For the upcoming Test Series, I am basing a Test XI on players that made their Test debut at the ground.
One Team of Australians and one team of visitors.
Then after the Test series at some stage I will look at teams based in overseas countries.
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.
This team is based on the Adelaide Oval.
Highlights of the teams are.
- There are 49 Australians and 36 Visitors to debut at Adelaide.
- Five Australians and 1 Visitor scored 100 on debut in Adelaide.
- Three Australians took five wickets on debut as did three Visitors.
- Six South Australians in O’Connor, Woodcock, Darling, May, Blewett and McIntyre all debuted at Adelaide.
Australia XI
Archie Jackson
Keith Stackpole vc
Paul Sheehan
Neil Harvey cpt
Mark Waugh
Greg Blewett
Kevin Wright
Albert Trott
Dennis Lillee
Bill O’Reilly
Bruce Reid
12th Merv Hughes
Others are listed below but the ones that were unlucky to miss out on the starting XI based on their Test debuts are Jim Burke, Ian Callen, Rick Darling, Geoff Dymock, Roger Hartigan, Justin Langer, Jack O’Connor, Bruce Yardley
Visiting XI
Mudassar Nazar – Pakistan
George ‘Jackie’ Grant – West Indies vc
Faf Du Plessis – South Africa cpt
Ben Stokes – England
Mitchell Santner – New Zealand
Syed Abid Ali – India
Sammy Guillen – West Indies
Irfan Pathan – India
Shamara Joseph – West Indies
Iqbal Qasim – Pakistan
Bobby Peel – England
12th Lance Cairns
Australia XI
Archie Jackson v England 1929
164 & 36
8 Tests, 474 runs, average 47.40, Highest Score 164
Jackson debuted in same series as Don Bradman and was thought to be the equal of Bradman at that stage of his career. Sadly, Jackson passed away from tuberculosis on England next Ashes tour in 1933 aged 23.
Keith Stackpole v England 1966
43 and 0/30 & 2/33
43 Tests, 2807 runs, average 37.43, Highest Score 207, 15 wickets at 66.73, Best Bowling 2/33
Stackpole was vice-captain of 1972 Ashes squad, and his best bowling was in his first Test where his wickets were Colin Cowdrey and captain Mike Smith. Stackpole batted at number 8 on debut (Tom Veivers batted higher than normal as a night watchman).
Paul Sheahan v India 1967
81 & 35
31 Tests, 1594 runs, average 33.91, Highest Score 127
Sheahan started his career at Number 3 with Ian Chappell batting at 6. Sheahan retired at 26 to focus on his teaching career.
Neil Harvey v India 1948
13
79 Tests, 6149 runs, average 48.41, Highest Score 205, 3 wickets
Harvey is captain in this side despite only captaining Australia once. Neil’s brother Merv also debuted for Australia in Adelaide while other brothers Ray and Mick also played first class cricket. Neil is the oldest Australian and second oldest living Test cricketer.
Mark Waugh v England 1991
138 & 23 and 0/13 & 0/4
128 Tests, 8029 runs, average 41.81, Highest Score 153no, 59 wickets at 41.16, Best Bowling 5/40
Mark debuted in the Australian Test side came at the expense of twin brother Steve, though they would play 105 Tests together.
Greg Blewett v England 1995
102no & 12 and 0/59 & 0/23
46 Tests, 2552 runs, average 34.02, Highest Score 214 , 14 wickets at 51.42, Best Bowling 2/9
Blewett would debut in front of his crowd and would make another hundred in his second Test in Perth.
Kevin Wright v England 1979
29 & 0 and 6 catches
10 Tests, 219 runs, average 16.84, Highest score 55, 31 catches, 4 stumpings
Wright not only came from Western Australia, the same as Rodney Marsh, but also the same club as Marsh. Wright took over the gloves during World Series but, once that finished, he lost his spot in the national and state team to Marsh and then moved to South Australia.
