Almanac Teams: Bangladesh, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe debuts

 

 

After the teams I did for each test ground I will do Australian Teams touring

With the Sri Lanka Tests series starting next week I will do Sri Lanka however there was not enough players, so I have added Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe

The reason for the combination is while Sri Lanka and New Zealand had enough debutants Australia.

The team is a blend of best players in the XI with some that also had a great debut.

I will give a little description on why I chose that player.

I looked forward to all correspondence.

 

 

Highlights of the teams are.

 

• Nine Australians debuted in New Zealand while 17 New Zealanders debuted against Australia in New Zealand. Seven Australians did so in Sri Lanka and 14 Sri Lankans debuted. One Australian made his debut in Bangladesh as did one Bangladeshi against Australia and while no Australians have debuted in Zimbabwe one Zimbabwean cricketer did debut against Australia in Zimbabwe.
• There are no debut hundreds or five wicket hauls on debut in New Zealand, Bangladesh, or Zimbabwe
• There is one Australian debut hundred in Sri Lanka and two five wicket hauls on debut in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had one Test debut hundred in Sri Lanka and two debut five wicket hauls on debut – though they were by the same bowler.

 

 

Australian XI

 

Shaun Marsh

Ian Johnson – (C)

Colin McCool

Keith Miller

Andrew Symonds

Ray Lindwall – (VC)

Don Tallon

Ryan Harris

Tom Hogan

Nathan Lyon

Ernie Toshack

Twelfth Man – Dan Cullen

 

 

Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka

 

Craig Cumming

Dhananjaya de Silva

Martin Crowe

Kamindu Mendis

Henry Nicholls

Romesh Kaluwitharana

Rangana Herath

Prabath Jayasuriya

Shaminda Eranga

Lakshan Sandakan

Rangana Herath

Muttiah Murailitharan

Twelfth Man – Vishwa Fernando

 

 

Australia

 

Shaun Marsh – Pallekele 2011

141

38 Tests, 2,265 Runs, Average 34.31, Highest Score 182

Shaun is the son of Geoff and brother of Mitch and made his first class debut at 17. While Marsh and Johnson were not opening bats, they did at one stage bat at number 3 in a Test.

 

Ian Johnson – Wellington 1946

7*

45 Tests, 1,000 Runs, Average 18.51, Highest Score 77, 109 Wickets at 29.19, Best Bowling 7/44

Johnson had been dropped for the 1953 Ashes tour to England but was appointed Australian captain in 1954. He led Australia in 17 Tests until 1957. Johnson later became secretary of the MCC for 26 years.

 

Colin McCool – Wellington 1946

7 and 1/0

14 Tests, 459 Runs, Average 35.30, Highest Score 104*, 36 Wickets, at 26.61, Best Bowling 5/41

McCool was one of many all-rounders Australia had late 1940s and ’50s. McCool toured with the 1948 Invincibles but did not play a Test.

 

 

 

Keith Miller – Wellington 1946

30 and 2/6

55 Tests, 2,958 Runs, Average 36.97, Highest Score 147, 170 Wickets at 22.97, Best Bowling 7/60

Miller was a natural star in most endeavours he tried. Miller played 50 games for St Kilda and kicked eight goals in a game in 1941. He was in the air force during World War 2 in Europe and once made this famous quote about comparing war and cricket: ‘Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not’. Miller trained for his RAAF duties at Mount Breckan, Victor Harbor – a place shown to me by my great father-in-law Jim. On the 1948 Invincibles tour Miller had a close friendship with Princess Margaret.

 

Andrew Symonds – Galle 2004

0 and 24 and 1/68

26 Tests, 1,462 Runs, Average 40.61, Highest Score 162*, 24 Wickets at 37.33, Best Bowling 3/50

Symonds was born in the UK and his adoptive parents moved the family to Australia when he was three months of age. Symonds started his career with Queensland in 1993 and played for Gloucestershire in 1995. In 1995 Symonds was selected for England A tour to Pakistan but declined as he wanted to play for Australia.

