Michael Bevan

Michael Bevan

Source: Cricinfo, 3 March 2007

Michael Gwyl Bevan (born 8 May 1970 in Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory) is a former Australian left-handed cricket batsman and a slow left arm chinaman bowler. He was widely regarded as one of the finest ODI batsman in the world for his ability to see out a match, and his phenomenal average. He played 232 ODI matches for Australia, and was a part of the 1999 and 2003 teams that won the World Cup. In List A cricket as a whole, Bevan has an exceptional average of over 58, by far the highest of any player to have scored 10,000 runs in List A games (second is Dean Jones, on 46.93). Although Bevan played most of his domestic career for the New South Wales Blues, he moved to the Tasmanian Tigers for the 2004-05 season, where he has continued his successes up until his retirement in January 2007. He has also played for the Southern Redbacks, Sussex County Cricket Club, and Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

ODI career

Bevan is one of only three players with 30 ODI innings or more to maintain a batting average above 50. Critics have claimed this was an inflated average due to a high level of not outs, a result of batting in the lower-middle order. However, Bevan's best performance was as a number four. Of the players to have played 30 or more ODI innings, he is one of only three (with Kevin Pietersen and Michael Hussey) whose batting average never dropped below 40.. This, coupled with the high price he put on his wicket, resulted in many not-out innings.

Nonetheless, he proved a reliable anchor at the bottom of the middle order, and he would often patiently guide Australia to victory following a rare top-order collapse - leading to him being nicknamed "The Finisher". One of his most famous "anchor" innings was in the New Years Day One Day International at the Sydney Cricket Ground against the West Indies in 1996. With the Australians at one stage 6/38 chasing 173, his unbeaten 150-minute 78 got the Australians over the line with a four on the last ball of the innings.

Test career

Michael Bevan's Test career batting performance.

Despite his ODI success, Bevan's Test career, however, was not nearly as successful - thought to be susceptible to short-pitched deliveries, he never really succeeded in the longer form of the game, with an average of only 29. It must be noted that his problems with short pitched bowling are more myth than reality - he continued to perform consistently in ODIs, despite a rule change which allowed short pitch bowling in ODIs. He also scored heavily in domestic first-class cricket for New South Wales during this time averaging almost 60 with the bat. He performed well during his limited time as a bowler in Test matches, with his bowling style of unorthodox left-arm chinaman spin. He is the only bowler of this type to have taken ten wickets in a Test match which he did against the West Indies touring side in 1996.

The major teams he has played for are: South Australia, New South Wales, Yorkshire, Sussex, Leicestershire and of course Australia. He finished his career playing for Tasmania, where in the 2004/05 season, he scored a Pura Cup (Sheffield Shield) record for number of runs scored in a season. Despite this form, he was dismissed for Australian selection due to his age.

Retirement

On 17 January 2007, due to injuries Bevan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket."It got to the stage where injuries and pain were holding back my motivation, and it got to the stage where I was finding it hard to get up for matches and that was probably a pretty clear indication that it was time to move on" Bevan said

Trivia

• Bevan now participates in the Beach Cricket Tri-Nations series for Australia.

External links

• Cricinfo Player Profile : Michael Bevan
• Cricinfo: ODI Career Highest Batting Averages
• AussieProfiles.com: Michael Bevan