Allan Border
Australia
Personal information
Full name	Allan Robert Border
Nickname	AB
Born	27 July 1955 (1955-07-27) (age 52)
	Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia
Height	5 ft 9 in (1. The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Cremorne is a Suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. 75 m)
Role	Captain, coach, administrator
Batting style	Left-handed
Bowling style	Slow left arm orthodox
International information
Test debut (cap 299)	29 December 1978: v England
Last Test	25 March 1994: v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 49)	13 January 1979: v England
Last ODI	8 April 1994: v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1980 – 1996	Queensland
1986 – 1988	Essex
1976 – 1980	New South Wales
1977	Gloucestershire
Career statistics
	Tests	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	156	273	385	382
Runs scored	11174	6524	27131	9355
Batting average	50. The captain of a Cricket team is a player who during the course of a match has several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player Coach (baseball|Coach (basketball|Coach (ice hockeyIn Sports a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction instruction and training of the operations Left-arm orthodox spin is a style of bowling in the sport of Cricket. This is a list of cricketers who have played at least one Test match for Australia. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The South African cricket team, also known as The Proteas are a national Cricket team representing South Africa This is a list of Australian One-day International cricketers. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The South African cricket team, also known as The Proteas are a national Cricket team representing South Africa The Queensland Bulls are the Brisbane -based Queensland representative Cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments Sheffield Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county of The New South Wales Blues (referred to as the Speed Blitz Blues for sponsorship purposes are an Australian first class cricket team based in Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations Note Most of the information here pertains to men's cricket ODI matches are also played in Women's cricket. First-class cricket refers to the class of Cricket matches of three or more days scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players and officially adjudged first-class by List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day form of the Sport of Cricket. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 56	30. 62	51. 38	31. 71
100s/50s	27/63	3/39	70/142	3/62
Top score	205	127*	205	127*
Balls bowled	4009	2661	9750	3703
Wickets	39	73	106	90
Bowling average	39. In Cricket, not out is a term used on scorecards to signify that a Batsman has not been dismissed when the Innings is finished In Cricket, not out is a term used on scorecards to signify that a Batsman has not been dismissed when the Innings is finished A delivery or ball in Cricket is a single action of Bowling a Cricket ball towards the Batsman. In the sport of Cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings Meanings of wicket Set of stumps Primarily the wicket Bowling average is a Statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the Sport of Cricket. 10	28. 36	39. 25	32. 27
5 wickets in innings	2	0	3	0
10 wickets in match	1	n/a	1	n/a
Best bowling	7/46	3/20	7/46	3/20
Catches/stumpings	156/–	127/–	379/–	183/–
As of 13 January 2008 Source: Cricinfo

Allan Robert Border, AO (born 27 July 1955) is a former Australian cricket captain. An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of Sports &ndash most notably Cricket and Baseball during For other uses see Stump (disambiguation Stump is a term used in the Sport of Cricket where has three different meanings Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on 14 February 1975 "for the purpose of according recognition Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries His playing nickname was "A. B. ". He played 156 Tests in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh. Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations Stephen Rodger Waugh, AO (born 2 June 1965 in Canterbury New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of Mark Waugh Border still retains the world record for the number of consecutive Test appearances of 153 and the number of Tests as captain. He was primarily a left hand batsman but also achieved sporadic success as a part time left arm orthodox spinner. Mike Powell cricketerjpg|thumb|200px| Warwickshire batsman Mike Powell]] A batsman in the sport of Cricket is depending on context Any Left-arm orthodox spin is a style of bowling in the sport of Cricket. Spin bowling, sometimes known as slow bowling, is a technique used for bowling in the Sport of Cricket. Border amassed 11,174 Test runs (a world record until it was passed by Brian Lara in 2005). Brian Charles Lara (born 2 May 1969 ( nicknamed, "The Prince of Port-of-Spain" "The Prince of Trinidad" or simply "The Prince" is a He hit 27 centuries in his Test career. He retired as Australia's most capped player and leading run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs. Note Most of the information here pertains to men's cricket ODI matches are also played in Women's cricket.

