Graeme Wood
Encyclopedia
Graeme Malcolm Wood is a former Australia
n cricket
er who played in 59 Tests
and 83 ODIs from 1978 to 1989. He scored nine Test centuries in his career and it was a West Australian record until 2001-02 when it was passed by Justin Langer
.
His Test debut came against India as a 21-year-old in 1978. He got his place in the side due to several of Australia's best players defecting to World Series Cricket
. Later in the year he toured the West Indies and scored a century in the 1st Test as well as four half-centuries as he finished the Test series with the best run aggregate of 474 runs at 47.40.
He maintained his place in the Australian cricket team for the majority of the early to mid 1980s. He was dropped after the disastrous tour Ashes
England in 1985. After excellent domestic form Wood was recalled in 1988/89 for the Test series against the West Indies, he scored 111 and 42 in the second Test but was dropped after the third Test, for unknown reasons. Overall his best innings seemed to be against the West Indies, and the Australian selectors always seemed to recall him when a series against them was close. But after 1988 he never appeared in the Test side again.
In first-class cricket
, Wood scored 13,353 runs, making 35 centuries and 61 half centuries. As the captain of Western Australia
he led the team to victory in three Sheffield Shield finals and another in the limited overs competition. Moves to have him ousted as the Western Australian captain surfaced in 1991. Believed to be led by then vice captain Geoff Marsh
, coaches Daryl Foster
and David Smith, they managed to make a mockery of the situation by influencing the other team members to vote him out as captain, shortly after that a similar vote saw him outed from the team. At the time his batting average was an outstanding 46.33 in the Sheffield Shield competition. He retired shortly after.
Wood's ability influenced a number of other WA cricketers during his time. Justin Langer
, Tim Zoehrer
, Damien Martyn
and Chris Matthews
have all mentioned his influence upon their personal game.
Prior to making his Test debut in 1978, Wood played Australian rules football
for the East Fremantle Football Club
in the West Australian National Football League
, playing 14 games between 1975 and 1977.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in 59 Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and 83 ODIs from 1978 to 1989. He scored nine Test centuries in his career and it was a West Australian record until 2001-02 when it was passed by Justin Langer
Justin Langer
Justin Lee Langer AM is a former international cricketer who represented Australia in 105 Test matches and the current Assistant Coach and Batting Coach of the Australian cricket team. A left-handed batsman, his opening partnership with Matthew Hayden was one of the most successful of all time...
.
His Test debut came against India as a 21-year-old in 1978. He got his place in the side due to several of Australia's best players defecting to World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
. Later in the year he toured the West Indies and scored a century in the 1st Test as well as four half-centuries as he finished the Test series with the best run aggregate of 474 runs at 47.40.
He maintained his place in the Australian cricket team for the majority of the early to mid 1980s. He was dropped after the disastrous tour Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
England in 1985. After excellent domestic form Wood was recalled in 1988/89 for the Test series against the West Indies, he scored 111 and 42 in the second Test but was dropped after the third Test, for unknown reasons. Overall his best innings seemed to be against the West Indies, and the Australian selectors always seemed to recall him when a series against them was close. But after 1988 he never appeared in the Test side again.
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
, Wood scored 13,353 runs, making 35 centuries and 61 half centuries. As the captain of Western Australia
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
he led the team to victory in three Sheffield Shield finals and another in the limited overs competition. Moves to have him ousted as the Western Australian captain surfaced in 1991. Believed to be led by then vice captain Geoff Marsh
Geoff Marsh
Geoffrey Robert Marsh is a former Australian cricketer, coach and selector. He played 50 Test matches and over 100 One Day Internationals for Australia as an opening batsman...
, coaches Daryl Foster
Daryl Foster
Daryl Hugh Foster OAM is an Australian cricket coach.-Playing career:Foster played in Victorian grade cricket between 1955 and 1971 for Essendon, University and Northcote. He played two second XI matches for Victoria in 1955 and 1956....
and David Smith, they managed to make a mockery of the situation by influencing the other team members to vote him out as captain, shortly after that a similar vote saw him outed from the team. At the time his batting average was an outstanding 46.33 in the Sheffield Shield competition. He retired shortly after.
Wood's ability influenced a number of other WA cricketers during his time. Justin Langer
Justin Langer
Justin Lee Langer AM is a former international cricketer who represented Australia in 105 Test matches and the current Assistant Coach and Batting Coach of the Australian cricket team. A left-handed batsman, his opening partnership with Matthew Hayden was one of the most successful of all time...
, Tim Zoehrer
Tim Zoehrer
Timothy Joseph Zoehrer is a former Australian cricket player. He played as a wicket-keeper....
, Damien Martyn
Damien Martyn
Damien Richard Martyn is a former Australian cricketer. He played for the national team sporadically in 1992–1994 before becoming a regular ODI player in 1999–2000 and a regular Test player in 2001 until his retirement in late 2006...
and Chris Matthews
Christopher Matthews (cricketer)
Christopher Darrell "Chris" Matthews is a former Australian cricketer, who played for the Australian cricket team, the Western Warriors, Lancashire County Cricket Club, and the Tasmanian Tigers....
have all mentioned his influence upon their personal game.
Prior to making his Test debut in 1978, Wood played Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
for the East Fremantle Football Club
East Fremantle Football Club
The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...
in the West Australian National Football League
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
, playing 14 games between 1975 and 1977.