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Edward Liddle's International Profiles
Steven Rodger Waugh
  • Born 2 June 1965 Canterbury, New South Wales
  • Educated East Hill Boys' High School
  • Occupation Professional Cricketer
  • Debut 20 August 1998 v Australia A at Castle Avenue
  • Cap Number 619
  • Style Right hand bat, right arm medium pace.
  • Teams New South Wales, Somerset, Kent, Australia

Steve Waugh, who appeared for Ireland in six matches against Australia A in 1998, was one of the most utterly determined cricketers of all time. Steve's Irish appearances came in 1998, when he came to the country, under the sponsorship of the Independent Group, as part of the ICC's development scheme, brainchild of South African Dr Ali Bacher, to play for Ireland against a powerful Australia A side and to hold coaching clinics. The weather was not totally kind to the enterprise, but Steve made a worthwhile contribution against his countrymen. Having played several matches in Scotland, the Australians began with a first class match at Rathmines, which they won by 150 runs, Mike Hussey showing the shape of things to come with a magnificent hundred. Steve made 31 and 45 in Ireland's innings. His 31 included 4 fours in his first 20 runs, while his second innings had 6 fours before he was caught behind off fast left armer Bernard Julien.

His best innings came in a rain ruined match at Castle Avenue, which followed the Rathmines game. Reduced from 50 to 40 overs by rain, it was eventually abandoned with Ireland on 168-7 off 25. Steve had contributed a brilliant 67 off 47 balls, with 3 sixes and 4 fours. He also made 50 at The Lawn - wrongly believed by "The Wisden of Oz" to be in Belfast. The match was reduced to 35 overs and ended in a comfortable win for the visitors. Steve faced 42 balls, being again dismissed by Julien. In all he scored 246 runs at 35.14. His coaching input was much appreciated.

He must be one of the most well documented cricketers of all time. Besides his autobiography Out Of My Comfort Zone (2006), he has no fewer than eleven tour diaries to his name. All of these were hand written without a ghost. They are not very informative and this writer is able to recommend the autobiography as an aid to sleep on long haul flights! Steve was also the subject of a biography "One Who Will" by the Australian journalist Jack Egan in 2005. Brief biographies of him appeared in most of the leading cricket annuals where he was inevitably a Cricketer of the Year.