Albert Trott v England 1895
38no & 72no and 0/9 & 8/43
3 Tests for Australia 1895, 205 runs, average 102.50, Highest score 85no, 9 wickets
2 Tests for England 1899
5 Tests in total, 228 runs, average 38.00, Highest score 85no, 26 wickets at 15, Best Bowling 8/43
Trott is a remarkable cricketer who on debut would bat at Number 10 and share an 81-run last wicket partnership. In the first innings he opened and bowled just three overs before George Giffen and Sydney Callaway bowled the remaining 55 overs. Trott, still at number 10, then made 72no and then as a slow bowler bowled Australia to victory with 8/43. Next Test he earned a promotion to Number 9 where he made 85no but did not bowl in the Test. When Trott debuted his older brother Harry was an established member of the team. Albert was not selected for the 1896 team to England despite older brother Harry being captain. Trott would join the ground staff at Lords and play for Middlesex. Trott was a champion county cricketer having amazing feats with bat & ball. Trott is the only batsman to hit a six over the Lords Pavilion and in another match, he took four wickets in four balls then followed up with another hat trick later in the innings. Trott was selected for England against South Africa which would receive Test match status retrospectively and be one of 16 cricketers to play for two countries.
Dennis Lillee v England 1971
10 and 5/84 & 0/40
70 Tests, 905 runs, average 13.71, highest score 73no, 355 wickets at 23.92, Best Bowling 7/83
Lillee is a cricketer I loved looking at his highlights at his peak and would have loved to watch the 1974/75 Ashes of Lillee and Thomson live. Lillee held the record for most Test wickets for nearly ten years and holds the record with Rodney Marsh of the most fielder/bowler combination with 95 c Marsh b Lillee.
Bill O’Reilly v South Africa 1932
23 and 2/74 & 2/81
27 Tests, 410 runs, average 12.81, Highest score 56no, 144 wickets at 22.59, Best Bowling 7/54
O’Reilly was described by Bradman as the greatest bowler he had ever faced or seen. O’Reilly was a leg spinner at considerable pace and opened the bowling at various stages.
Bruce Reid v India 1985
2 & 4/113
27 Tests, 93 runs, Highest score 13, 113 wickets at 24.63, Best Bowling 7/51
Reid came into the Australian side at one of its lowest points and would debut with Merv Hughes and Geoff Marsh. Reid was a brilliant left arm quick plagued by back injury. In two successive Boxing Day Tests he took 13 wickets against England and 12 wickets against India.
12th Merv Hughes v India 1985
0 & 1/123
53 Tests, 1032 runs, average 16.64, Highest score 72no, 212 wickets at 28.38, Best Bowling 8/87
Merv missed on starting XI as fellow debutant Bruce Reid had a better debut. Hughes came of age in 1988/89 against West Indies where he took 8/87 including a hat trick spread over two innings and three overs.
Others
John Harry v England 1895
2 & 6
1 Test, 8 runs, average 4
Harry in several first-class matches played as a wicketkeeper and bowled off spin.
Bill Howell v England 1898
16 and 4/70 & 0/60
18 Test, 158 runs, average 7.52, Highest score 35, 49 wickets at 28.71, Best Bowling 5/81
Roger Hartigan v England 1908
48 & 116 and 0/7
2 Tests, 170 runs, average 42.50, Highest Score 116
Jack O’Connor v England 1908
10no & 20 and 3/110 & 5/40
4 Tests, 86 Runs, average 12.28, Highest score 12.28, 13 wickets at 26.15, Best Bowling 5/40
Jimmy Matthews v England 1912
5 & 53 and 0/72 & 1/24
8 Tests, 153 runs, average 17, Highest score 53, 16 wickets at 26.18, Best Bowling 4/29
Matthews is the only player to take a hat trick in each innings of a Test match against South Africa at Old Trafford in 1912. Each hat trick though was on the same day.
Ted McDonald v England 1921
2 & 4 and 1/78 & 2/95
11 Tests, 116 runs, average 16.57, Highest score 36, 43 wickets at 33.27, Best Bowling 5/32
McDonald also played AFL with Essendon & Fitzroy.