Early years

Born in Cremorne, a North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Border grew up with three brothers in the nearby suburb of Mosman. Cremorne is a Suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The North Shore is an informal term used to describe a primarily residential area of northern metropolitan Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Mosman is a Suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. His father John, from Coonamble in rural New South Wales, was a wool classer and his mother Sheila was the proprietor of a corner store. Coonamble is a town in central-western New South Wales, Australia. ^[1] The family had a spacious backyard for playing games and Mosman Oval, the home of district cricket and baseball clubs, was across the street. Border attended North Sydney Boys High School, and earned his leaving certificate in 1972. North Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective, public High school for boys located at Crows Nest in Sydney, Australia ^[2][3]

Throughout his early years, Border played in under-age cricket teams two or three years older than his age group. He also played for Mosman Baseball Club, where he developed his fielding and horizontal bat shots. Aged 16, Border made his debut for Mosman in Sydney Grade Cricket as a left arm orthodox spinner and batted at number nine. Sydney Grade Cricket is a Cricket competition played in Sydney Australia. Left-arm orthodox spin is a style of bowling in the sport of Cricket. Spin bowling, sometimes known as slow bowling, is a technique used for bowling in the Sport of Cricket. He won selection for the 1972–73 Combined High Schools team in the intrastate carnival. ^[4] During this time he was coached by Barry Knight, a former England international. Barry Rolfe Knight (born February 18, 1938, Chesterfield, Derbyshire) is a former English Cricketer who played The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. ^[5]

Cricket career

Border accumulated more than 600 runs in grade cricket in 1975–76, and at the start of the following season, he made two consecutive centuries to earn selection for NSW. ^[6] In the absence of a number of Test players, Border made his debut against Queensland at the SCG in January 1977. The Queensland Bulls are the Brisbane -based Queensland representative Cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments Sheffield The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG is a sports Stadium in Sydney. ^[7] He compiled 36 and took the last three catches of the match, as his team claimed victory. ^[7] Border resigned his job as a clerk in the film library of BHP to spend the 1977 English season playing for Downend in the Gloucestershire League. History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century The highlight of his stay was 159 not out in an invitational match against Cambridge University. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the In Australia, Border compiled 617 runs at 36. 29 average during the 1977–78 Sheffield Shield season. ^[8] He then returned to England and played for East Lancashire Cricket Club in the Lancashire League, scoring 1191 runs at 56. Honours 1st XI League Winners - 15 - 1891 1919 1942 1947 1949 1951 1952 1963 1966 1972 1973 1980 1984 1990 2003 Worsley The Lancashire League is a competitive league of local Cricket clubs drawn from the small to middle-sized mill towns mainly but not exclusively of East Lancashire 71 and taking 54 wickets at 18. 60. ^[3][9]

Test debut during WSC

In 1977, the breakaway professional competition World Series Cricket (WSC) signed many players who were then banned from first-class and Test cricket, thus leaving many vacancies in the Australian team. World Series Cricket (WSC was a break away professional Cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. ^[3][10] Border started the 1978–79 season with his maiden first-class century, 135 against Western Australia at Perth, and followed up with 114 against Victoria at the SCG. The Western Warriors (referred to as Retravison Warriors for sponsorship reasons are an Australian first class cricket team based in Perth, Western Australia The WACA (pronounced wakka) is a sports Stadium in Perth Western Australia. The Victorian Bushrangers is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. ^[11] After Australia lost the first two Tests in the Ashes series, Border was selected for his Test debut at the MCG. Making a nervous start, he took more than half an hour to score three runs. ^[11] He made 29 and was run out for a duck in the second innings while attempting a single. For the term run out, used in equestrian sport see Refusal Run out is a method of dismissal in the Sport ^[12] In the following Test at Sydney, he was in a "lonely class of his own" by top-scoring in both innings with 60 not out and 45 not out as Australia lost the match and the Ashes. ^[13] He used his feet to the spinners as his teammates struggled to cope with the turn. ^[14] However, after scores of 11 and 1 in the Fifth Test at Adelaide he was dropped for the Sixth Test. The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia. ^[3][14]