 

Ray Lindwall – Wellington 1946

0 and 1/13 and 1/16

61 Tests, 1,502 Runs, Average 21.15, Highest Score 118, 228 Wickets at 23.03, Best Bowling 7/38

Lindwall played 31 games of rugby league for St George from 1940-1946. He also captained Australia against India in India in 1956 when Ian Johnson and Keith Miller missed due to injury.

 

Don Tallon – Wellington 1946

5 and 1 Catch and 1 Stumping

21 Tests, 394 Runs, Average 17.13, Highest Score 92, 50 Catches and 8 Stumpings

Tallon was the first choice wicketkeeper for the 1948 Invincibles tour.

 

Ryan Harris – Wellington 2010

2/42 and 4/77

27 Tests, 603 Runs, Average 21.53, Highest Score 74, 113 Wickets at 23.52, Best Bowling 7/117

Harris is a dual citizen of the UK due to his father being born in Leicester. Harris is one of only four bowlers who debuted after the age of 30 to take 100 Test wickets. The others are Clarrie Grimmett, Dilip Doshi and Saeed Ajmal.

 

Tom Hogan – Kandy 1983

1/50 and 5/66

7 Tests, 205 Runs, Average 18.63, Highest Score 42*, 15 Wickets at 47.06, Best Bowling 5/66

Hogan was a member of South Africa rebel tours.

 

Nathan Lyon – Galle 2011

0* and 13 and 5/34 and 1/73

134 Tests, 1,593 Runs, Average 12.84, Highest Score 47, 539 Wickets at 30.59, Best Bowling 8/50

Lyon top scored with 14 in Australia innings of 47 against South Africa, this while batting at Number 11. In the second Test against England in 2023 Ashes Lyon became the first bowler to play 100 consecutive Test matches. Unfortunately in this Test he suffered a groin injury.

 

Ernie Toshack – Wellington 1946

4/12 and 2/6

12 Tests, 73 Runs, Average 14.60, Highest Score 20*, 47 Wickets at 21.04, Best Bowling 6/29

Against India at Brisbane in 1947 Toshack bowled 2.3 overs for 5/2 (a wicket every five balls).

 

 

Dan Cullen – Chattogram 2006

1/25 and 0/29

1 Test, 1 Wicket at 54

Cullen’s twin brother is professional golfer Nick who won the 2014 Australian Masters.

 

 

 

Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka

 

Craig Cumming – Christchurch 2005

74 and 7

11 Tests, 441 Runs, Average 25,94, Highest Score 74

Cumming is head coach of English women’s club The Blaze.

 

Dhananjaya de Silva – Pallekele 2016

24 and 36 and 1/12

61 Tests, 4,011 Runs, Average 40.11, Highest Score 173, 40 Wickets at 55.52, Best Bowling 3/25

De Silva was appointed Test captain in February 2024.

 

 

 

Martin Crowe – Wellington 1982

9 and 0/14

77 Tests, 5,444 Runs, Average 45.36, Highest Score 299, 14 Wickets at 48.28, Best Bowling 2/25

Crowe is second overall in ODI cricket with 119 consecutive innings without a duck.

 

Kamindu Mendis – Galle 2022

61

10 Tests, 1,110 Runs, Average 74, Highest Score 182*, 3 Wickets at 30.66, Best Bowling 3/32

Mendis is the first batter with two hundreds in a Test while batting at Number 7 or lower which was against Bangladesh in 2024.

 

Henry Nicholls – Wellington 2016

8 and 59

56 Tests, 2,973 Runs, Average 37.16, Highest Score 200*

Nicholls was a member of the 2021 ICC Test Championship team.

 

Romesh Kaluwitharana – Colombo 1992

132* and 4 and 3 catches

49 Tests, 1,933 Runs, Average 26.12, Highest Score 132*, 93 Catches and 26 Stumpings

Kaluwitharana with Sanath Jayasuriya were part of the new breed of attacking opening bats in one day cricket which started in Australia in 1995 and included a World Cup victory in 1996. Surprisingly to me Kaluwitharana’s one day average is 22.22 with a strike rate of 77.

