First-Class Matches Australia 2005/06 and 2006/07 and South Africa 2006/07

Australia in 2005/06 and 2006 Australian cricket in 2005/06 was still traumatized by the unexpected loss of the Ashes in England in 2005. But recovery began immediately, as a remodelled side easily overcame the Rest of the World in the first (and to date only) ICC ‘Super Test’ before outclassing West Indies, whose only consolation in a 3-0 defeat was an exhilarating 226 by Brian Lara in which he overtook Allan Border’s old mark to become Test cricket’s leading run-scorer. But West Indies lost anyway. The following rubber, against South Africa, was slightly more competitive but Australia still prevailed. And any suggestions that the side was flattered by the 2-0 scoreline were dispelled a few weeks later when the sides met again in South Africa and Australia emerged as utterly convincing 3-0 victors. Mention must be made of the superb batting form of Ricky Ponting against South Africa: across the two rubbers (six Tests) he made 863 runs at 78.45. Australia then proceeded to a bizarre two-match rubber in Bangladesh, in which the first match was notable for an outstanding performance by the hosts, far exceeding their usual wretched form; and the second for something even more remarkable – a double-century for Jason Gillespie (in what proved to be his final Test). But the upshot was a Test record reading 11 wins, 1 draw, 0 defeats, suggesting that England would have a fight on their hands when they arrived to defend the Ashes in 2006/07. Domestically, the Pura Cup was won by Queensland following a crushing defeat of Victoria in the final. This was based on a huge total of 900-6d, which arguably represented something of a collapse from 878-3 at one point. No other side in first-class cricket (before or since) has made so many before losing its fourth wicket; and four scores of 150-plus was also a new first-class record. After this mauling Victoria, who had led off with an apparently respectable total of 344, succumbed gently at the second attempt and lost by a staggering innings and 354, the biggest margin of victory in Australia since 1926/27. Queensland’s victory was only justice. After a slow start, they had stormed through the later rounds of the Cup, eventually becoming the sole side to claim five wins (including home and away against runners-up Victoria). However, although Queensland was clearly the strongest team in the competition, all the sides could point to important successes and there was no real whipping-boy – even New South Wales, in bottom place, achieved three wins (although this still amounted to an extremely disappointing defence by the 2004/05 champions). The Pura Cup saw some remarkable cricket even before the final. At Hobart in November, Victoria beat Tasmania (handsomely, by 109 runs) after following on; this was only the fifth follow-on win in over a century of Sheffield Shield / Pura Cup cricket. The same month, Darren Lehmann, for South Australia against Western Australia, struck a massive 301* with the final century coming off only 78 balls. And at the very end of the regular season, Victoria successfully chased down an imposing target of 361 set by Western Australia and thus claimed the runner-up position, and with it the right to be hammered by Queensland in the final. The Pura Cup matches and the Test tours accounted for all the first-class matches in the 2005/06 season proper, but during the 2006 ‘off’ season there took place a tournament between the ‘A’ sides of Australia, India, New Zealand and Pakistan, which involved several limited-overs matches and four first-class games (one of which was rained off). This ‘Top End’ Series (so called from being played in Darwin and Cairns at the ‘top end’ of Australia) provided useful experience for young cricketers, but no points tally was kept and no winner declared. 7