Recalled for the First Test against Pakistan at the MCG, Border batted at No. The Pakistan National Cricket Team is an international Cricket team representing Pakistan. 3 and hit his maiden Test century as Australia reached 3/305, chasing 382 for victory. Border’s dismissal for 105 triggered a major collapse of seven wickets for five runs as the other batsmen were unable to cope with the swing of Sarfraz Nawaz. Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the Sport of Cricket. Sarfraz Nawaz Malik ( Urdu: سرفراز نواز ملک) (born December 1, 1948, Lahore, Punjab) is a former Australia lost by 71 runs. ^[15] Border made 85 and 66 not out as Australia squared the series with a victory in Perth. ^[16] In his second Test series, he had topped the batting aggregates and averages with 276 runs at 92. 00. ^[17]

Post-WSC place

In May 1979, the ACB announced an agreement with WSC, which allowed the WSC players to return to international cricket at the start of the 1979–80 Australian season. Cricket Australia, formerly known as In the meantime, Australia made two tours, giving the incumbent players an opportunity to press for places in a reunited team. ^[18] The first tour, to England for the 1979 Cricket World Cup, ended with Australia being eliminated in the first round. The 1979 Cricket World Cup (aka Prudential World Cup, 1979 was the second edition of the tournament and was won by the West Indies. ^[19] Border scored 59 runs in two innings. ^[20]

This was followed by a three-month long, six-Test tour of India, when Australia failed to win a single match. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Border scored 521 runs at 43. 42 in the Test series, including 162 in the First Test at Madras,^[17] when he displayed excellent footwork and handled the Indian spinners much more effectively than his teammates. ^[3][21] As a result of this performance, Border was one of only three players to retain their position for the next Test against England at Perth in November 1979 after the WSC players returned. Border scored 115 in the second innings to help secure victory, and in doing so passed 1,000 Test runs. He had done so in 354 days, the fastest ever by an Australian,^[22] and made more runs (1,070) in his first year as a Test cricketer than anyone before him. ^[3] However, he was unable to maintain this form and ended the season with 317 runs at 31. 70 in six Tests against England and the West Indies. The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as The Windies or The West Indies, is a multi-national Cricket team representing ^[17]

On the tour of Pakistan that followed, Border hit 150 not out and 153 in the Third Test at Lahore to become the first batsmen in Test history to pass 150 in both innings of a Test. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. ^[23] In the off-season, Border married Jane Hiscox, and moved to Brisbane and began playing for Queensland. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland The Queensland Bulls are the Brisbane -based Queensland representative Cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments Sheffield ^[23][3] During the 1980–81 season, he scored 328 runs at 36. 44 average in the six Tests against New Zealand and India, a modest return boosted by a score of 124 against India at Melbourne, in the final Test of the summer. The New Zealand cricket team, also known as the Black Caps or BLACKCAPS, played their first Test in 1929-30 against England in Christchurch ^[17]

Stubborn resistance

In 1981, Border made his first Ashes tour and scored a half-century in each of the first two Tests. The tour by the Australian cricket team in England in 1981 included the 51st Ashes series of Test matches between Australia and England. ^[17] "Border alone of the established players came through with reputation enhanced";^[3] in the Fifth Test at Old Trafford when he batted with a fractured left finger. The Old Trafford Cricket Ground, usually known as simply Old Trafford, is a Cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, an area of He reached a century in 377 minutes, the slowest Test hundred by an Australian, and remained unbeaten on 123 as Australia lost the match. ^[24] In the final Test at The Oval, Border scored 106 not out and 84. The Oval PavilionJPG|250px|right|thumb|The Members Pavilion]] The Oval is an international Cricket ground in Kennington, London During this latter sequence, he defied the English bowlers for more than 15 hours to score 313 runs before he was dismissed. Overall, he totalled 533 (at 59. 22);^[17] this prompted Sir Leonard Hutton to call him the best left-handed batsman in the world and resulted in his selection as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1982. Sir Leonard Hutton (born June 23, 1916 in Fulneck near Pudsey, Yorkshire, died September 6, 1990 in The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are Cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their ^[3][25]

