My Australian Test Cricket Team Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. All good teams need a good start to their innings. Who is the first opener? I was born in 1971 in Queensland. I am a left handed batsman and played in 103 Tests scoring 8625 runs at an average of 50.73. My highest score was 380 and I made 30 centuries.

Answer: Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden was regarded as a brutal rather than an elegant batsman. He began his career slowly but blossomed to be an outstanding batsman as indicated by his scores. He temporarily held the world record for the highest score until overtaken by Brian Lara. He formed a formidable partnership with Justin Langer.

2. The opening pair must work as a team within a team. Who is the second opener? I was born in 1900 in Victoria. I am a right hand bat who scored 7 centuries at an average of 48.22 in 29 Tests. My highest score was 267.

Answer: Bill Ponsford

Cricinfo Australia state that Ponsford's brilliant concentration and fitness allowed him to score so heavily. He scored a then record of 437 playing for Victoria, and on one occasion he made 300 in a day contributing to Victoria's record score of 1127. Ponsford was the first player to score two quadruple centuries, and scored many more triple centuries.

3. The number four position is usually held by the most elegant of batsmen. Who am I? I was born in South Australia in 1948. I am a right hand batsman who played 87 test at an average of 53.86 with a highest score of 247 not out.

Answer: Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell always played with an upright stance and was a most elegant batsmen. He scored a century in his first and final tests. He was regarded as a reliable batsman who always played in the 'V' early on in his innings (that is, between mid off and mid on).

He captained Australia in 48 tests while losing 13 of them. However, he will always be tarnished by being the perpetrator of the 'Underarm' ball. After retirement, he moved into coaching with limited success as the head of India.

4. The number 5 position is the batsman that holds the tail together. I am a left hander and was born in 1928, Victoria. I played in 79 tests for 6149 runs at an average of 48.41. My highest test score was 205 runs. Who am I?

Answer: Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey served Victoria, New South Wales, and Australia with distinction between 1946 and 1963. He was regarded as the baby of the "Invincible" side of 1948, and scored six centuries in his first 13 test innings. Cricinfo informs that he displayed electrifying stroke play and a masterful technique. He later became an Australian selector.

5. Every good team should have an excellent all-rounder. This player was born 1919, Victoria. He was a right hand bat and a right hand fast bowler. He played 55 tests for 2958 runs at an average of 36.97 scoring 7 centuries with a highest score of 147. He took 170 wickets at 22.97 with best figures of 7/60. Who was this outstanding cricketer?

Answer: Keith Miller

Michael Parkinson in an interview with Keith Miller, introduced him as one of the most popular members ever to play the game with his movie star looks and laid back Australian mannerism. He was a brilliant all-rounder who could turn a game on its end with a dazzling half century or fiery spell of fast bowling.

He never captained Australia, possibly due to politics with the incumbent Bradman and the Cricket Board. Cricinfo writes that after Bradman stood down, he would have been a better bet than Ian Johnson, who was persuaded out of retirement.

6. Who is the wicketkeeper of my team? He was born in 1971, New South Wales but played for most of his career with Western Australia. He was a left handed batsman and played 96 matches for 5570 runs at an average of 47.60 with 17 centuries and highest score of 204 not out. Who is he?

Answer: Adam Gilchrist

Gilchrist is considered to be one of the best wicket-keeper-batsmen in the history of the game, and a Cricinfo poll in 2007 placed him as the ninth greatest all rounder in the history of the sport. Gilchrist scored his runs at a phenomenal test scoring rate of 81 per 100 balls.

He was a scrupulously fair player who always 'walked' whenever he thought he had been dismissed as evidenced in the 2003 World Cup semi final. He captained Australia three times and led the team to an historic victory over India in 2004.

7. In number eight on the team. He was born in 1969, Victoria and played 145 matches taking 708 wickets at an average of 25.41. He took 10 wickets in a match, 10 times, with best figures of 8/71 in an innings. Who is he?

Answer: Shane Warne

Shane Warne announced himself to the cricketing world with "that ball" that bamboozled Mike Gatting at Old Trafford in 1993. Warne was a master of the hardest part of the game, leg spin bowling. Apart from the many variations of deliveries, Shane Warne had impeccable control.

He was regarded as having a wonderful cricket brain and was made vice captain of the Australian side. He was eventually stripped of that honour due to off-field indiscretions and consequently never captained Australia.

8. My opening bowler is a right hand fast pace. He was born in 1949 in Western Australia. He played in 70 tests and took 355 wickets at an average of 23.92 with a best performance of 7/83 in one innings. Who was this wonderful cricketer?

Answer: Dennis Lillee

Lillee began as a tear-away fast bowler, but following a back injury developed into a more astute yet still fast bowler. He teamed up with the even faster Jeff Thomson to form a terrifying opening pair. A ditty in the 1970s sang: "Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust, if Lillee don't get you, Thomo must".
Lillee will always remembered for his heroics in the One Day "Miracle Match" against Queensland which dismissed his home state for 77 and led by Lillee. He responded by bowling Queensland out for 62. After retirement, Lillee spent time as a coach and in administration.

9. My second opening bowler was born in 1853, New South Wales. He was a right hand fast bowler and played 18 tests and took 94 wickets at an average of 18.41. His best bowling in an innings was 7/44 and in a match, 14/90. Who is he?

Answer: Frederick Spofforth

Nicknamed "The Demon", Spofforth was a revered figure in the early days of Australian cricket. He was Australia's first true fast bowler (Cricinfo) who claimed his wickets at a rapid rate. He was the first bowler to get a hat trick and his 14/90 in a match set a record.

As match payments were meager in the early days, Spofforth retired before his time. A sculpture of Spofforth was unveiled at The Sydney Cricket Ground in 2008.

10. The first change bowler was born in 1970 in New South Wales. He was a right hand medium pace bowler and played in 124 Tests and took 563 wickets at an average of 21.64. His best bowling in an innings and in a match was 8/24 and 10/27 respectively. What cricketer occupies the final position in my greatest Australian team in history?

Answer: Glenn McGrath

Glenn McGrath was a country boy who quickly rose to prominence taking over from the injured Graig McDermott in the tour of the West Indies. A metronomic bowler who could land the ball on a sixpence. His general fitness allowed McGrath to play beyond the normal time span of a medium/fast bowler, and he was the first Australian fast bowler to play more than 100 tests.

After retirement, he became active in fund raising for breast cancer research. He was awarded the Order of Australia for services to cricket as a player, and also to the community through the establishment of the McGrath Foundation.

Source: Author nurf

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

I have chosen what I believe is the greatest Australian test cricket team. You need to work out the name of the cricketer with the clues provided.

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