Latest news with #CricketAus
India.com
5 days ago
- Sport
- India.com
WTC 2025 Final: Australia want to defend crown to quest to become 'GREATEST', says Nathan Lyon
Members of Australia cricket team at a training session at Lord's ahead of WTC 2025 Final vs SA. (Source: X) Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon believes the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 represents a significant step in Australia's quest to become one of the all-time great Test teams. The 37-year-old off-spinner is part of Andrew McDonald's squad to take on South Africa at Lord's in the finale of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. Australia will be looking to defend the title they won in 2023 after beating India by 209 runs at The Oval, and Lyon, who took the match-winning wicket of Mohammed Siraj in that victory, wants to build on the progress that has been made since then. 'It is important that we look at this week as a celebration piece,' he said. 'We've done incredibly well over the last couple of years, at home and away, and that is something that as a team, we should be really proud of. In my eyes, we're on a journey to becoming a great Australian team. We're not there yet, I'm well aware of that, but that's our goal too. This game is another step up that ladder.' Looking forward to an enthralling contest in the @ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's. Best of luck to both @ProteasMenCSA and @CricketAus in the Ultimate Test! — Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 10, 2025 Australia finished second in the league table during the 2023-25 WTC cycle, having claimed 67.54 per cent of the points on offer to them. They were also the only nation not to lose a series in that time, winning four of the six series they played. Their percentage was only bettered by the table-topping Proteas' 69.44 per cent. Lyon, a New South Wales native, has taken 56 wickets against South Africa in 18 matches during his career and expects nothing less than a fierce contest with the side captained by Temba Bavuma. 'Yes, we've been here before, but South Africa qualified first during this World Test Championship,' he continued. 'Throughout these two years, they've done something really well to finish top, and so they deserve that home changing room leading into this game. It's international cricket. We're expecting an extremely hard challenge and there's going to be a lot of problems out there, but we're going to have to be good enough to solve those problems ASAP.' Australia have plenty of firepower within their bowling ranks for this match, with five of those selected within the top 14 of the ICC Men's Test Bowling rankings. Lyon himself sits fifth on that list, with captain Pat Cummins in third, Josh Hazlewood in fourth, with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland in 11th and 14th, respectively. Cummins (73), Starc (72) and Lyon (66) also currently occupy positions two through four on the leading wicket-takers list for this edition of the WTC, with only India's Jasprit Bumrah ahead of them with 77 wickets. The presence of multiple experienced and skilled bowlers in the Australian camp is only improving the standards in training, revealed Lyon. 'As a bowling squad, we are very proud of where we are currently at,' he said. 'But we're not leaving any stone unturned and we're still trying to get better as a bowling group. I feel that spurs each and every one of us on to get better.' Australia last played Test cricket in England during the 2023 Ashes series – the opening contest of the 2023-25 WTC cycle – but many from the squad have since taken the opportunity to return to play on the shores of the old rival. Lyon played for Lancashire in 2024, while Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Beau Webster have represented Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire, respectively, this season.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Mixed emotions': Cricket world reacts to news about Aussie legend David Boon
David Boon is being hailed around the cricket world after the Aussie legend stood in his last game as an international match referee on Wednesday. The 64-year-old - widely adored around the cricket world - oversaw the last of nearly 400 international matches in the Bangladesh city of Chattogram as the hosts beat Zimbabwe in the second Test. Boon's career as a match referee lasted even longer than his illustrious spell as one of Australia's most beloved Test players. Still unmistakable due to the lavish moustache he's sported throughout his whole career, Boon is going on to join Cricket Australia as a Board Director. "I hope that I leave having made a difference and contributed to officiating the world game," said Boon, whose 14 years as a match referee marked two more than his 12 as a player. ICC Chair Jay Shah led the tributes to Boon, saying: "Over the years, he has combined his unparalleled experience as a world-class player with a remarkable level of patience and keen attention to detail. "David's fair-minded judgements and thoughtful insights consistently earned the respect of players, support staff, and colleagues alike. His professionalism and integrity have set a benchmark for match officials across the sport. We know that Australian cricket will benefit greatly from his expertise and vision." On behalf of the @ICC, I extend my gratitude to David Boon for his outstanding service as an ICC match referee. His professionalism and integrity have set a benchmark for match officials across our sport and we wish him success in his next role as Board Director at @CricketAus. — Jay Shah (@JayShah) April 30, 2025 Boon made special mention of wife Pip as he thanked his family for their support following a globetrotting career that saw him officiate in 396 international matches. He oversaw 87 Tests, 183 ODIs and 119 T20 internationals in the men's game, as well seven women's T20Is. "It is with mixed emotions that I finish my time as a match referee with the ICC. It has been an incredible honour and pleasure to be a part of this journey spanning nearly 14 years," he said. "I am grateful for the opportunity including the challenges, the many cherished memories and friendships I've made along the way. I feel privileged to have stayed so connected to our great game, witnessing international cricket from such close quarters. "I extend my thanks to all the umpires I have worked with and my fellow referees for being such fantastic colleagues and, more notably, great people. Most importantly and critically, the strength, support and encouragement of my family, especially