The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877.[2] The team also plays One Day International cricket and Twenty20 International, participating in both the first ODI, against England in the 1970–71 season[3] and the first Twenty20 International, against New Zealand in the 2004–05 season,[4] winning both games. The team mainly draws its players from teams playing in the Australian domestic competitions – the Sheffield Shield, the Australian Domestic One-Day Series and the Big Bash League. The Australian team has played 744 Test matches, winning 350, losing 194, drawing 198 and tying two.[5] Australia is ranked the number-one team overall in Test cricket in terms of overall wins, win-loss ratio and wins percentage. Australia is currently ranked fourth in the ICC Test Championship behind England, India and South Africa as of 8 July 2013.[6] Australia has played 797 ODI matches, winning 490, losing 272, tying nine and with 26 ending in no-result.[7] They have led the ICC ODI Championship since its inception for all but a period of 48 days in 2007. Australia have made record six World Cup final appearances (1975, 1987, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007) and have won the World Cup a record four times in total; 1987 Cricket World Cup, 1999 Cricket World Cup, 2003 Cricket World Cup and 2007 Cricket World Cup. Australia is the first team to appear in 4 consecutive World Cup finals (1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007), surpassing the old record of 3 consecutive World Cup appearances by West Indies (1975, 1979 and 1983). The team was undefeated in 34 consecutive World Cup matches until 19 March at the 2011 Cricket World Cup where Pakistan beat them by 4 wickets.[8] Australia have also won the ICC Champions Trophy twice – in 2006 and in 2009 – making them the first and the only team to become back to back winners in the Champions Trophy tournaments. The team has also played 39 Twenty20 Internationals,[9] making the final of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20, which they lost to England.
Early history
The Australian cricket team participated in the first Test match at the MCG in 1877, defeating an English team by 45 runs, with Charles Bannerman making the first Test century, a score of 165 retired hurt. Test cricket, which only occurred between Australia and England at the time, was limited by the long distance between the two countries, which would take several months by sea. Despite Australia's much smaller population, the team was very competitive in early games, producing stars such as Jack Blackham, Billy Murdoch, Fred "The Demon" Spofforth, George Bonnor, Percy McDonnell, George Giffen and Charles "The Terror" Turner. Most cricketers at the time were either from New South Wales or Victoria, with the notable exception of George Giffen, the star South Australian all-rounder. A highlight of Australia's early history was the 1882 Test match against England at The Oval. In this match Fred Spofforth took 7/44 in the game's fourth innings to save the match by preventing England from making their 85-run target. After this match The Sporting Times, a major newspaper in London at the time, printed a mock obituary in which the death of English cricket was proclaimed and the announcement made that "the body was cremated and the ashes taken to Australia." This was the start of the famous Ashes series in which Australia and England play a Test match series to decide the holder of the Ashes. To this day, the contest is one of the fiercest rivalries in sport
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Competitions
As well as responsibility for Australian international sides, Cricket Australia organises domestic inter-state cricket in Australia, including the three premier competitions in each of the major forms of the game. These are the Sheffield Shield in first-class cricket, the Ryobi One Day Cup, which is the domestic one-day competition, and the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, which is the domestic Twenty20 competition. Cricket Australia's competitions: • Sheffield Shield • Ryobi One Day Cup • KFC Twenty20 Big Bash • Big Bash League (Commencing 2011/2012 season) • Futures League (Second XI) • Women's National Cricket League • CA Under-19 Cup • CA Under-17 Cup
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