Greg Matthews

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Greg Matthews : biography

15 December 1959 –

Early Test Career

Matthews is a tough, useful, determined little cricketer; a steady, flat, off-spin bowler; a staunch, correct left-hand bat; and a brilliant fielder. He is also a cocky, slightly zany character.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Early in his cricketing career Matthews was regarded "as a bowler who fielded energetically and could bat a bit"p176, Allan Border, An Autobiography, Meuthen Australia pty Ltd, 1986 and a "complete extrovert, dressing to shock".p40, Steve Waugh, Out of My Comfort Zone, Michel Joseph, 2006 He was usually referred to a Greg, but his teammates nicknamed him ‘Mo’, "short for ‘misère’, which he always called when we played five hundred". Matthews enjoyed clubbing and ignored the midnight curfew imposed by New South Wales fast bowler Geoff Lawson as "these were his socialising hours and the time he came to life",p57, Steve Waugh Out of My Comfort Zone, Michel Joseph, 2006 and his mantra was "’live each day as if it’s your last’".p57, Steve Waugh, Out of My Comfort Zone, Michel Joseph, 2006 He was first picked for the Australia against Pakistan in the Fourth Test at Melbourne in 1983-84, taking 2/95 and 2/48, running out Zaheer Abbas in the first innings and bowling him in the second. With the bat he made 75, joining Graham Yallop (268) on 354/7 and adding 185 together for the eighth wicket. The Test was drawn and Matthews was kept for the Fifth Test and was Greg Chappell’s batting partner when he was dismissed for 182 in his final Test innings.

Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh also retired and the Australian Test team was further weakened by the Rebel Tour of South Africa in 1984-85. This provided opportunities for ambitious young players, but Matthews was initially unable to capitalise. He was taken on the unsuccessful tour of the West Indies in 1983-84, where he played in the Fifth Test and was a makeshift opener in the second innings as Steve Smith was injured.

At home he played another one-off Test against the West Indies in the Fourth Test, dismissing Viv Richards (208) and Clive Lloyd (91) with his 2/67 in a draw that ended their 11 match winning streak. He was not one of the three spinners chosen for the Fifth Test on his home ground at Sydney where Australia won by an innings.

Nevertheless he was taken to England in 1985, where he proved popular in the county matches. In the One Day Internationals Matthews batted at number eight and hit the winning runs at Old Trafford (22 not out) and Lord’s (29 not out) as Australia won the Texaco Trophy 2-1. In the Third Test at Trent Bridge he mixed with the crowd and read a newspaper in the stands; "Matthews of the petit-punk hair and puppet movements…has a happy knack of winding up crowds".p61, Alan Ross, An Australian Summer, The Kingswood Press, 1985 In the Test series he only played in the Fourth Test because Graeme Wood was injured and again volunteered to open the innings,pp32-33, Rod Nicolson, Benson and Hedges Tests Series Official Book 1986-87 The Clashes for the Ashes, Playbill Sport Publication, 1986 but also ran out Allan Lamb from extra cover.p113, Michael Milford, Daily Telegraph Cricket Year Book 86, Telegraph Publications, 1985 Matthews had now played in five Test matches, but had only made 139 runs (19.85) and taken 7 wikcets (45.28) and was far from establishing his place in the Australia team.

Australia vs England 1990-91

He was always excellent for the shock-value element, but also a guy who could play better than he probably ever realised and who record as an all-rounder for NSW is unrivalled.

Steve Waugh.p99, Steve Waugh, Out of My Comfort Zone, Michel Joseph, 2006

Matthews continued to play well for New South Wales and was recalled for the First Test against England at Brisbane in 1990-91. Peter Taylor had not proved to be a long term success and Matthews was the only Australian spinner in the side, apart from Allan Border. He made 35 batting at number seven and took 1/30, but Australia won by eight wickets and he kept his place. He took 3/40 in the Second Test at Melbourne and 2/26 at in the Third Test at Sydney, where he also hit 128 with 17 boundaries to lift Australia from 292/5 to 512/9. In the Fourth Test at Adelaide he made 65 and 34 not out and 60 not out at Perth in the Fifth. Australia won the series 3-0 and Matthews made 353 runs (70.60), his best Test series with the bat, though he only took 7 wickets (60.28).