Alec Hurwood v West Indies 1930
0 and 3/55 & 4/86
2 Test, 5 runs, 11 wickets at 15.45, Best Bowling 4/22
Bill Hunt v South Africa 1932
0 and 0/25 & 0/14
1 Test, 0 runs, 0 wickets
Pud Thurlow v South Africa 1932
0 and 0/53 & 0/33
1 Test 0 runs, 0 wickets
Thurlow batting at Number 11 was run out for 0, leaving Don Bradman stranded on 299no.
Ross Gregory v England 1937
23 & 50 and 0/14
2 Tests, 153 runs, average 51, Highest score 80, 0 wickets
Gregory made his Test debut just a month before his 21st birthday, sadly he was killed when he was enlisted with the Royal Australian Air Force and crashed his bomber in Bangladesh on a mission to bomb the Japanese in Burma.
Merv Harvey v England 1947
12 & 31
1 Test, 43 runs, average 21.50, Highest score 31
Merv is the grandfather of champion St Kilda footballer Robert Harvey.
Jim Burke v England 1951
12 & 101no and 0/7
24 Tests, 1280 runs, average 34.59, Highest score 189, 8 wickets, average 28.75, Best Bowling 4/37
Burke played his first Test batting at Number 6.
Gordon Rorke v England 1959
2no and 3/23 & 2/78
4 Tests, 9 runs, average 4.50, 10 wickets at 20.30, Best Bowling 3/23
Des Hoare v West Indies 1961
35 & 0 and 2/68 & 0/88
1 Test, 35 runs, 2 wickets
John Gleeson v India 1967
1 & 18no and 2/36 & 2/38
29 Tests, 395 runs, average 10.39, Highest score 45, 93 wickets at 36.20, Best Bowling 5/61
John Benaud v Pakistan 1972
24
3 Tests, 223 runs, average 44.60, Highest score 142, 2 wickets at 6, Best Bowling 2/12
John is 13 years younger than Richie.
Geoff Dymock v New Zealand 1974
0no and 5/58 & 2/44
21 Tests, 236 runs, average 9.43, Highest score 31no, 78 wickets at 27.12, Best Bowling 7/67
Alan Hurst v New Zealand 1974
16 and 1/56 & 0/17
12 Tests, 102 runs, average 6, Highest Score 26, 43 wickets at 27.90, Best Bowling 5/28
Hurst would become ICC Test Match Referee in 2004.
Ashley Woodcock v New Zealand 1974
27
1 Test, 27 runs
Woodcock represented Australia firstly in an unofficial Test against the Rest of the World in 1971-72 scoring 5 and 16.
Ian Callen v India 1978
22no & 4no and 3/83 & 3/108
1 Test, 26 runs, 6 wickets at 31.83
Despite a very good debut, Callen would incur a lower back injury and never play again for Australia despite touring West Indies in 1978 and Pakistan in 1982.
Rick Darling v India 1978
65 & 56
14 Tests, 697 runs, average 26.80, Highest Score 91
Darling and fellow Test debutant Graeme Wood had an amazing chemistry running between wickets with one of the pair being run out in one of the innings in the first four Tests together.
Graeme Wood v India 1978
39 & 8
59 Tests, 3374 runs, average 31.83, highest score 172
Bruce Yardley v India 1978
22 & 26 and 0/62 & 4/134
33 Tests, 978 runs, average 19.55, Highest score 74, 126 wickets at 31.63, Best Bowling 7/98
Yardley was the 1981/82 International cricketer of the year against West Indies and Pakistan.
Phil Carlson v England 1979
0 & 21 and 0/34 & 2/51
2 Tests, 23 runs, average 5.75, Highest Score 21, 2 wickets at 49.50, Best Bowling 2/51
Geoff Marsh v India 1985
5 & 2no
50 Tests, 2854 runs, average 33.18, Highest Score 138
Marsh would coach Australia to victory in 1999 World Cup and is the father of Shaun & Mitchell.
Greg Dyer v England 1986
2 catches
6 Tests, 131 runs, average 21.83, Highest score 60, 22 catches & 2 stumpings
Tim May v New Zealand 1987
14no & 1/134 & 3/68
24 Tests, 225 runs, average 14.06, Highest Score 42no, 75 wickets at 34.74, Best Bowling 5/9
May’s highest score and best bowling was in the same Test at Adelaide against West Indies in 1993 in the famous one run loss.