Border's 1981–82 season was mixed. Against Pakistan, he made only 84 runs in three Tests, but against the West Indies, he scored a century and three half-centuries in 336 runs (at 67. 20) to help Australia draw the series. ^[17] On the tour of New Zealand, his three Tests brought only 44 runs at 14. 67. After having the winter off, Border returned to Pakistan but was unable to repeat his performances of two years earlier. He scored 118 runs at 23. 60 as Pakistan won all three Tests. ^[17]

After failing in the first three Tests of the 1982–83 Ashes series, Border's place in the Australian team was in jeopardy as Australia led the series 2–1. ^[17] Border’s effort in Australia's loss in the Fourth Test at the MCG is one of his best remembered Test innings. Australia had lost nine wickets and required 74 runs to win when Jeff Thomson joined Border at the crease. Jeffrey Robert Thomson (born 16 August 1950 in Greenacre New South Wales) is a former Australian Cricketer Known as "Thommo" he was one of the fastest 18,000 spectators attended the final day’s play as the pair slowly accumulated runs, before a juggling catch dismissed Thomson three runs short of the target. Border then scored pair of 80s in the Fifth Test to secure a drawn match and Australia regained the Ashes. His figures were 317 runs at 45. 28 average. ^[26][17]

New era

Australia hosted Pakistan for a five-Test series in 1983–84. Border scored 118 and 117 not out in the Second and Third Tests respectively and averaged 85. 8 as Australia won the series comfortably. ^[17] It was the end of an era for Australian cricket as Rod Marsh, Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell retired at the end of the season, leaving the Australian team short on experience. Rodney William Marsh, MBE (born 4 November 1947 in Armadale, Western Australia) is a retired Australian Wicketkeeper. Dennis Keith Lillee, MBE (born 18 July 1949 in Subiaco, Western Australia) is a former Australian Cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast Gregory Stephen Chappell, MBE (born 7 August 1948 in Unley South Australia) is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the ^[27] At the time, Lillee and Marsh held the world records for the most Test wickets and wicket-keeping catches respectively, while Chappell was Australia's highest ever runscorer. Consequently, Border, who was now captain of Queensland, became Australian vice-captain to Kim Hughes for the tour of the West Indies in the northern spring of 1984. Kimberley John Hughes (born 26 January 1954 is a former Cricketer who played for Western Australia, Natal and Australia. ^[27]

After a drawn First Test,^[28] Border played two classic innings in the Second Test at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad. Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is one of the largest cricket grounds in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches Trinidad ( Spanish: " Trinity " is the largest and most populous of the two major islands and In poor light and on a bouncy wicket, Australia slumped to 3/16 when Border came to the crease and he finished unbeaten on 98, in a total of 255. ^[29] The West Indies took a 213-run lead, then reduced Australia to 3/55 late on the fourth day. Border again resisted but Australia slumped to 9/238, just 25 runs in front, when Terry Alderman joined Border. Terence Michael Alderman (born 12 June 1956 in Subiaco Western Australia, Australia is a former Australian Cricketer. Together they added 61 runs to save Australia from defeat. Border struck the final ball of the match for a boundary to reach 100 not out, having resisted the bowling for 634 minutes in the match. ^[30] However, Australia lost the final three Tests. Border ended the series with 521 runs at 74. 73. This was twice as many as the next Australian. ^[17][31]

Reluctant captain

Australia faced the West Indies again in the 1984–85 season. ^[17] After Australia suffered heavy losses in the first two Tests, Hughes burst into tears as he resigned as captain during a press conference. Despite his limited captaincy experience and his stated indifference to taking the position, Border replaced Hughes for the Third Test at Adelaide, which Australia also lost: their sixth consecutive defeat by the West Indies. ^[17] The tide turned somewhat when Border led the team to a draw, and then a win in the last two Tests. His own form suffered and he averaged only 27. 33 for his 246 runs. ^[17][32]

