Cricket - Australia's National Sport

The game of Cricket has a long history dating back to English royalty in the 1600's as a source of activity, competition, and sport. In the 1800's England introduced the game to their colony, Australia, where interest grew and became the national sport. The early Australian teams consisted of mostly Aboriginal players that toured around England, which began a rivalry between England and Australia.

Aussies enjoy sports of many types including golf, tennis, rugby, and several styles of football. However, no sport in the nation tops the attention given to Cricket and the Ashes series, a Test between England and the Australian National Cricket Team.

For more than two hundred years the Australian nation has enjoyed the game of cricket, as it has become popular with more than one half million men, women, and children.

The game is played on four levels, by the middle and working class, in the bush, and in every state.

Cricket is played on an oval-shaped field using a bat, ball and gloves. Two teams of eleven players each compete for an agreed amount of time and number of innings with equal turns at batting and fielding. A formal game of cricket may last for an afternoon, or go for several days. Runs are scored by a batsman in one of four ways, and the team with the most runs is the winner.

In Australia, the National Team is made up of men that make a living playing cricket. As a result of the popularity of the game, many players become legends and national heroes based on brilliant performances on the field. Footwork and stamina are key to being successful as a cricket player. While several players have all-time best rankings, Sir Donald Bradman is considered to be the greatest batsman of all time.

During a twenty-year career that began before World War II, Bradman is credited with a Test batting average of 99.94, a feat that will likely never be matched. Bradman is the only Australian to be knighted for his achievements in the game of cricket. The Bradman Foundation, established in Sir Donald's name supports youth cricket across the continent.

More recently, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath retired as two of the all-time top four greatest bowlers. Warne's on-the-field reputation was especially impressive in Ashes and World Cup matches. He is currently ranked seventh all-time most catches as a fielder in Test cricket. McGrath retired as the third highest wicket taker in Test cricket.

Leading the National Team into the 2010/11 Ashes competition beginning on 25 November in Brisbane, captain Ricky Ponting is counting on victory going to the hosting team. Ponting is one of two most experienced players on the Aussie team playing his seventh Ashes series and his fourth as captain.

Currently holding the championship urn, England won the trophy in the 2008/09 Test. In favour of the hosting Aussie team, England last won that trophy on Australian soil almost twenty-four years ago.

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