Steve superb among Waughs (12 October 1998)

12 October 1998

Steve superb among Waughs

M. Shoaib Ahmed

Australia's Waugh family is indeed a sports institution, with elder Waugh a grade A tennis player, Mrs. Waugh a Grade A squash player and four sons all established cricketers. Steve and Mark (born two minutes apart) are the backbone of Australia's cricket side and glittering names in international cricket. They have already won glory in Australian first grade cricket and the youngest, Danny, is a rising star in Junior grade cricket.

Steve and Mark, by virtue of being twins are affectionately called 'Double Trouble' by Australian cricket fans. Although both are all-rounder, Mark is better known for his batting strength. On the recent tour of Pakistan, in the first Test Match at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Steve Waugh notched up a regal knock of 157 when Australia was struggling at 28-3.

Steve is a right-handed batsman and has sound batting technique and flair. He bowls right-arm at a vigorous medium fast pace. Steve's serious cricket began at age of 10, his first team being Panania East Hill and in the following years, besides the New South Wales Primary School side, he was selected for the U-13 and U-16 sides as well.

From the 1980-81 season onward, Steve appeared in several important competitions. He excelled with both bat and ball. In the 1983-84 season, he was selected for the Australian U-19 team for the Australian championship, in which he played some outstanding innings, scoring four centuries in the process.

Steve entered Sheffield Shield cricket in the 1984-85 season, following his selection to the NSW team. That season, he gave several scintillating performances with the bat, that included an impressive innings of 94. And by virtue of his overall performance that season, he was awarded the ESSO scholarship to England. In the Sheffield Shield final between NSW and Queensland in March 1985, Steve batted at No. 8 in the first innings, and scored 71. His maiden century (107) was achieved against Tasmania in the following season. Realising his vast potential, the Australian selectors included him for the last two Tests against India.

Lean, pale-faced, cool and laconic, Steve Waugh was a silent destroyer of anything but the highest class of bowling and a resourceful medium-paced bowler who was seldom mastered in any type of cricket. One of the most competitive and naturally gifted of Allan Border's strong Australian side between 1987 and 1994, his perfect right-handed batting technique enabled him to top the Test averages, with 126 and 83, on his tours to England in both 1989 and 1993. He hit seven first-class centuries on the two trips. In the first and second Test, at Headingley and Lord's, in 1989 his scores were 177 not out and 152 not out, both examples of classical batting, and remarkable concentration.

The first the twins played together in first-class cricket in Australia, they shared an undefeated fifth-wicket partnership of 464 for New South Wales against Western Australia at Perth in 1990-91 a record for any wicket. Waugh (Steve and Mark) brothers have been featuring in the Australian Test side quite regularly, while the younger two have been steadily creeping towards top class cricket. The two younger Waughs, Dean and Daniel are still in junior grade cricket, but are fast approaching Sheffield Shield grade by consistent performances and will inevitably join their elder twin brothers in the not too distant future.

Source :: The dawn (www.dawn.com)

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