In April 1985, Border’s captaincy prospects were weakened when plans were announced for a team of Australians to tour South Africa, in defiance of the Gleneagles Agreement. The Gleneagles Agreement was unanimously approved by the Commonwealth of Nations at a meeting at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland. Seven players originally selected for the 1985 Ashes tour had signed for the "rebel" team and withdrew from the squad. The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1985 season to play a six-match Test series against England. ^[33] The disloyalty of the players affected Border deeply; Journalist Mike Coward described Border as going into a "depression" and that while he eventually forgave the players involved, he never forgot. ^[34] Australia was defeated 1–3 by England, with the team's only success coming in the Second Test at Lord's when Border hit 196. Lord's Cricket Ground (generally known as Lord's) is a cricket ^[33] His unbeaten 146 in the second innings of the Fourth Test at Manchester saved Australia from another defeat. He amassed 597 runs at 66. 33 in the series and 1,355 first-class runs at 71. 31 for the tour, including eight centuries, to be easily Australia's best batsman. ^[35][17]

Australia continued to struggle during the 1985–86 season, when New Zealand defeated Australia in a Test series for the first time. Despite Border’s unbeaten 152 in the second innings, Australia fell to a heavy defeat in the First Test at Brisbane. Australia won the Second Test, but New Zealand won the Third to take a 2–1 victory. During a three-Test series against India, the tourists dominated the play, but failed to force a result so the series was drawn. In the Second Test, it took a last wicket partnership of 77 between Border (who scored 163) and David Gilbert to deny India. David Gilbert (born October 6, 1944) is an American radical leftist organizer author and terrorist currently imprisoned at Clinton Correctional Facility ^[36] Border expressed his dismay at Australia’s inability to perform under pressure.

On the subsequent tour of New Zealand, Border’s form remained good and he scored 140 and 114 not out in the Second Test before Australia lost the Third in Auckland, thus losing another series. The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country ^[37] Over the course of the extended summer, he had scored four Test centuries but the continued poor form of the team pushed him to breaking point. ^[17] After a loss in an ODI on the tour, he threatened to quit as captain if performances failed to improve.

Partnership with Simpson

The ACB recognised that a lack of support had caused the downfall of Kim Hughes as captain. The process of rebuilding the Australian team was complicated by the unavailability of the players who had gone to South Africa. Furthermore, there was no obvious replacement if Border quit (or was dropped) as captain. In an attempt to share Border's workload, and guide the rebuilding of the team, the ACB decided to appoint a permanent coach for the team. Former Australian captain Bob Simpson was sounded out, and he accompanied the team on the 1986 tour of New Zealand as an observer. Robert Simpson or Bob Simpson may refer to British Robert Winthrop Simpson, (1799&ndash1887 Rear-Admiral of the Chilean Navy Hero of He accepted the position and his first tour with the team was to India later in the same year.

During the First Test of the tour at Madras, Border scored 106 and the match ended in a historic tie,^[17] only the second such result in history. The other two Tests were drawn, and Border finished the tour with 245 runs at 81. 66. ^[17] The 1986–87 Australian season brought another Ashes series, and another series loss. After England won the First Test, consecutive centuries by Border at Perth and Adelaide enabled Australia to secure consecutive draws. ^[17] However, Australia were defeated by an innings in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne and the team had won only two of their last 22 Tests, and none of their last 14. ^[17] Despite a consolation victory in the Fifth Test dead rubber, Wisden thought that Border, "lacked spark and the ability to inspire a young team much in need of it. Dead rubber is a term used in Sporting parlance to describe a match in a series where the series result has already been decided by earlier matches Hard task as he had, he did not look the man to lead the Test team from its troubled run. "^[38]

