Greg Blewett
Encyclopedia
Gregory Scott Blewett is a former Australia
n right handed batsman and a right arm medium fast bowler in cricket
who represented the Australian national cricket team in Test cricket
and One Day International matches from 1995 to 2000.
The son of Bob Blewett who represented South Australia in the 1970s, Greg Blewett began his domestic career in 1991–92 playing for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield and One Day domestic tournament competition in Australia. He made his international debut for the Australian team playing for Australia A
during a World Series Cup
tournament against Australia in 1994–95. During this tournament he displayed his batting performances against former Australian fast bowler, Craig McDermott
. In January 1995, he made his Test debut for Australia against England
in the Adelaide Oval
in South Australia
; scoring a century
on his debut match. He followed that with a century in the WACA Ground
in Perth
during his second match and scored a century at Edgbaston
in England
in 1997 and scoring three centuries in his first three Ashes
Test series.
He also represented the national team in One Day International matches. During his peak, he batted with aggression and he was effective against both fast bowlers and spinners. He was particularly strong square of the wicket, which was rewarded on his home ground, the Adelaide Oval
, where the square boundaries are shorter. He was also an effective medium pacebowler (average bowling speed 125 km/h). His highest Test match score was 214 runs, against South Africa
, reaching a double-century (200 runs) in Johannesburg
in South Africa
. Most of those runs were achieved with his former team mate and captain, Steve Waugh
, with whom he was involved in one of the highest batting partnerships in cricket when the pair scored 309 runs together, batting for an entire day's play without losing a wicket.
Despite his qualities as a batsman, he was known to struggle against spin bowling
. He has been dismissed (out) in the past by several spin bowlers, including the former Pakistan and Indian spinners, Mushtaq Ahmed
and Anil Kumble
. After achieving a successful first year in the international cricket, he encountered Mushtaq Ahmed when Pakistan
visited Australia in the 1995–96 season. He was unable to pick which way Mushtaq's deliveries were turning and was continuously dismissed in the tournament by being declared Leg before wicket
or being bowled
, either playing down the wrong line or not offering shot to a googly
that turned into his stumps. He was subsequently replaced by Ricky Ponting
, but in 1996 he regained his batting position after Ponting himself had fallen upon hard times. Blewett then performed well with the bat, until the 1998 tour to India
, where he struggled against Kumble and he was dropped in favour of Justin Langer
. However, upon the retirement of captain Mark Taylor
in 1999, Blewett was selected to become an opening batsman, until he was dropped from the Australian team in favour of Matthew Hayden
in early 2000 after a period of poor performances, which ended his international career. He retired from professional cricket in 2006 when he played his last match in First-class cricket
and One Day Domestic matches against Queensland and Tasmania.
Waugh, who captained Australia from 1999–2004, said that Blewett had "a technical batting problem in his defence, when facing deliveries and he often left a gap between bat
and pad
." Test and One Day International averages of 34 and 20 respectively also reflect his inability to, according to Waugh, "align...talent with results". Waugh blames this failure on a "lack of discipline and...self-belief."
Since retiring from professional cricket, Blewett has pursued a commentating career.
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 right handed batsman and a right arm medium fast bowler in 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...
who represented the Australian national cricket team in Test cricket
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 One Day International matches from 1995 to 2000.
The son of Bob Blewett who represented South Australia in the 1970s, Greg Blewett began his domestic career in 1991–92 playing for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield and One Day domestic tournament competition in Australia. He made his international debut for the Australian team playing for Australia A
Australia A cricket team
The Australia A cricket team is a cricket team representing Australia and is the second team of the Australian cricket team. They have also played far more one-day than first-class matches; indeed they have played only three first-class games against equivalent A sides, against South Africa A in...
during a World Series Cup
World Series Cup
The World Series Cup was the name of the One Day International cricket tournament that took place in Australia every season between Australia and two touring teams from 1979-80 to 1995-96. The tournament was renamed the World Series from 1990-1. This was the very first of the One Day International ...
tournament against Australia in 1994–95. During this tournament he displayed his batting performances against former Australian fast bowler, Craig McDermott
Craig McDermott
Craig John McDermott is a former Australian cricketer. He is currently the bowling coach for the Australian cricket team....