Justin Langer v West Indies 1993
20 & 54
105 Tests, 7696 runs, average 45.27, Highest Score 250
Langer’s debut was the famous one run loose to the West indies. Langer was a late call-up due to eye injury to Damien Martyn.
Peter McIntyre v England 1995
0 & 0 and 2/51 & 0/36
2 Tests, 22 runs, average 7.33, Highest Score 16, 5 Wickets at 38.80, Best Bowling 3/107
Andy Bichel v West Indies 1997
7 and 1/31 & 0/16
19 Tests, 355 runs, average 16.90, Highest Score 71, 58 Wickets at 32.24, Best Bowling 5/60
Bichel’s best bowling in one day cricket is 7/20 against England.
Stuart MacGill v South Africa 1998
10 and 2/112 & 3/22
44 Tests, 349 runs, average 9.69, Highest Score 43, 208 wickets at 29.02, Best Bowling 8/108
Peter Handscomb v South Africa 2016
54 & 1no
20 Tests, 1079 runs, average 37.20, Highest Score 110
Handscomb is the only player not to be dismissed below 50 in his first 7 innings.
Nic Maddinson v South Africa 2016
0
3 Tests, 27 runs, average 6.75, Highest Score 22
Matt Renshaw v South Africa 2016
10 & 34no
14 Tests, 645 runs, average 29.31, Highest Score 184
Marcus Harris v India 2018
26 & 26
14 Tests, 607 runs, average 25.29, Highest Score 79
Cameron Green v India 2020
11 & 0/15
28 Tests, 1377 runs, average 36.23, Highest Score 174no, 35 wickets at 35.91, Best Bowling 5/27
Michael Neser v England 2021
35 & 3 and 1/33 & 1/28
2 Runs, 56 runs, average 18.66, Highest Score 35, 7 Wickets at 16.71, Best Bowling 3/22
Visiting XI
Mudassar Nazar – Pakistan 1976
13 & 22
76 Tests, 4114 runs, average 38.09, Highest Score 231, 66 Wickets at 38.36 , Best Bowling 6/32
On turning pitches in Pakistan Mudassar opened the batting & bowling in the same Test nine times.
George “Jackie” Grant – West Indies 1930 – C
53no & 71no
12 Tests, 413 runs, average 25.81, Highest Score 71no
Grant was Test Captain for all his Tests that he played.
Faf Du Plessies – South Africa 2012
78 & 110no and 0/34 & 0/8
69 Tests, 4163 runs, average 40.02, Highest Score 199
Du Plessis was captain from 2017-21.
Ben Stokes – England 2013
1 & 28 and 2/70 & 0/20
107 Tests, 6561 runs, average 35.27, Highest Score 258, 203 wickets at 32.21, Best Bowling 6/22
Stokes has the record for the most sixes in Test cricket with 131.
Mitchell Santner – New Zealand 2015
31 & 45 and 1/54 & 1/8
29 Tests, 941 runs, average 24.12, Highest Score 126, 67 wickets at 36.32, Best Bowling 7/53
Santner was Twenty Cricket captain in 2024.
Syed Abid Ali – India 1967
33 & 33 and 6/55 & 1/61
29 Tests, 1018 runs, average 20.36, Highest Score 81, 47 wickets at 42.12, Best Bowling 6/55
Ali would play in 1975 World Cup.
Sammy Guillen – West Indies 1951
9 & 2 catches
8 Tests, 202 runs, average 20.19, Highest Score 54, 13 catches & 3 stumpings
Guillen is one of three wicketkeepers (others Hunter & Philipsen) to debut in Adelaide.
Irfan Pathan – India 2003
1 & 1/36 & 0/24
29 Tests, 1305 runs, average 33.39, Highest Score 102, 100 wickets, at 32.26, Best Bowling 7/59
Pathan was 19 when he debuts and 23 when he played his last test.