1987 World Cup

Australia's unexpected victory in the 1987 World Cup proved to be a turning point and heralded the start of more prosperous times. ^[39] In 1987–88, Australia defeated New Zealand for its first Test series victory in four years. Border hit 205 in the drawn Second Test at Adelaide, his highest Test score^[17] which took him past Greg Chappell as Australia's highest run-scorer. Gregory Stephen Chappell, MBE (born 7 August 1948 in Unley South Australia) is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the ^[40] The Bicentennial Test against England at Sydney was drawn, then Australia won its inaugural home Test match against Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan cricket team is a national Cricket team representing Sri Lanka. Border's contribution for the five Tests was 426 runs at 71. 00 average. ^[17]

Winning overseas still proved elusive for Australia, which lost the 1988 series in Pakistan. Border compiled 230 runs at 57. 50, with one century. ^[17]

In 1988–89, Australian lost again to the West Indies,^[17] and Border's form suffered; the West Indies routinely applied a tactic of targeting the opposition captain when he batted, thus undermining his confidence and that of the team. It worked to the extent that Border compiled 258 runs at 32. 25 and his best performance was with the ball. ^[17] He celebrated becoming the first Australian to play 100 Tests by taking 7/46 (the second best bowling analysis by an Australian captain) and 4/50, backed with an innings of 75, in Australia's only victory for the series, in the Fifth Test at Sydney. Previously, he had taken 16 wickets in 99 Tests. Receiving the player of the match award, Border said, “there will be batsmen all around the world shaking their heads in disbelief when they see the result”. ^[41]

Harder edge

I made a personal choice to have a harder edge as captain, be more stand-offish towards them [the English] . . . It was a hard thing to do and they all got the shits, but it was all part and parcel of what I wanted to achieve. ^[42]

The 1989 Ashes tour was Border’s first major series win as Test captain. The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1989 season to play a six-match Test series against England. He consciously became a more aggressive leader in reaction to criticism that he was too ruthless. ^[43][34]Australia won 4–0, its first victory in a Test series abroad since 1977 (apart from a one-off Test in Sri Lanka) and Australia's best result in England since The Invincibles tour of 1948. The Australian cricket team in England in 1948 was captained by Don Bradman, who was making his fourth and final tour of England Border set the tone for the series with attacking innings of 66 and 60 not out in the First Test. ^[44] In all, he made six half-centuries to end with 442 runs at 73. 66. ^[17] He was subsequently named the 1990 Australian of the Year for his part in helping Australia regain the Ashes. ^[45]

In the 1989–90 season, Australia played Tests against New Zealand (2), Sri Lanka (2) and Pakistan (3). Australia won twice, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It was the first home season in six years that Australia went undefeated. The season ended with a one-off Test in New Zealand, which Australia lost by nine wickets to concede the Trans-Tasman Trophy. Border ended the season with 328 runs at 41, with five half-centuries.

Australia reinforced its superiority over England with a convincing 3–0 win in the 1990–91 Ashes series: the three victories were by eight, nine and ten wickets respectively, and Border compiled 281 runs at 46. 83. ^[17][46]

Missed opportunities

Australia was optimistic that their improved team was good enough to inflict the first series defeat on the West Indies for more than a decade, during their 1991 tour of the Caribbean. However, after a good start, Australia's performances tailed off and the West Indies won 2–1. Border scored 275 runs at 34. 37. ^[46]

In 1991–92 Australia defeated India 4–0,^[17] but criticism arose that the team had stagnated since the 1989 Ashes series and needed to turn over players. To that end, the Australian selectors made changes to the team for the Fifth Test, which upset Border. Feeling loyal to the discarded vice-captain Geoff Marsh,^[46] Border generated controversy when he refused to travel to Perth with the team after the decision was announced. Geoffrey Robert Marsh (born 31 December 1958 in Northam, Western Australia) was an Australian Cricketer coach and selector Border maintained his consistency by scoring 275 runs at 55. 00, although he again failed to make a century. His last had been in Pakistan in 1988,^[17] a statistic that drew comment from those who criticised his leadership of the team.