my wife Pip, cannot be measured along with those close friends at home who care during times of absence. I will stay associated with the game in my new role as a Board Director of Cricket Australia and hopefully I can continue to make a positive contribution to the game." Boon played 107 Tests and 181 ODIs for Australia, scoring over 13,000 runs for his country combined. He remains a much-loved and respected figure among the new generation of players, and the tales of his antics off the field are well known. He famously drank 52 cans of beer on a flight to England for the Ashes series in 1989, a tale that he conceded might have been "greatly embellished down the years". But what remains a fact is that he averaged 55 in that series as Australia dominated the old enemy. He was player of the final as Australia won the 1987 World Cup, and was named international cricketer of that year. On Wednesday, cricket fans and commentators flocked to social media to congratulate him on the end of his officiating career. My childhood fan in Australian cricket team,best wishes to David Boon @JayShah @ICC @CricketAus — Girinath (@giri_reddy_24) April 30, 2025 Wishing David Boon all the best in his new role at Cricket Australia. — Rubi (@Rubi4377) April 30, 2025 Great — RAVI PRAKASH (@TheRavi_Prakash) April 30, 2025 Clapping 👋🏼👏🏼 — ٰImran Siddique (@imransiddique89) April 28, 2025 with AAP
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Veteran axed, young guns earn Aussie cricket contracts
Blazing batter Georgia Voll and bowling allrounder Tess Flintoff have both earned their first full Cricket Australia contracts. Voll has been upgraded after becoming a regular member of the Australian side across all three formats during summer. The 21-year-old's debut on the Cricket Australia list, released on Thursday, was no surprise given the remarkable start to her international career. Congratulations to Georgia Voll and Tess Flintoff who have been added to the national contract list for the first time! 👏 — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) April 16, 2025 Since making her international debut in December, the Queenslander has already notched an ODI century and two T20 international half-centuries. Flintoff, 22, has long been touted as a future Australian player, having come through the national player pathway and having been a member of various Australia A sides, Governor-General's XI and Green versus Gold fixtures. The supremely talented Victorian allrounder blasted her way into the WBBL record books in 2022 when she smashed an incredible 16-ball half-century for the Melbourne Stars against the Adelaide Strikers. "Tess is an exciting young player who we can see having a long future in the green and gold,'' said national selector Shawn Flegler. "Having overcome injury, we're looking forward to seeing her fit and firing throughout summer, which adds further depth to our pace-bowling stocks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Weber WBBL (@wbbl) "Georgia has made a sensational start to her international career, showing her immense talent from the onset and playing a pivotal role for the team in the absence of Alyssa Healy at the top of the order. "Her ability to adapt to the various formats has been impressive and will come into play with an ODI World Cup later this year and a multi-format series against India in the new year.'' Veteran Jess Jonassen, who hasn't played for Australia since 2023, missed out on a contract. But Flegler said the 32-year-old World Cup winner was certainly not out of the picture. "While Jess Jonassen has not been included on this year's list, we're always keeping an eye on players outside of the squad and she is no exception," he said. Players not awarded contracts as part of the initial squad of 18 can earn upgrades by accruing 12 upgrade points. Players receive five points for a Test match, two for an ODI and two for a T20 International. Australian players contracted for the 2025-26 cricket season: Darcie Brown, Tess Flintoff, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sutherland transforms into superstar after promotion
A freak hip injury to Ellyse Perry has guaranteed a changing of the guard in Australian cricket with Annabel Sutherland grabbing her opportunity in stunning fashion. Despite scoring centuries in two of her last three Tests, Sutherland was listed to bat at No.6 for the historic day-night at the MCG. But 34-year-old Perry, one of the all-time greats of women's cricket, hurt herself while fielding on day one and couldn't be considered to bat at No.3. Annabel Sutherland loves Test cricket 😍The hometown star brings up another century in whites with a boundary @hcltech #PlayoftheDay #Ashes — (@cricketcomau) January 31, 2025 Having been promoted out of necessity, Sutherland's spot in the longer-format will surely become permanent after joining Betty Wilson and Jill Kennare as the only Australian women to have scored three Test centuries. "I said 'yes' pretty quickly, before 'Shell' (Australia coach Shelley Nitschke) could even ask the question," the 23-year-old said about moving up the order to hit her masterful 163. "I thought England bowled pretty well in that first session (on Friday) so it was nice to get through that. "Wherever you can get an opportunity to bat, I'll take it." It was a dramatic turnaround for Sutherland, whose top score during the three ODIs and Twenty20s during the series was 18. We've had 11,918 fans at the MCG today, which mean's we've broken the world record attendance at a women's Test match with two days still to come! Thank you Melbourne for coming out to support our incredible team 🙌 #Ashes — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) January 31, 2025 But Sutherland's form returned in her favourite format of the game. "The time you've got to build an innings, I love batting," she said. "You've got time to work through those waves of ebbs and flows of the game and just recognising those moments." The daughter of former Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland, she spent summers at the MCG watching cricket and winters at the stadium supporting her beloved Geelong Cats in the AFL. Sutherland said the century in the first women's Test at the MCG since 1949 would rank "pretty high" in her career. "The occasion, the venue, the amount of time I've spent at the 'G as a young kid ... I just love the venue and what it means as a Victorian," she said. "At different phases, concentration wavers a bit, but what brings me back always is what's best for the team. "That's where my head goes, rather than any of the individual stuff."