Shamar Joseph – West Indies 2024
36 & 15 and 5/94 & 0/7
7 Tests, 172 runs, average 15.63, Highest Score 36, 24 wickets at 26.95, Best Bowling 7/68
Joseph bowled West Indies to victory in his second taking 7/68 against Australia in Brisbane to give the West Indies an 8-run win.
Iqbal Qasim – Pakistan 1976
1no & 4 and 0/56 & 4/84
50 Tests, 549 runs, average 13.07, Highest Score 56, 171 wickets at 28.11, Best Bowling 7/49
Qasim’s best Test match bowling was against Australia with 11/118 in Karachi.
Bobby Peel – England 1884
4 and 3/68 & 5/51
20 Tests, 427 runs, average 14.72, Highest Score 83, 101 wickets at 16.98, Best Bowling 7/31
Peel was a left arm slow bowler who took the new ball.
12th man Lance Cairns – New Zealand 1974
4no & 0 and 2/73
43 Tests, 928 runs, average 16.28, Highest Score 64, 130 Wickets at 32.92, Best Bowling 7/74
Cairns is best known for his big hitting with a shoulder-less bat including 52 off 25 balls against Australia at the MCG.
Others
William Attewell – England 1884
12no 1/48 & 0/26
10 Tests, 150 runs, average 16.66, Highest Score 43, 28 wickets at 22.35, Best Bowling 4/42
Attewell first wicket was Percy McDonnell for 124.
Johnny Briggs – England 1884
1
33 Tests, 815 runs, average 18.11, Highest Score 121, 118 wickets at 17.75, Best Bowling 8/11
Wilfred Flowers – England 1884
15 & 7 and 0/27 & 0/27
8 Tests, 254 runs, average 18.14, Highest Score 56, 14 wickets at 21.14, Best Bowling 5/46
Joe Hunter – England 1884
1 & 2 catches & 1 stumping
5 Tests, 93 runs at 18.60, Highest Score 39no, 8 catching and 3 stumpings.
Hylton Philipson – England 1892
1 & 1 stumping
5 Tests, 63 runs, average 9, Highest score 30, 8 catches and 3 stumpings
Percy Fender – England 1921
2 & 42 and 1/52 & 1/105
13 Tests, 380 runs, average 19, Highest Score 60, 29 wickets at 40.86, Best Bowling 5/90
William Whysall – England 1925
9 & 75 and 0/9
4 Tests, 209 runs, average 29.85, Highest score 76
Roy Tattersall – England 1951
0 & 6 and 3/95 & 1/116
16 Tests, 50 runs, average 5, Highest Score 10, 58 wickets at 26.08, Best Bowling 7/52
James Whitaker – England 1986
11
1 Test, 11 Runs
Whitaker came in for the 3rd Test due to an injury to Ian Botham.
Craig Overton – England 2017
41no & 7 and 3/105 & 1/11
8 Tests, 182 runs, average 15.16, Highest Score 41no, 21 wickets at 36.19, Best Bowling 3/14
Twin brother Jamie has played 1 Test.
Commandur Rangachari – India 1948
0no & 0 and 4/141
4 Tests , 8 runs, average 2.66, Highest score 8no, 9 wickets at 54.77, Best Bowling 5/107
Umesh Kulkarni – India 1967
0 & 2 and 0/25 & 1/12
4 Tests, 13 runs, Average 4.33, Highest Score 7, 5 Wickets, average 47.60, Best Bowling 2/37
Kulkarni first wicket was in the second innings, Bill Lawry first ball caught behind.
Karn Sharma – India 2014
4 & 4no and 2/143 & 2/95
1 Test, 8 runs, average 8, 4 wickets, average 59.50, Best Bowling 2/95
Sharma claimed Warner’s wicket in both innings.
Talat Ali – Pakistan 1972
7no & 0
10 Tests, 370 runs, average 23.12, Highest Score 61
Ali was an opening batsman who retired hurt in his first innings after his thumb was fractured by Dennis Lillee.
