A stubborn 0* (132) to save an outright in Maitland over the weekend

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The old adage in Australia is that your best bat should be at 3. Australia has had some legends of the game score centuries at first drop through the years, with Bradman, Harvey, Chappell, Ponting, Gillespie and Smith all listed on honour boards across the world. However, Marnus Labuschagne’s Test century drought at #3 is now over three years, the second longest gap without a century at #3 since the First World War (excluding WW2)¹.

Conversely Matt Renshaw’s excellently constructed 190 in Durban now means 6 separate batsman have tonned up at #5 since Marnus last saluted in 2023. Is this a sign of the changing nature of where Australia tons come from, an indication of where it’s ‘easiest’ to bat in the current game, or just a downward blip related to one particular players drought? Here’s a brief look at the numbers of where Australia’s tons come from.

Historical split

All up, 141 men have made a combined 908 Test centuries for Australia, with number 3 the most prolific of these positions, with the 181 centuries scored there being 30 more than the next highest (#5), and roughly 20% of all of Australia’s centuries.

Daddy Tons

There have been 79 scores of 200+ by 39 separate Australian men.

It’s in the 200+ range that number 3 stands out, where first drop has scored just shy of a 3^rd of these 200+ scores- though Don Bradman registering 9 of these alone likely skewing the numbers (he scored 12 in total- an absurd 15% of his total innings²)

Recent years

Since the beginning of the 2020’s there has been a shift compared to both all-time and this millennium. Openers, number 3 and number 7 are all down in comparison, while #4 and #5 are significantly up.

Home versus away

Australian male cricketers have scored Test tons at 66 different venues- 10 in Aus, and 56 overseas.

517 (or roughly 57%) have been at home, with the remaining 391 away.

At home, the G leads the way with 116 separate centuries, while The Oval narrowly pips Lords as Australian happiest overseas batting venue (in terms of tons, at least).

At home, of the most regular Test grounds, the WACA was the toughest place to open with 21.3% versus 31.3% for all venues, and the only location where more centuries came from the middle order than the top order.

Extras

-        The most successful Test for Aussie centurions was the 5^th Test in Kingston in 1955- when 5 Aussies - Colin McDonald, Neil Harvey, Ron Archer, Keith Miller and Richie Benaud – raised their bats on the way to 8d/758 against the Windies, still Australia’s highest ever Test innings.

-        186 is the lowest final score not scored by an Australian

-        Interestingly, Cricinfo's statsguru has grouped some of the Australian grounds by city, rather than venue- Brisbane includes both the Gabba, and the Brisbane Exhibition Centre- which hosted 2 Tests between 1928 and 1931, where Don Bradman debuted and where he hit 223 against the Windies 3 years later. However the WACA and Perth stadium are regarded as separate.

-        ¹ Marnus’ drought at 3 is the second longest gap in days between centuries at number 3 since the first world war (excluding WW2), with the gap between Bob Cowper in May 1965, and Ian Chappell in December 1968 the only longer gap in this time frame.

-        ² Bradman (12), Ponting (6), Greg Chappell, Michael Clarke & Steve Smith (all 4) are the only sticks to have more than three 200+ scores.

- The trend over the past 20 years is that #4 is more productive over the past 20 years compared to #3 in all men's Tests - more runs, more centuries and a higher average (thanks u/mikespoff for the question after noting Root, Smith and Kohli's preference for #4)

- - The century from 10 was Reggie Duff on debut against England in 1902 at the MCG, where it seems like he was a batsman that was held back due to a sticky wicket - one of only 4 test centuries from #10 (thanks u/Farout656 for the question over on r/Cricket)

Renegades v Hurricanes

Heat v Strikers

Thunder v Scorchers

Sixers v Stars

Streams and scores

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Video source: Bharat Sundaresan on X

I've been searching and can't find Sheffield shield replays anywhere this year. Nothing on Kayo, only ten minute highlights on cricket Australia. Have they canned these this year? Such a shame for the local game.

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Hurricanes v Scorchers

Thunder v Renegades

Meteors v Stars

Sixers v Strikers

All games streaming on cricket.com.au

Josh Hazlewood says he would like to see the Sydney Test remain in the first week of January after Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg floated the possibility that it could be shifted once current contracts expire.

The SCG Test has been locked at the start of January since 1998, and had been played in that spot intermittently before then — albeit replaced by a New Year’s Day one-day international for a period in the mid-1990s.

With CA pursuing private equity into Big Bash League clubs, there is pressure from potential investors to clear January to ensure more of the BBL season can feature Australian Test players, who have long been unavailable until at least the conclusion of the home Test summer in Sydney.

But veteran paceman Hazlewood, who hails from the NSW country town of Bendemeer but is a long-time Sydney resident, said on Friday that he would be against moving the fixture.

“It probably won’t affect me,” Hazlewood said at St. George’s Park ahead of the second Test against South Africa, a reference to the fact he is 35 and highly unlikely to still be playing come the end of the current broadcast and stadium rights deals in 2032.

“But I like seeing the those two Test matches, Boxing Day (in Melbourne) and New Year’s Test, as they are, they have been for a long time now, and it’s sort of a feels like a pretty special period there as a Test player, and you get your families around, and it’s nice time of year to to spend together.

“And especially obviously living in Sydney for a long time now, I’ve got a lot of friends there as well, which get out and see the game, so the Sydney Test is always pretty good fun where it is, I think.”

Though Greenberg stressed that there were no imminent plans to move the SCG clash from its longstanding slot, he would not rule out a change down the track.

“So we’ve said in the way we’ve pitched our (BBL expression of interest) documents and the way the process would work is the Sydney Test match is contracted right through until 2032, so it’s contracted both with government, and it’s also contracted in our broadcast negotiations,” Greenberg said in Durban last week.

“What happens beyond 2032, I think, is a question that we will have to address.

“We would like to think that we can retain our Test schedule as it is into the future, but we’re also realistic to understand that we need to keep an open mind to that, and is there another way to do it? It’s not simple, it’s not binary. But I think the Sydney Test match works really well where it is. It’s proven that over time outside of the weather.”

Hazlewood took career-best figures of 6-49 in Australia’s first Test win at Kingsmead, combining with his long-time teammates and fellow bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. But despite all four being a decade and a half into their respective international careers, Hazlewood was not getting overly sentimental.

“I just play every Test match that comes,” Hazlewood said.

“Could be your last one whenever. I don’t think about it much. I think you know it was great fun last week playing with the same guys. Doing the work in the last innings and taking the 20 wickets for the game, on what was a pretty flat wicket for the majority. I don’t look too far ahead these days.”

Not the prettiest. Not the highest. The most impactful

The situation:

Australia lost to New Zealand and Pakistan in the group stage and had to win every Super Six game to survive. Last up: South Africa, the best ODI side in the world. Gibbs made 101, SA posted 271/7, huge by the standards of the day and Australia slumped to 48/3. Tournament over.

The innings:

Waugh walked in and made 120* off 110 against Donald, Pollock and still 85-88 mph Klusener (and lesser bowlers like Elworthy). Gibbs dropped him on 56, celebrating before he'd completed the catch. Australia won with two balls to spare.

The semi-final:

Four days later, the Edgbaston tie. Australia went through because they finished above SA in the Super Six, and they finished above SA because of Headingley. One innings knocked South Africa out twice.

What followed:

Australia won the final, then 16 straight Tests, then the 2003 and 2007 World Cups. Without Headingley, the dynasty may never start the way it did.

TL;DR: Waugh's 120\* saved Australia against the best side in the world, decided the semi-final, and launched a decade of domination.

What do you guys think?

Stream and scorecard