Australia, the pre-tournament favourites, were knocked out of the group stage of the 1992 Cricket World Cup and finished fifth. The 1992 Cricket World Cup (aka Benson & Hedges World Cup) was the fifth edition of the tournament and was won by Pakistan On the 1992 tour of Sri Lanka, which Australia won 1–0, Border recorded his only series victory on the subcontinent as captain. His 106 in the Tthird Test at Moratuwa ended his four-year spell without a Test century. Moratuwa is a city on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia

In 1992–93, the West Indies, undergoing a rebuilding phase, toured Australia without the retired Malcolm Marshall, Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge. Malcolm Denzil Marshall ( April 18, 1958 - November 4, 1999) was a West Indian Cricketer Primarily a Fast bowler Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, (born St John's, Antigua on 7 March 1952 is a former West Indian Cricketer. Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge is a former member of the West Indies cricket team, born May 1, 1951 in Black Bess St Australia had the upper hand in the First Test, but failed to force a victory. Border scored 110 in the Second Test before Shane Warne produced his first great Test bowling performance by taking 7/52 in the second innings to win the match for Australia. Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969 is a former Australian international Cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the The Third Test was a high-scoring draw and Border’s innings of 74 made him become the second player after Sunil Gavaskar to pass 10,000 Test runs. Sunil Manohar Gavaskar ( Marathi:सुनिल मनोहर गावसकर (born 10 July 1949 in Bombay, Maharashtra) nicknamed Sunny

The Fourth Test in Adelaide produced the closest result in Test match history, excluding a tie. Australia slumped to 8/102 in pursuit of the 186 runs needed to give them a series victory. The lower-order batsmen got within one run when Craig McDermott was given out by a controversial decision. Craig John McDermott (born 14 April 1965 in Ipswich Queensland, Australia where he attended the Ipswich Grammar School) was an Australian Cricketer This made the Fifth Test at Perth the decider: Australia was unable to regroup from their disappointment and succumbed to the pace of the West Indies on a traditionally hard and fast pitch. The WACA (pronounced wakka) is a sports Stadium in Perth Western Australia. Australia was crushed by an innings within three days, with Border recording the first pair of his first-class career. Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven It is known for its rich terminology The failure to defeat the West Indies was the biggest disappointment of his career. ^[34] It was a poor end to a modest season in which he scored 298 runs at 33. 11.

Australia then made a brief tour of New Zealand, drawing the Test series 1–1. In the First Test at Christchurch, Border scored 88 to pass Gavaskar’s record for the most Test runs. Christchurch (Ōtautahi The largest City in the South Island, it is also the second largest city and third largest urban area of New Zealand

Final seasons

In 1993, Border became the first player since Joe Darling to lead Australia in England on three Ashes tours. Joseph "Joe" Darling CBE (21 November 1870 &ndash 2 January 1946 was an Australian Cricketer who played 34 Test matches as a Australia won 4–1,^[47] losing only the Sixth Test to end Border's streak of 18 Tests against England without defeat. The series was sealed at Headingley in the Fourth Test when Border made 200 not out. Headingley is an inner suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. ^[48] His 533 runs for the series came at an average of 54. 12. The Australians then claimed the Trans Tasman Trophy with a comfortable 2–0 victory over New Zealand at home in late 1993. The Trans Tasman Trophy is a trophy played for by Australia and New Zealand in the sport of Cricket. Border scored 105 in the Third Test on his home ground at Brisbane. ^[49] It was the last of his 27 Test centuries. ^[17]

Border ended his career by leading the first Australian team to play a Test series against South Africa after their return to international cricket. The South African cricket team, also known as The Proteas are a national Cricket team representing South Africa Three Tests were played in each country, and both series ended 1–1. ^[17] Border’s final Test innings was an obdurate 42 not out that helped secure a draw in the Third Test at Durban. Durban (eThekwini is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the EThekwini metropolitan municipality. Border had a modest time with the bat, accumulating 298 runs at 33. 11. ^[17]

Legacy

Ultimately, Border left his successor Mark Taylor with a side that would go on to be the best in the world. Mark Anthony Taylor, AO (born 27 October 1964 in Leeton New South Wales; nicknamed "Tubby" or "Tubs" was an Australian Cricket Border's chief regret as captain was said to be his failure to beat West Indies, something Taylor remedied the following year. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting ^[48] Mike Coward wrote of Border's legacy:

