. Australia may have won but the NSW medium pacer conceded 72 runs from his 11 overs and didn’t get to bat.

Jeff Hammond

Before Hammond made his name in coaching and administrative circles with South Australia he was an impressive fast bowler who played five Tests in England and West Indies. His lone one-day appearance came in defeat at Edgbaston in 1972. After his late cameo of 15 helped prop up a poor Aussie total, he took 1-41 from nine overs.

Ashley Woodcock

A prolific accumulator of runs for South Australia, Woodcock finally got his chance at international level facing the likes of Sir Richard Hadlee and Lance Cairns in a Test in Adelaide. He scored 27. He was given another look against the Kiwis in the second ODI in Christchurch a few months later. He scored an impressive 53 but never got another shot with the national team.

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Wally Edwards

The future Chairman of Cricket Australia had one of the more undistinguished debuts in one day history and was never sighted again. Picked to open against the Poms at the MCG on New Year’s Day 1975, Edwards was knocked over for just 2 as the hosts struggled to 190. A part-time leggie, Edwards is also credited with bowling just one ball as England won by three wickets.

Terry Jenner

The late leggie was over four years into his Test career when he got his shot at the shorter form of the game. Picked to make his debut in the same game as Wally Edwards, he made 12 and then failed to take a wicket - although his economy rate was pretty decent. Jenner - of course - went on to be a successful coach and was a mentor for Shane Warne.

Jeff Moss

At the height of the Kerry Packer cricket wars, several players got their chance to shine. One of them was the Victorian opener. Moss, who helped Victoria to the Sheffield Shield title in 1978-79, played one Test against Pakistan in Perth in 1979 at age 31 before being selected to go to the 1979 World Cup in England. He played one game, scoring just seven in a heavy defeat to Pakistan.

Dav Whatmore

Whatmore - who has coached Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Zimbabwe - didn’t make much of an impression on the scoreboard in his solitary game but at least it came in an all-too rare win over the mighty West Indies in 1980. Batting at six, he scored only 2 before coming one of Michael Holding’s four victims.

Jamie Siddons

One of the most accomplished players of his generation, it’s a mystery why Siddons wasn’t afforded more chances at international level. He would have played at least two more ODIs had not matches he was in line to play Pakistan in 1988 not been abandoned due to first flooding and then rioting. His lone game came at Lahore and he scored 32 off 37 balls before becoming a victim of Wasim Akram.

Phil Emery

Emery was unfortunate to be around at the same time as Ian Healy and never got the opportunities his wicketkeeping talents deserved. The one time he got a shot was at Lahore in 1994. Coming in the final overs Emery (11) put on an unbeaten partnership of 43 with Michael Bevan. He then took three catches as the Aussies cruised home.

Matthew Elliott

The Victorian opener played 21 Tests and scored 1200 runs yet never got a look in at one-day level beyond one game at Lord’s on the 1997 Ashes tour. Admittedly it didn’t go very well. He contributed just one in Australia’s total of 269. They lost by six wickets.

Ashley Noffke

Did you know that Noffke was selected to go on the Ashes tour of 2001? He played the first two tour games before getting injured in the third and flying home. He was also selected for West Indies tour in 2003 but didn’t play a Test or ODI. Noffke was a victim of Australia having too much talent and instead had to wait until his 30s for his chance. It came in 2008 against India at the Gabba but was a major anti-climax. He took one wicket but didn’t bat as rain hit.

Shane Harwood

The Victorian paceman was the third oldest ODI debutante at age 35 when he faced South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 2009. He didn’t disgrace himself either, taking the wickets of Jacques Kallis and JP Duminy. He also played three T20 matches from 2007 to 2009.

Dirk Nannes

Seen as one of Australia’s greatest T20 bowlers - he played 17 games for Australia and took 28 wickets at an average of 16 - Nannes got his big break (or sorts) in the first-ever ODI against Scotland. He took the opening wicket in Scotland’s run chase - knocking over Fraser Watts - and wasn’t required to do much else.

One (and probably/ definitely not done)

Sean Abbott - Still just 26, the NSW all-rounder made his debut four years ago against Pakistan in Sharjah. He scored 3 and took 1-25 as the Aussies romped to victory.

Chris Lynn (played his second against South Africa on Sunday) - It may be hard to believe but Lynn has still only played once for Australia in the 50-over game. It came against Pakistan at the Gabba last year. He scored 16 off 12 balls before being caught behind. A neck injury forced him out of the next game and not long after another serious shoulder malady left his career at a crossroads.

Sam Heazlett - Plucked out of virtual obscurity to face New Zealand at the beginning of last year, the Queensland middle order batsman’s only contribution came in Auckland where he scored four off 11 balls. The match was memorable for the performance of Marcus Stoinis (146 off 117 balls).