Australian cricket team in 2007-08

This article contains information, results and statistics regarding the Australian national cricket team in the 2007-08 season. Statisticians class the 2007-08 season as those matches played on tours that started between September 2007 and April 2008.

Player contracts

The 2007-08 list of contracted players was announced on May 1, 2007. Note that uncontracted players still are available for selection for the national cricket team. [cite web
publisher=Cricinfo
date=2007-05-01
url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/292941.html
title=Gillespie keeps his national contract
accessdate=2007-05-01]

Group F: v Bangladesh, 16 September, Cape Town

limited overs international
date = 16 September 12:00 UTC
team1 = cr-rt|BAN
score1 = 8/123 (20 overs)
runs1 = Tamim Iqbal 32 (40)
Aftab Ahmed 31 (34)
wickets1 = Brett Lee 3/27 (4 overs)
team2 = cr|AUS
score2 = 1/124 (13.5 overs)
runs2 = Matthew Hayden 73* (48)
Adam Gilchrist 43 (28)
wickets2 = Shakib Al Hasan 0/15 (2 overs)
result= cr|AUS won by 9 wickets with 37 balls remaining [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/twenty20wc/engine/current/match/287866.html Australia v Bangladesh at Cape Town, September 16, 2007] Cricinfo (2007-09-16). Retrieved on September 16, 2007.]
venue = Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town
umpires = Asad Rauf & Tony Hill
motm = Brett Lee

Australia's Super 8's campaign got off to an excellent start as they defeated Bangladesh comfortably in Cape Town. After winning the toss, Australian captain Ricky Ponting elected to field first. Australia bowled excellently, tying down the Bangladeshi batsmen, and only allowing them to score at 6 an over. Brett Lee took the first international Twenty20 hat-trick during this innings and finished with figures of 3/27. Bangladesh's innings never gained momentum and Australia restricted them to 123 off 20 overs.

Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden put on their first Twenty20 century partnership to help the Australians chase down the target of 124 comfortably with over 6 overs to spare.

Group F: v Pakistan, 18 September, Johannesburg

limited overs international
date = 18 September 12:00 UTC
team1 = cr-rt|AUS
score1 = 7/164 (20 overs)
runs1 = Michael Hussey 37 (25)
Brad Hodge 36 (29)
wickets1 = Sohail Tanvir 3/31 (4 overs)
team2 = cr|PAK
score2 = 4/165 (19.1 overs)
runs2 = Misbah-ul-Haq 66* (42)
Shoaib Malik 52* (38)
wickets2 = Stuart Clark 3/27 (4 overs)
result = cr|PAK won by 6 wickets with 5 balls remaining [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/engine/match/287870.html Australia v Pakistan at Johannesburg, September 18, 2007] Cricinfo (2007-09-18). Retrieved on September 20, 2007.]
venue = Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
umpires = Mark Benson & Nigel Llong
motm = Misbah-ul-Haq

Australia's second Super 8's game was not as successful as their first. Sent in to bat, Australia struggled to find any momentum. While many Australian batsmen got starts, tight Pakistan bowling restricted their scoring chances. Michael Hussey top scored for Australia with 37, and at one point a total of 180 plus even looked possible for Australia. Effective bowling at the death however, restricted Australia to 7/164 off their 20 overs. During this innings, Australian captain Ricky Ponting received a hamstring strain and was ruled out of action for between two and four weeks. [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/311616.html Ponting out of ICC World Twenty20] Cricinfo (2007-09-19). Retrieved on September 20, 2007]

Pakistan's top order had struggled throughout the tournament, and this continued in their innings. Stuart Clark took 3 quick wickets to have Pakistan 4/46 after 6.4 overs. Despite this, an excellent 100 run partnership between Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq rescued Pakistan and guided them home with 5 balls to spare. This loss meant that Australia had to win their next Super 8's match against Sri Lanka in order to progress to the semi-finals.

Group F: v Sri Lanka, 20 September, Cape Town

limited overs international
date = 20 September 08:00 UTC
team1 = cr-rt|SRI
score1 = 101 (19.3 overs)
runs1 = Jehan Mubarak 28 (26)
Kumar Sangakkara 22 (23)
wickets1 = Stuart Clark 4/20 (4 overs)
team2 = cr|AUS
score2 = 0/102 (10.2 overs)
runs2 = Matthew Hayden 58* (38)
Adam Gilchrist 31* (25)
wickets2 = Dilhara Fernando 0/12 (3 overs)
result= cr|AUS won by 10 wickets with 58 balls remaining [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/twenty20wc/engine/current/match/287874.html Australia v Sri Lanka at Cape Town, Sep 20, 2007] Cricinfo (2007-09-20). Retrieved on September 20, 2007]
venue = Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town
umpires = Asad Rauf & Ian Howell
motm = Stuart Clark

With the winner of this match going through to the semi-finals, it was virtually a knockout. Australia won the toss and stand in captain Adam Gilchrist elected to bowl first. This decision was justified as Australia demolised Sri Lanka's top order, having them 7/43 down after 10 overs. While Jehan Mubarak resisted, Sri Lanka were dismissed for a meagre 101 and needed a minor miracle to escape with a victory. Stuart Clark was the pick of the Australian bowlers taking 4/20, the best ever figures by an Australian in Twenty20 Internationals.

Openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden once again got the Australians off to a magnificent start, and guided them to a very comfortable 10 wicket victory, the first in the Twenty20 World Championship. As a result of this match, Australia finished second in Group F, and therefore qualified for the semi-finals where they would meet India. [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/twenty20wc/content/story/311767.html Clinical Australia cruise into the semi-finals] Cricinfo (2007-09-20). Retrieved on September 21, 2007.]

Last updated March 8, 2008

Batting

Twenty20 Internationals

The following is a table of statistics charting Australian batsmen in Twenty20 International cricket in the 2007-08 season. The minimum requirement for inclusion is one innings played. The players will be arranged by most runs scored.

Last updated January 29, 2008

Mts = Matches, Inns = Innings, NO = Not Outs, BF = Balls Faced, Avg = Batting Average, S/R = Batting Strike Rate, HS = Highest Score

Bowling

Twenty20 Internationals

The following is a table of statistics charting Australian bowlers in Twenty20 International cricket in the 2007-08 season. The minimum requirement for inclusion is one ball bowled. The players will be arranged by most wickets taken.

Mts = Matches, Wkts = Wickets, Runs = Runs scored off bowler, Avg = Bowling Average, S/R = Bowling Strike Rate, BBI = Best Bowling Innings, Econ = Economy Rate, BBM = Best Bowling Match, Ovrs = Overs Bowled, 5WI = 5 Wickets Innings, 10WM = 10 Wickets Match

Catches

The following is a table of statistics charting catches taken by Australian fieldsmen in the 2007-08 season. The minimum requirement for inclusion is one catch. The players will be arranged in alphabetical order.

† Wicketkeeper
Last updated March 28, 2008

Important events

* In the 2007 Twenty20 World Championship, Brett Lee became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in Twenty20 International history. Lee dismissed Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza and Alok Kapali in consecutive balls to achieve this feat. [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/twenty20wc/content/current/story/311208.html Hayden and Lee power Australian win] Cricinfo (2007-09-16). Retrieved on September 16, 2007]
* Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden was the top run scorer of the 2007 Twenty20 World Championship with 265 runs. [ [http://stats.cricinfo.com/twenty20wc/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=3115;type=tournament ICC World Twenty20 2007 - Most Runs] Cricinfo (2007-09-25). Retrieved on September 25, 2007.]
* Mitchell Johnson's figures of 5/26 against India in Vadodara were the best One Day International figures by an Australian in India. [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/indvaus/content/current/story/314919.html Johnson and Gilchrist combine to flatten India] Cricinfo. Retrieved January 29, 2008]
* Michael Clarke made his Australian captaincy debut against New Zealand in the Twenty20 International match in Perth on December 11, 2007.
* On January 25, 2008, Adam Gilchrist broke Mark Boucher's world record of 413 for the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in Test history, catching Anil Kumble off Mitchell Johnson. [ [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/333320.html Record-breaker losing his tune] Cricinfo. Retrieved January 29, 2008]
* Veteran wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on January 26, 2008, effective at the conclusion of the Commonwealth Bank Series. [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ausvind/content/current/story/333484.html Gilchrist announces his retirement] Cricinfo. Retrieved January 29, 2008]
* On January 29, 2008 fast bowler Shaun Tait announced that he would quit cricket for an indefinite period of time due to physical and emotional exhaustion. [ [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/334000.html Shaun Tait quits cricket indefinitely] Cricinfo. Retrieved February 5, 2008]
* On February 26, 2008 seamer Brett Lee won the Allan Border Medal for his outstanding bowling performance in 2007.
* On February 27, 2008 spinner Brad Hogg announced his retirement from all forms of cricket effective at the conclusion of the Commonwealth Bank Series. [ [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/339989.html Hogg calls time on his career] Cricinfo. Retrieved March 29, 2008]

ee also

*Pura Cup season 2007-08
*KFC Twenty20 Big Bash season 2007-08
*Australian One Day Domestic season 2007-08
*International cricket in 2007-08

References