Australia is always a nation that comes to our minds when we speak of Cricket. Australia is one of the best cricket teams who always keep their formats clear no matter what the condition is. They have been shining in batting, bowling, and even fielding. Their gaming style is always a fan favourite and is very renowned. Australia has a strong gaming style and is extremely competitive in all games. Cricket is very popular in their country and they have heavy fan support. Australia has produced many stars like Ricky Ponting, Aaron Finch, David Warner, etc. who had brought the nation to fame as per latest sports news on cricket.
A brief history of the Australian Cricket
Australia is a country on the Australian mainland that is very renowned for its achievements in International Cricket which has a history of around 200 years. Their history in cricket begins in the year 1877 when the players of Victoria and New South Wales decided to play the Grand Combination Match at Melbourne which was later known as the first Test Match in the history of cricket. They won the match with a lead of 45 runs and this proved their extreme talent in Cricket which was led to the birth of the present-day Australian National Team. A former Victorian player, John Conway was put in charge of organizing and managing the team for the 1878 season of the England Tour.
However, they had to lose the match against Nottinghamshire in the opening match itself but hadn’t discouraged them. They won the match against Marylebone Cricket Club for 9 wickets which was said as the Beginning of the Modern Era in Cricket according to Lord Hawke. And this was the beginning of the Golden era of Australia in the International Cricket.
Over the years Australia has been one of the most victorious teams in the world. They topped the chart in terms of the number of wins they had and also the percentage of their wins in the matches. It is said that they have around 48% winning probability which is very close to the best Cricket teams like England. They have played around 900 matches in international tours in which they are said to have won around 400 matches.
The Greatest Fielders of all time in Australian Cricket
The game of cricket has a known history starting in the late 16th century in east England where it was said to be originated. It is the national sport of England and subsequently spread to the nations globally, especially the Commonwealth nations. One of the Important cricketing capitals in the world is undoubtedly, Australia as their team is one of the most successful cricket teams in the world and has produced some greatest performances of all time. They have shown their talent in all forms, batting, bowling, and even fielding.
The greatest fielding performances in Australia have been characterized by great catches, athleticism, and successive run-outs in the field. They display excellence in sense of timing, teamwork, and even an awareness of the game. Some of the greatest fielders in Australia are:-
Ricky Ponting
The first person on the list is undoubtedly, Ricky Ponting who is the main inspiration of the team to their present-day growth. He is the best player Australia ever had and is considered the number one player in the Australian Fielding. He is the second-best player in the International Cricket of all time. He was an all-rounder in the game, but mostly shined on the fielding side where he was much more skilled in aimed catches and runouts. He has a record for the most catches in Test Cricket, i.e. 196 catches overall in the game. He had around 36 catches only around India which is the highest that a player could achieve. And also, he had achieved a record for most run-outs in international matches, i.e., 80. He achieved catches of an overall 160 in the ODI’s also defines his strong defence in the field. His catch to dismiss Herschelle Gibbs in 1999 is one of the best moments in cricket history that displayed his talent.
David Boone
David Boone is a Boon to Australian Cricket who shone both as a great fielder as well as the best top-order batsman for the team. He scored over 1000 runs only in Test Cricket. He was equally calculative and incredibly fast in the fields as a fielder, thus he is the best fielder too. He was very much focused on the game and much calculative on the projectile of the ball from the pitch. He was even able to catch the ball which was thought to be impossible. His performance in the match against South Africa in 1993 where he caught the ball by Hanse Cronje which was bowled by Shane Warne was incredible in cricket history. He had caught almost 99 balls from 107 matches in Test Cricket.
Mark Waugh
One of the greatest fielders of all time, Mark is said to be equal to Ricky Ponting through his performances in International cricket. He almost caught 181 balls in his whole career 108 balls parts for the ODI and 128 balls in Test Cricket. His focus and brilliance are incredible in the history of Cricket and Waugh will always be counted as the all-time best fielder in the history of national cricket.
Future of Fielding in Australian Cricket
The role of fielding in future Australian cricket is a hotly debated topic. Some say that the days of dominating the sport with aggressive fielding are over, while others believe that the current crop of players is more than capable of continuing the tradition. At the heart of the debate is the question of whether or not Australia can continue to produce world-class fielders. The side has been renowned for its fielding prowess for many years, but there is a feeling that the current crop of players is not as good as their predecessors. Only time will tell whether or not Australia can continue to dominate the sport with their fielding. However, one thing is for sure – the role of fielding in future Australian cricket will be a key topic of discussion for many years to come.