. . . [he] committed the greater part of a long and distinguished career to re-establishing the credibility and image of Australian cricket. A self-effacing man of simple tastes and pleasures, Border served at the most tempestuous time in cricket history, and came to represent the indomitable spirit of the Australian game. As it grappled with two schisms, the first over World Series Cricket, the second over the provocative actions of the mercenaries in South Africa, it was debilitated and destabilised as never before and cried out for a figure of Bradmanesque dimensions to return it to its rightful and influential position on the world stage . . . he was able to expunge many of the prejudices and preconceptions amongst his team-mates about playing cricket in the Third World [which] was another of the outstanding legacies of his captaincy. ^[34]

Post-retirement

Border continued playing first-class cricket after his international retirement. In 1994–95, he was a member of the Queensland team that won the Sheffield Shield for the first time in 1994–95. ^[49] He was named 12th man in Australia's "Greatest ever ODI Team", which was selected by voting of each of Australia's ODI representatives. Note Most of the information here pertains to men's cricket ODI matches are also played in Women's cricket. He has served as an Australian selector. The Australian cricketer of the year now receives the Allan Border Medal with the inaugural award being won by Glenn McGrath in 2000. The Allan Border Medal is considered to be the biggest individual prize in Australian Cricket. Glenn Donald McGrath AM (pronounced) (born 9 February 1970 in Dubbo New South Wales) nicknamed "Pigeon" is a former Australian cricket player 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[49]

Two cricket grounds have been renamed in Border's honour. The oval in Mosman that was directly across from the Border family and where Border played his early grade cricket, was renamed the Allan Border Oval and remains the home ground of the Mosman District Cricket Club. Mosman is a Suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ^[50] The Neumann Oval in Brisbane has been renamed Allan Border Field and is occasionally used by Queensland as an alternative home ground to the The Gabba. Allan Border Field is a small cricket ground in the Brisbane suburb of Albion in Queensland. The Queensland Bulls are the Brisbane -based Queensland representative Cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments Sheffield The 'Gabba is a major sports Stadium in the Queensland capital of Brisbane. ^[51] Allan Border wrote an autobiography entitled "Beyond Ten Thousand: My Life Story", published in 1993. In the year 2000 he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is a part of the Australian Gallery of Sport and the Olympic Museum in the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

World records set

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Border's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).

• Most career Test runs with 11,174 runs, a record held until November 2005, when it was passed by the West Indian Brian Lara (see: List of Test cricket records)
• most Test matches played (156) and most consecutive Test matches played (153). Brian Charles Lara (born 2 May 1969 ( nicknamed, "The Prince of Port-of-Spain" "The Prince of Trinidad" or simply "The Prince" is a This is a list of Test cricket records; that is record team and individual performances in Test cricket. Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations Border still holds the record for most consecutive matches.
• batted in more Test match innings (265) than any other player.
• Most Test scores over between fifty and 100 (63) and most scores of at least 50 (93)
• Captained in 93 Tests (all consecutive), both world records
• Most capped Australian player in Tests and ODI
• Leading Australian runscorer in Tests and ODIs. His ODI tally was first surpassed by Mark Waugh in 1999. Mark Edward Waugh, AM (born June 2 1965 in Canterbury New South Wales) is a former Australian Cricketer who represented Australia in Test matches
• Most Test catches by a non-wicket-keeper (156); record since first passed by Mark Taylor in 1999. Mark Taylor may refer to Mark Taylor (actor, Canadian television actor ( Drop the Beat) Mark Taylor (cricketer, Australian
• The only player to have scored 150 in each innings of a Test, a record which still stands at the end of 2006. [1]

He was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1982. The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar)

Footnotes

References

• Christison, Darren (1994). Allan Border:The Man. Five Mile Press. ISBN 0-86788-873-3.  

External links

• CricInfo Player Profile : Allan Border