Australia A smashing Sri Lanka twice in one day, David Warner plucked from obscurity and Andrew Johns playing for NSW – inside the early days of T20 cricket in Australia
While the Big Bash League, Indian Premier League and T20 World Cup are big events in the cricket calendar today, the formative 20 years of cricket saw some crazy innovations that have gained momentum.
For the first time, cricket fans saw cheerleaders dancing in front of rock bands, international stars playing in domestic leagues and crowds returning through the gates for state cricket matches.
While many of the early innovations have caught on and are present in T20 matches to this day, there were also a number of failed experiments that are best left in the history books.
Here are some of the craziest moments of T20 cricket in Australia, dating back to when the Aussies came up with a shortened version of cricket before it officially became a sport.
Andrew Jones’ incredible cricket career
Today you don’t see rugby league players making it to the Big Bash League, but that’s exactly what happened to Andrew Jones in 2006.
Andrew Jones fancied himself a professional cricketer, but his career lasted only two matches.
Andrew “Joey” Jones is well known for leading the Newcastle Knights to two premierships, numerous NSW state titles and ultimately being named Rugby League’s Immortal after a stellar career. However, his talent was not limited to NRL football.
During the 2006–07 season, Jones was recruited into the New South Wales Twenty20 cricket team, a strategic move designed to attract larger crowds to the Blues’ home games.
Although his presence generated interest, his performance on the field did not contribute significantly to the team’s success.
Despite his limited impact on the field, Jones showed that he was not lacking in cricket skills during his second spell in Sydney, scoring 9 out of 10 balls. This followed some experience of lower-level cricket with Newcastle’s Mereezer Club.
Andrew Jones’ involvement in Twenty20 cricket was largely an initiative to raise awareness of the sport, as Cricket NSW’s then chief executive David Gilbert admitted.
Australia A beat Sri Lanka twice in one day
Although T20 cricket was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003, there were very few domestic or international players playing in the format straight away.
That is until an unlikely flogging gave Australians an idea of what Twenty20 was all about.
Sri Lanka toured Australia and played a triangular ODI series against Australia and the second Australian A team.
Australia A will create history in this series by playing two matches in one day and essentially providing a preview of what T20 cricket will look like.
Ian Harvey, Nathan Bracken and Brad Williams tore through the Sri Lankan order at the Adelaide Oval, dismissing the visitors for just 65 in 25 overs.
In response, openers Greg Blewett and Jimmy Maher reduced the total in less than 12 overs.
With the restless crowd wanting more, both sides agreed to play a second exhibition match limited to 25 overs each.
Australia A batted first this time and the late Andrew Symonds made 81 off 59 balls to show he was made for the new format.
Sri Lanka failed to make Australia A’s total of 171 and suffered an ignominious defeat, losing to Australia’s second limited-overs team twice in one day.
Ryan Campbell invents the ‘Scoop’ cricket shot and Sri Lanka steals it
Ryan Campbell was one of those unlucky players who had limited opportunities to represent his country in his golden years, but he made history by inventing the ramp shot.
Sri Lankan star Tillakaratne Dilshan cheekily stole the ramp shot and took credit for creating it, but Australians know the real story.
Wicket-keeper/batsman Ryan Campbell led Australia in those infamous matches against Sri Lanka, and he was the first Australian player to roll out the scoop, a reverse move that sends the ball over the keeper’s head into the boundary rope.
Campbell made his high-risk, high-reward batting debut in 2002 playing for Australia A and made headlines, picking up steam again in 2003 when they beat Sri Lanka twice in one day.
“I was sent into the game against Sri Lanka early to test the tempo in a game we were going quite well,” Campbell said at the time.
“I thought: “Zoisa will come through the gate and fill my cup, so let’s do a spin.”
Tillakaratne Dilshan did not play in that match, but, of course, he paid attention to it.
He developed his own version of the Campbell ramp to create what he called the “Dil-Scoop” and claimed to be the pioneer of this shot.
Although Campbell invented the shot, he admits that players like Dilshan have perfected it.
“I think the other players played much better. Dilshan played it incredibly. Brendon McCullum took it to the next level when he started hitting sixes in New Zealand off Shaun Tait and Brett Lee.
“The courage they (batsmen) show in doing this is incredible – we are talking about guys who take 150 runs. To get down there, put your body and face in line (with the ball) and hit it over your head is just incredible.”
Matthew Hayden and the Crazy Mongoose Bat
A big man with a small bat, Matthew Hayden did appear at professional cricket matches with the Mongoose.
Mongoose had a brief period of popularity, but it eventually became the same as Tazos and Michael Clarke’s matte tips.
In the twilight of his career, Matthew Hayden made a splash in the 2010 Indian Premier League with the Mongoose bat, a shortened version of the regular bat that was great for hitting sixes but utterly hopeless for defensive shots.
Unlike regular bats, the Mongoose Bat is designed with three times more wood at the bottom. This unique feature allows the batsman to hit powerful shots, especially yorkers and low shots, using the full strength and power of the bat. The bat’s unconventional design features a 33% shorter blade and 43% longer handle than traditional bats, giving it a distinct look and performance.
In addition to its distinctive design, the Mongoose Bat is lighter in weight, providing players with increased maneuverability and control while serving. The structural changes implemented in the Mongoose Bat contribute to an astonishing 120 percent increase in sweet spot size, offering players increased bat surface area for optimal swing execution.
Contrary to popular belief, there is a misconception that the Mongoose bat was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the governing body of the IPL. However, in reality, while these governing bodies did review the bat in response to complaints, they ultimately decided not to impose a ban. The excitement over the Mongoose Bat simply died down and it was scattered into moldy old bags all over the world.
David Warner’s T20 debut
Warner had not even played for New South Wales when he was called upon to join the likes of Ricky Ponting in the Australian team.
Warner scored 89 on his debut for the Australians and set the stage for a career as a swashbuckling scorer.
The veteran Australian opener will put his Test career on the line this summer as he looks to finish with a bang at the SCG at his home ground against Pakistan.
For Warner, however, it all started in T20 when he was plucked from obscurity to play in the first ever Twenty20 international match between Australia and South Africa in 2009.
At the time, Warner had not played a single First Class match, let alone for his country.
He had been singled out early for his big batting and did not disappoint, scoring 89 in just 43 balls as Australia beat the Proteas by 52 runs.
His first-class ODI debuts soon followed, as well as an IPL contract with the Delhi Daredevils, and in 2011 he made his debut in Test cricket.