 

Rangana Herath – Galle 1999

3 and 4/97

93 Tests, 1,699 Runs, Average 14.64, Highest Score 80*, 433 Wickets, Average 28.07, Best Bowling 9/127

Had six names in Herath Mudiyansledge Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath but was commonly known as Rangana Herath. Herath has the most wickets for a left arm bowler in Test history and is the third bowler behind Muralitharan and Dale Steyn to take five wickets in an innings against every Test nation.

 

Prabath Jayasuriya – Galle 2022

0 and 6/118 and 6/59

18 Tests, 227 Runs, Average 8.40, Highest Score 28*, 107 Wickets at 29.21, Best Bowling 7/52

Jayasuriya only had five names as compared to Herath’s six. Jayasuriya – after Tom Richardson and Clarrie Grimmett – is only the third bowler to get five wickets in their first three innings.

 

Shaminda Eranga – Colombo 2011

12 and 4/65 and 1/62

19 Tests, 193 Runs, Average 12.86, Highest Score 45*, 57 Wickets at 37.50, Best Bowling 4/49

Eranga is one of 25 bowlers – which also includes Nathan Lyon – to take a wicket with their first ball in Test cricket.

 

Lakshan Sandakan – Pallekele 2016

19* and 9 and 4/58 and 3/49

11 Tests, 117 Runs, Average 10.63, Highest Score 25, 37 Wickets at 34.48, Best Bowling 5/95

Sandakan’s Test match debut figures of 7/107 were the best by slow left arm wrist spinner on debut.

 

Muttiah Murailitharan – Colombo 1992

0* and 1/32 and 2/109

133 Tests, 1,261 Runs, Average 11.67, Highest Score 67, 800 Wickets at 22.72, Best Bowling 9/51

Muralitharan has the most Test wickets ever with 800, most one day wickets ever with 534, most balls bowled in Test cricket with 44,039, most player of the series awards with 11 and most wickets on a single ground with 166 at Colombo.

 

Vishwa Fernando – Galle 2016

0* and 0 and 1/16

27 Tests, 159 Runs, Average 6.91, Highest Score 38, 79 Wickets at 32.07, Best Bowling 5/101

Fernando took the new ball on Test debut but in a spin-dominated match he bowled just two overs where spin was played for 76 of 83 overs.

 

 

Other Australians

 

Ken Meuleman – Wellington 1946

0

1 Test, 0 Runs

Ken’s son Robert and Grandson Scott both played for Western Australia

 

Simon Davis – Wellington 1986

0 and 0/70

1 Test, 0 Runs, 0 Wickets

 

Tim Zoehrer – Wellington 1986

18 and 0 catches

10 Tests, 246 Runs, Average 20.50, Highest Score 52*, 18 Catches and 1 Stumping

Zoehrer toured England for 1989 and 1993 as standby wicketkeeper but did not play a Test. In 1993 Ashes he topped the bowling averages in county matches when he took 12 wickets off leg spin at 20.83.

 

Roger Woolley – Kandy 1983

5 catches

2 Tests, 21 Runs, Average 10.50, Highest Score 13, 7 Catches

Woolley was the first cricketer from Tasmania to play a Test, when Tasmania was admitted to the Sheffield Shield.

 

Trent Copeland – Galle 2011

12 and 23 and 1/24 and 0/20

3 Tests, 39 Runs, Average 13, Highest Score 23*, 6 Wickets at 37.83, Best Bowling 2/24

Copeland is now a commentator for Channel 7.

 

Jon Holland – Galle 2016

0* and 0* and 1/64 and 1/69

4 Tests, 6 Runs, Average 3, Highest Score 3, 9 Wickets at 63.77, Best Bowling 3/83

 

 

Other Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka cricketers

 

Abdur Razzak – Chattogram 2006

15 and 0 and 0/99

13 Tests, 248 Runs, Average 15.50, Highest Score 43, 28 Wickets at 59.75, Best Bowling 4/63

Razzak was the first Bangladeshi bowler to take 200 one day wickets.

