- Andrew Hilditch
Infobox Cricketer
nationality = Australian
country = Australia
country abbrev = AUS
name = Andrew Hilditch
picture = Cricket_no_pic.png
batting style = Right-hand bat
bowling style = Right-arm medium
balls=true
tests = 18
test runs = 1073
test bat avg = 31.55
test 100s/50s = 2/6
test top score = 119
test overs = -
test wickets = -
test bowl avg = -
test 5s = -
test 10s = -
test best bowling = -
test catches/stumpings = 13/-
ODIs = 8
ODI runs = 226
ODI bat avg = 28.25
ODI 100s/50s = -/1
ODI top score = 72
ODI overs = -
ODI wickets = -
ODI bowl avg = -
ODI 5s = -
ODI 10s = -
ODI best bowling = -
ODI catches/stumpings = 1/-
date = 12 December
year = 2005
source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/5656.html CricinfoAndrew Mark Jefferson Hilditch (born 20 May 1956,
North Adelaide, South Australia ) is a former Australiancricket er who played in 18 Tests and 8 ODIs from 1979 to 1985. He played for New South Wales from 1977 to 1981 and for South Australia from 1982 to 1992. He has been an Australian cricket selector since 1996.Early career
Hilditch made his First-class debut for New South Wales against Tasmania in Hobart in February 1977, scoring 5 and 42. Tasmania was not yet in the
Sheffield Shield and the NSW side was mostly full of younger players, includingGraeme Hughes would make his name as a rugby league player for Canterbury-Bankstown. [ [http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1976-77/AUS_LOCAL/OTHERFC/TAS_NSW_04-06FEB1977.html] ]Hilditch played a further four matches for NSW in 1977/78 when the NSW side was weakened through the loss of players to
World Series Cricket . He filled in as NSW captain in only his third match for them. [ [http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1977-78/AUS_LOCAL/STATS/FC_1977-78_NSW.html] ]First time in Australian team
The 1978/79 season was the breakthrough for Hilditch, establishing himself as a regular opener in the NSW side, scoring 778 runs at 45.76. His maiden first-class century came in his birth city of Adelaide, scoring 124 against South Australia. He also scored 93 against the touring England team. [ [http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1978-79/AUS_LOCAL/STATS/FC_1978-79_NSW.html] ]
With England leading the six-Test series 4-1, Hilditch was selected to make his Test debut in the final Test in Sydney. He scored just 3 and 1 but was retained for the following two-Test series against Pakistan.
In the first Test in Melbourne, Hilditch failed again in the first innings but scored a composed 62 in the second innings before being the second of 9 dismissals for
Sarfraz Nawaz .In the second Test in Perth, Hilditch had made 29 as Australia chased 236 for victory in their second innings. When a wayward throw from a Pakistani fieldsman dribbled onto the pitch, Hilditch picked up the ball and handed it back to the bowler,
Sarfraz Nawaz . Sarfraz appealed and the umpire had no option but to uphold the letter of the law and give Hilditch out. Hilditch was only the second player to be given outhandled the ball in a Test match and the first non-striker.Despite playing in the
1979 Cricket World Cup and in all six Tests on the 1979/80 Australian tour to India, Hilditch was dropped from the Australian side once theWorld Series Cricket players were available again and even found it difficult to get a regular game for NSW. Hilditch did not playFirst-class cricket in the 1981/82 season.Move to South Australia
For the 1982/83 season, Hilditch returned to his birth state of South Australia. He played most of the season batting at three and scored his first century (109) for his new team in Adelaide against a Tasmanian bowling attack led by West Indian
Michael Holding .Hilditch returned to his preferred opening role and enjoyed a brilliant 1983/84 season for South Australia scoring 937 runs at 58.56. This run included his highest first class score of 230 against Victoria in Melbourne.
Australian recall
An innings of 184 against NSW in the opening match of the 1984/85
Sheffield Shield , plus a string of other good scores, led to his recall to the Australian Test team for the fourth Test against the West Indies at Melbourne. Hilditch made 70 and 113, his maiden Test century, to not only win theMan of the Match award, but also help end the West Indies then-record run of 11 consecutive Test victories. For the next Test in Sydney, Hilditch was named as Australian vice-captain.Hilditch retained his vice-captaincy role for the 1985 Australian tour of England. He began the tour superbly, scoring 119, his highest Test innings, and 80 in the first Test loss at Headingley. He was then dismissed three times in the forties in the middle of the series. In the fifth Test at Edgbaston, Hilditch played a hook shot against an
Ian Botham bouncer and was caught at fine leg. This was his only such dismissal in the series, yet Hilditch gained a reputation as a compulsive player of the hook shot.On returning to Australia, Hilditch played against New Zealand in Brisbane and was twice caught at fine leg playing the hook shot. Hilditch would never play for Australia again.
Post-Test career
He continued to play for South Australia and was made captain of the side for the 1990/91 season. He finished the 1991/92 as South Australia's leading runscorer for the season and then retired to concentrate on his career in law.
Hilditch re-appeared on the Australian cricket scene as a national selector in 1996/97. He became the Chairman of the selection panel in April 2006 following the resignation of
Trevor Hohns . Hilditch is the son-in-law of former Australian captain and coach, Bob Simpson.References
*
* " [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/243560.html Andrew Hilditch appointed new chairman of selectors] " fromCricinfo
* " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4886146.stm Hilditch to head Aussie selectors] " fromBBC News Online
* Miller, Allan (ed.), Allan's Australian Cricket Annual 1991-92 Fifth Edition, Allan Miller, Busselton WA, 1992.
* Hutchinson, Garrie & Ross, John (eds.), 200 Seasons of Australian Cricket, Pan Macmillan, Sydney, 1997. ISBN 0330360345
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