Matthew Hayden

Matthew Lawrence Hayden (born October 29, 1971) is an Australian and Queensland cricketer. He is a powerful left hand batsman, known for his ability to score quickly at both Test and one day level, particularly over the mid on region and with the sweep shot. He is also a solid fielder in the slips or gully region.

Related Topics:
October 29 - 1971 - Australian - Queensland - Cricketer - Test - One day - Slips

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Hayden debuted for the Australian team in the 1993/94 season. He was given more than one chance to show his wares, opening alongside Mark Taylor and Michael Slater, but batted sluggishly and falling too easily and too often to the ball angled across him. It looked as though Hayden's career was over. He was still prolific at domestic level but did not seem to cut it in the Test arena. To his credit he kept churning out big scores for Queensland and finally he had his international career resurected in the 2000 tour of New Zealand. In the tour of India in 2001 he averaged a Bradmanesque average of 109.80 and then again in 2002. Since then, he has been a regular in both the Test and one day sides.

Related Topics:
1993 - 94 - Bradmanesque

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Until recently, he held the world record for the highest Test score, 380, which he scored in Perth against Zimbabwe in 2003. It narrowly eclipsed the previous best, 375, held by Brian Lara of the West Indies. Lara, however, reclaimed the record with 400 at St John's, Antigua on April 12, 2004 against England.

Related Topics:
Perth - Zimbabwe - 2003 - Brian Lara - West Indies - Antigua - April 12 - 2004 - England

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Hayden has been involved in the Australian side that won the 2003 World Cup, and the Test side that recorded the record number of consecutive wins. In 2001 he scored a then Australian record of 1391 runs in Test matches, and subsequently won the Allan Border Medal as the best Australian player of the year. Hayden was also one of Wisden's five 2003 Cricketers of the Year.

Related Topics:
2003 World Cup - 2001 - Allan Border Medal - Wisden - Cricketers of the Year

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As of August 2005, he has played 70 Test matches, with a batting average of 51.92, including 20 hundreds and 20 fifties. In one day internationals, he has scored 5 hundreds and 26 fifties at an average of 40.10.

Related Topics:
2005 - Batting average

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