Mushtaq Ahmed – Pakistan 1990
0 & 4 and 0/69 & 1/72
52 Tests, 656 runs, average 11.71, Highest score 59, 185 wickets at 32.97, Best Bowling 7/56
Muhammad Masa – Pakistan 2019
12no & 4no and 0/114
1 Test, 16 runs, 0 wickets
Eddie Fuller – South Africa 1953
0 and 2/119 & 0/12
7 Tests, 64 Runs, average 8, Highest Score 17, 22 Wickets at 30.36, Best Bowling 5/66
Fuller’s first wicket was in his first over, Arthur Morris for 1.
Tabriaz Shamsi – South Africa 2016
18no & 0no and 1/101 & 1/49
2 Tests, 20 runs, average 20, Highest Score 18no, 6 wickets at 46.33, Best Bowling 3/91
Lionel Birkett – West Indies 1930
27 & 64
4 Tests, 136 runs, average 17, Highest Score 64
Adrian Griffith – West Indies 1997
13 & 1
14 Tests, 638 runs, average 24.53, Highest Score 114
Marlon Samuels – West Indies 2000
35 & 3 and 2/49 & 0/17
71 Tests, 3917 runs, average 32.64, Highest Score 260, 41 wickets at 59.63, Best Bowling 4/13
Marquino Mindley – West Indies 2022
11no & 0 and 0/11
1 Test, 11 runs, average 11, 0 wickets
Devon Thomas – West Indies 2022
19 & 12 and 2/53 & 0/13
1 Test, 31 runs, average 15.50, 2 wickets at 33.00
Thomas was banned in May 2023 for 5 years for contriving to fix matches.
Justin Greaves – West Indies 2024
5 & 24 and 2/36
3 Tests, 185 runs, average 37, Highest score 115, 5 wickets at 31.80, Best Bowling 2/36
Greaves got his 115no last week against Bangladesh.
Kavem Hodge – West Indies 2024
12 & 3
8 Tests, 458 runs, average 28.62, Highest Score 120, 2 wickets at 37.00, Best Bowling 2/44
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Not hard to see why Pud Thurlow got dropped after that effort, and it’s not necessarily that he failed with both bat and ball. The sting is in the tail of the tale!
Was it Gordon Rorke who had the huge back foot drag in his delivery stride that allowed him (under the rules of the time) to legitimately deliver the ball from well in front of the batting crease?
Thanks, Rodney. This is a superb roll call of names and, in some cases for me, memories. Well done on the massive amount of work and research that went into this.
Rodney as always massive respect for the huge amount of research
Impressive research as usual, Rodney. I witnessed a few of these debuts but that of MJ Waugh was tremendous. Watching it from the old Bradman Stand, he showed that inning the elegance that was his trademark. His highest score of 153 seems surprisingly low for a player of his calibre. Thanks.
Those three debutants versus India in the opening test back in 1985-86 all were valuable contributors for Australia.
Geoff Marsh found himself in the opening spot by the end of the series, and with David Boon gave us a solid pairing for a few years. In both tests and ODI’s they gave us good starts, with them playing a key role in helping us win the 1987 World Cup. Geoff also has coached a number of international sides, and of course he’s fathered two Australian international players.
Bruce Reid had a great start but unfortunately his body couldn’t equate to his talent. We can always look back fondly on his bowling in tests at the ‘G’, with him putting both England and India to ‘the sword’ there.
Merv Hughes: what more can one say? His test beginning was inauspicious, seemed out of his depth over the following few years but then reached a level very few expected. You could never say he never gave less than 150%.
Even though rain helped us struggle to a battling draw in that Adelaide test, we unearthed three top players who gave us fine service. Thanks for this listing Rodney.
Glen!
Thanks Ian, Pud may as well packed his bag then after being dismissed. You are right re Gordon Rorke from what I have read.
Thanks for your very kind words Barry, really appreciate it coming from someone whose books I do have.
Thanks again for your kind Malcolm, your very kind to me
Thanks Mickey for your kind words. Watching Waugh on debut would have being great. I think he got bored once he got to 100. Could bat longer if needed/wanted to like against South Africa 1998 at Adelaide on the last day which involved the controversial hit wicket incident.
Thanks Glen great point re Marsh, Reid & Merv. Also add Steve Waugh who would debut in following test at MCG