AUS: Domestic Season 1992/93 - Brief Summary and Stars
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The 1992/93 Australian first class season produced fantastic
test cricket as three of the tests produced brilliant all round
cricket, another brilliant batting and the final awesome bowling.
The World Series Cup on the other hand was rather disappointing,
in part due to World Cup holders Pakistan poor performances, and
partly due to the poor pitches produced. The fact at no time did
scores under 200 look undefendable was an indictment of the
uneven bounce and excess grass that made batsmen uncomfortable.
Domestically, batsmen prospered on the first class tracks as
bowlers toiled and it was those bowlers that saw New South Wales
and Queensland into the shield final where New South Wales de-
feated and apprehensive Queensland. The opposite was true in the
newly sponsored Mercantile Mutual cup where the poor pitches saw
some low scores and New South Wales defeated Victoria in the fi-
nal. Crowds were up for the tests this season, showing how im-
portant the West Indies have become to Australian cricket,
along with England they are the only sides that draw significant
crowds to test cricket. The one day matches drew there usual
high numbers, especially to the day night matches, although I
feel that crowds at these game would be similar if they
were played on as day games on a Sunday for a change. Domesti-
cally crowds continue to be poor. The site that is challeng-
ing Brisbane and Perth for a test match because of poor atten-
dance, Hobart struggled to achieve even a thousand people a
day for the shield matches. The one day competition even with the
extra game also failed crowd wise, although if the standard of
pitch can be improved and with continued television coverage,
maybe they should add more of those signs for the sixes.
Australia toured Sri Lanka before the 1992/93 season with mixed
success winning a single test and hence the series, but losing
the one day series. In the later stages there was a tour of New
Zealand in which the test series was drawn 1-1 and the one day
series was won 3-2. The tests series was lost on the strength
of one day in the third test.
Players of the season :
Test batsman : David Boon
David Boon was simply himself in the test series, scoring 488
runs at 61 against the West Indies clearly above the rest. It was
no surprise as Boon has a solid technique and has clearly esta-
blished himself as Australia's leading batsman.
Test bowler : Curtley Ambrose
Curtley Ambrose established himself as probably the premier
bowler in the world with his excellent performances. He bowled
beautifully through the series, but it was when Bishop finally
got on track that luck began to run his way and he demolished
Australia in Perth on the first day. He finished with 33 wickets
at 16.42.
Shield Bowler : Mike Kasprowicz
Kasprowicz was desperately unlucky to miss selection for the
ashes series. He performed consistently through out the first
class season. He bowls quite quickly and with consistent line and
length and swings the bowl. His 49 wickets at 25.12 represented a
great achievement in his first full season, after several years
around about the Queensland team.
Shield Batsman : Jamie Siddons
Siddons displayed his usual emphatic and destructive self after a
moderate season last year when a facial injury from a bouncer by
Merv Hughes caused a lack of confidence. He destroyed attacks
all year making 1190 runs at 66.11.
Best First Year Player : Ricky Ponting
At 18 Ricky Ponting was clearly the best debutant, with 782
runs at 46 including centuries in both innings against Western
Australia. Ponting displays good technique and has excellent ag-
gression and will clearly play for Australia in years to come.
Contributed by Phil Shead (drinnen@deakin.edu.au)