 

Mac Anderson – Wellington 1946

4 and 1

1 Test, 5 Runs, Highest Score 4

Mac’s son Robert played nine Tests between 1976-1978.

 

Ces Burke – Wellington 1946

1 and 3 and 2/30

1 Test, 4 Runs, Average 2, 2 Wickets at 15

Burke was one of six debutants against Australia in this Test for New Zealand, which scored just 42 and 54 in each innings.

 

Len Butterfield – Wellington 1946

0 and 0 and 0/24

1 Test, 0 Runs, 0 Wickets

Butterfield is one of ten cricketers to be out for a pair in their only Test. This includes teammate Gordon Rowe.

 

 

Don McRae – Wellington 1946

0 and 8 and 0/44

1 Test, 8 Runs, Average 4, 0 Wickets

McRae also represented New Zealand in soccer as a goalkeeper in 1936 against Australia.

 

Gordon Rowe – Wellington 1946

0 and 0

1 Test, 0 Runs

Rowe as mentioned earlier is in the same club as Butterfield. He also umpired three matches in the 1982 Women’s World Cup.

 

Verdun Scott – Wellington 1946

14 and 4

10 Tests, 458 Runs, Average 28.62, Highest Score 84

Scott is the only New Zealander to represent New Zealand in Test cricket and also play a rugby league Test.

 

Graham ‘Jock’ Edwards – Christchurch 1977

34 and 15

8 Tests, 377 Runs, Average 25.13, Highest Score 55

 

Stu Gillespie – Wellington 1986

28 and 1/79

1 Test, 28 Runs, 1 Wicket

Gillespie’s sole Test innings was as a nightwatchman batting at Number 4.

 

Gary Robertson – Auckland 1986

12 and 1/91

1 Test, 12 Runs, 1 Wicket

 

Daryl Tuffey – Hamilton 2000

3 and 1* and 0/75 and 0/52

26 Tests, 427 Runs, Average 16.42, Highest Score 80*, 77 Wickets at 31.75, Best Bowling 6/54

 

Iain O’Brien – Christchurch 2005

5 and 0 and 1/72 and 0/27

22 Tests, 219 Runs, Average 7.55, Highest Score 31, 73 Wickets at 33.27, Best Bowling 6/75

 

James Marshall – Auckland 2005

29 and 3

7 Tests, 218 Runs, Average 19.81, Highest Score 52

James’s identical twin brother Hamish debuted in 2000 and played 13 Tests for New Zealand.

 

Brent Arnel – Wellington 2010

0 and 3 and 2/89 and 0/31

6 Tests, 45 Runs, Average 5.62, Highest Score 8*, 9 Wickets at 62.88, Best Bowling 4/95

 

Ben Sears – Australia 2024

0* and 0* and 1/71 and 4/90

1 Test, 0 Runs, 5 Wickets at 32.20

 

Roshan Guneratne – Kandy 1983

0* and 0* and 0/84

1 Tests, 0 Runs, 0 Wickets

 

Dulip Liyanage – Colombo 1992

4 and 3/66 and 0/47

9 Tests, 69 Runs, Average 7.66, 17 Wickets at 39.17, Best Bowling 4/56

 

Seekkuge Prasanna – Pallekele 2011

5 and 0/80

1 Test, 5 Runs, 0 Wickets

 

Jeffrey Vandersay – Galle 2022

6 and 8 and 2/68

1 Test, 14 Runs, Average 7, 2 Wickets at 34

 

Maheesh Theekshana – Galle 2022

10 and 1/48 and 2/28

2 Tests, 59 Runs, Average 19.66, Highest Score 38, 5 Wickets at 37.60, Best Bowling 2/28

 

Trevor Gripper – Harare 1999

4 and 60 and 0/19

20 Tests, 809 Runs, Average 21.86, Highest Score 112, 6 Wickets at 84.83, Best Bowling 2/91

 

 

 

 

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