. In January 1995, he made his Test debut for Australia against England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
in the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
; scoring a century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
on his debut match. He followed that with a century in the WACA Ground
WACA Ground
The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
during his second match and scored a century at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1997 and scoring three centuries in his first three 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...
Test series.
He also represented the national team in One Day International matches. During his peak, he batted with aggression and he was effective against both fast bowlers and spinners. He was particularly strong square of the wicket, which was rewarded on his home ground, the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
, where the square boundaries are shorter. He was also an effective medium pacebowler (average bowling speed 125 km/h). His highest Test match score was 214 runs, against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
, reaching a double-century (200 runs) in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Most of those runs were achieved with his former team mate and captain, Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh
Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
, with whom he was involved in one of the highest batting partnerships in cricket when the pair scored 309 runs together, batting for an entire day's play without losing a wicket.
Despite his qualities as a batsman, he was known to struggle against spin bowling
Spin bowling
Spin bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as spinners or spin bowlers.-Purpose:The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricket ball with rapid rotation so that when it bounces on the pitch it will deviate, thus making it difficult for the...
. He has been dismissed (out) in the past by several spin bowlers, including the former Pakistan and Indian spinners, Mushtaq Ahmed
Mushtaq Ahmed
Mushtaq Ahmed is a retired Pakistani cricketer who specialised as a leg spin bowler. He was known for his hard-to-pick googly. He memorably trapped Graeme Hick in front with one during the 1992 World Cup final. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997...
and Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian Test cricket team. He is a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-hand batsman. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day International matches...
. After achieving a successful first year in the international cricket, he encountered Mushtaq Ahmed when Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
visited Australia in the 1995–96 season. He was unable to pick which way Mushtaq's deliveries were turning and was continuously dismissed in the tournament by being declared Leg before wicket
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
or being bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
, either playing down the wrong line or not offering shot to a googly
Googly
In cricket, a googly is a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is occasionally referred to as a Bosie , an eponym in honour of its inventor Bernard Bosanquet.- Explanation :...
that turned into his stumps. He was subsequently replaced by Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
, but in 1996 he regained his batting position after Ponting himself had fallen upon hard times. Blewett then performed well with the bat, until the 1998 tour to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he struggled against Kumble and he was dropped in favour of 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...
. However, upon the retirement of captain Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (cricketer)
Mark Anthony Taylor, AO is a former Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border...
in 1999, Blewett was selected to become an opening batsman, until he was dropped from the Australian team in favour of Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden
Matthew Lawrence Hayden AM is a former Australian cricketer, and was signed to the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL until the 2010 season. Hayden is a powerful and aggressive left-handed opening batsman, known for his ability to score quickly at both Test and one day levels.Hayden holds the record...
in early 2000 after a period of poor performances, which ended his international career. He retired from professional cricket in 2006 when he played his last match in First-class cricket
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...
and One Day Domestic matches against Queensland and Tasmania.
Waugh, who captained Australia from 1999–2004, said that Blewett had "a technical batting problem in his defence, when facing deliveries and he often left a gap between bat
Cricket bat
A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batsmen in the sport of cricket to hit the ball. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624....
and pad
Cricket clothing and equipment
Cricket is traced back to 1550. It was first played in Guildford, Surrey. Later in 1598, cricket was cited in an Italian English dictionary written by Florio. In the year 1676, British residents in Aleppo played cricket abroad for the first time....
." Test and One Day International averages of 34 and 20 respectively also reflect his inability to, according to Waugh, "align...talent with results". Waugh blames this failure on a "lack of discipline and...self-belief."
Since retiring from professional cricket, Blewett has pursued a commentating career.