Australian Cricket
In Australia Cricket is governed by Cricket Australia (CA), it is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test, One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) status. The Australian cricket team is proud of Baggy Green.
*Australia acquired the test status in 1877 being the joint oldest team in Test Cricket history, having played in the first ever test match & also share honour of being first team to play an official ODI in 1970 & T20I in 2004.
Introduction
Cricket began in Australia soon after the start of colonisation in 1788, and quickly became popular in the colonies. Within a century, first-class status was achieved, with Tasmania's three-wicket victory against Launceston Racecourse in February, 1851 becoming Australia's inaugural first-class match while Victoria was already established, and the other states would join in time. Cricket's popularity soared in the 1860s, through touring teams, WG Grace's arrival in 1873 further boosting interest. Standards increased to the extent where Australia was ready to face England in a Test, in the 1876-77 season. So began Australia's illustrious international history.
Baggy Green
The baggy green is a cricket cap of dark myrtle green colour, which has been worn by Australian Test cricketers since around the turn of the twentieth century. The cap was not originally baggy as evidenced by photographs of early players. The cap has long been a symbol of national pride in Australia,[1] and was described by the chief executive of the MCC as the "most famous cricket cap in the world
The Ashes
The Ashes is a 5 match Test cricket series played between England and Australia.
The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, their first Test win on English soil.
"The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia".
The mythical ashes immediately became associated with the 1882–83 series played in Australia, before which the English captain Ivo Bligh had vowed to "regain those ashes". The English media therefore dubbed the tour the quest to regain the Ashes.
The Ashes series is hosted in turn by England and Australia at least once every four years. The Ashes are regarded as being held by the team that most recently won the Test series
The Australian set-up is straightforward. The six states - New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia - play against each other for three trophies, in four-day, one-day and 20-over cricket. The Sheffield Shield, the first-class competition, is the main prize. The one-day trophy, currently the Pura Cup, is played in a league format, while the most recent introduction was the Twenty20 competition, known as the Big Bash League. Overseas players are rare in state cricket, while the sides are fed mainly through their state's grade competitions. District and country cricket is also available. The team draws its players from teams playing in the Australian domestic competitions – the Sheffield Shield, the Australian domestic limited-overs cricket tournament and the Big Bash League.
Australia has always been a powerhouse force in cricket but in recent years, Australia has been almost unstoppable. Mark Taylor's captaincy laid the groundwork for Steve Waugh and then Ricky Ponting to take Australia on a Test crusade which saw it vanquished in a series just once between July 2001 and September 2008. But it has looked more fallible in the longer form of the game in recent times. In the one-day arena, Australia has won the ICC World Cup four times out of its nine editions to date - more than any other country. It also won the ICC Champions Trophy twice - with success in South Africa in 2009, after winning the event in India in 2006. Twenty20 success has so far proved elusive but it did reach the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies in 2010.
Women's Cricket
Australia has always had a deep pool of talent to call upon, and it hosted the first women's Test, when England toured in 1934-35. Traditionally a strong side - Australia has won the ICC Women's World Cup a record five times, and held the Ashes for 42 years, until 2005. It also won the ICC Womens World Twenty20 three successive times - 2010, 2012 and 2014. CA now runs the game and, under its banner, the women have had increased financial assistance in 2016 much more than before.
Team Song
Under The Southern Cross I Stand is the victory song of the Australian cricket team.
It is typically sung by the players in the style of a raucous chant after every victory and "treated with reverential consideration and respect" within the team.[2] The official lyrics are as follows, though when it is sung by the players, the word "little" in the last line is replaced by "bloddy".The authorship of this team song is credited to former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, who was apparently inspired by Henry Lawson's 1887 poem, "Flag of the Southern Cross"
Song Lyrics
Under the Southern Cross I Stand
A sprig of wattle in my hand,
A native of my native land,
Australia you little beauty.
Ranking
As of 3 August 2016, Australia is ranked 1st in Tests, 1st in ODIs, 6th in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and 1st in Women's rankings by the ICC. Steve Smith is the current captain of the team in TEST, ODI & T20I.
