Tour of New Zealand 2009-10                 Captain: Ricky Ponting

84th Test tour

Tenth Test-playing tour of  New Zealand by Australia

(February - March 2010)

The feature of the tour as far as the gossip-hungry media were concerned was Michael Clarke’s sudden return home to Sydney to confront his girlfriend, model Lara Bingle, about nude photos appearing in a magazine.  Clarke, officially on his first tour as Australia’s Twenty20 skipper, returned after sorting out his relationship and played in the Test series.

Australia was unbeaten in Tests through the 2009-10 season, achieving seven wins from the eight Tests,  and winning all three seriesthey contested.

Other Australian Tours

Previous tour

England 2009

Next tour

v Pakistan in England 2010

Next tour of New Zealand   None yet scheduled 

Members of the Test tour party  (14  + 1)

Opening batsmen:Simon Katich, Shane Watson

Middle-order batsmen:Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Phillip Hughes, Steven Smith,

Wicket-keeper: Brad Haddin

Spin bowlers:Nathan Hauritz

Fast bowlers:  Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Clint McKay, Doug Bollinger.

State representation

  Sheffield Shield teams

N   New South Wales (7)

Q  Queensland (3)

S   South Australia (0)

T   Tasmania (1)

V   Victoria (1)

W  Western Australia (2)

Hauritz and Watson did not play for their state in 2009-10

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(19 March 2010) :

   29 yrs  3 months

⋄  contracted player

T20/ ODI  member of the limited overs squads for T20 or ODI matches.

Test Appearances made before the tour

Ponting 142,  Clarke 58,  Hussey 48,  Katich 48,  Johnson 32,  Haddin 25,  Watson 17,  Hauritz 13,  North 13,  Bollinger 6,  Hughes 6,  Harris 0,  McKay 1,  George 0,  Smith 0.

Tour Officials

Selectors

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch,  Merv Hughes (on tour selector), Ricky Ponting (captain),  Tim Nielsen (coach), and Michael Brown (Cricket Australia’s general manager).

Selection

Unavailable:  Ben Hilfenhaus (knee injury),  Peter Siddle (stress fracture of the back),  Brett Lee (elbow) and Stuart Clark (back),  Brett Geeves (stress fracture of the back).

Limited-overs party announced:  18 February 2010.

Not selected :  Cameron White.

Withdrawal:  Shaun Marsh (back injury) - he was replaced on 23 February by Mike Hussey for the T20s - and a few days later it was clear he could not play in the one-dayers either

Test tour party announced:  10 March 2010.

The Test side was due to be announced on 9 March but postponed until Michael Clarke’s availability was clearer.

Time between selection and departure from Australia           

       5 days

   (18 - 23 February)

Travel

Sydney   Q  Wellington

The limited-overs team departed from Sydney on 23 February 2010.

The Test specialists, Phillip Hughes, Marcus North, Steven Smith, Simon Katich flew from Sydney to Wellington on Monday 13 March. They were accompanied by Michael Clarke, returning from his compassionate leave.

Time spent in New Zealand

   37 days

(23 February -  1 April)

On-tour selection

Ricky Ponting (captain),  Tim Nielsen  (coach),  Merv Hughes  (selector on tour).

Reinforcements

George Bailey  joined the one-day squad after batsman Michael Clarke returned to Sydney on 8 March to meet his fiancee model Lara Bingle because a topless photo of her appeared in a magazine.

Peter George was called up as cover for Ryan Harris who had a side strain before the first Test.

Fixtures/Results

New Zealand Cricket had to limit the tour to two Test matches instead of three owing to the tour being so late in the season.

(WS)  Westpac Stadium    (BR)  Basin Reserve.

† not first-class

⊕ T20 international

§  one-day international

Time spent in New Zealand before First Test: 

  24 days

(23 February - 19 March)

Test appearances on tour

2  -   Bollinger,  Clarke,  Haddin,  Harris,  Hauritz,  Hussey,  Johnson,  Katich,  North,  Ponting

1  -   Hughes,  Watson.

0  -   McKay,  Smith,  George.

Highlights

•   Brad Haddin’s century (110)  in the third ODI at Hamilton included seven fours and five sixes.

•   When he rejoined the tour, Michael Clarke made a hundred (168) in the first Test

•   With  Marcus North (112*) he added 253 runs for the fifth wicket. North then made a score of 90 in Hamilton.

•   Doug Bollinger took 5-28 at Wellington; he captured 37 wickets in the seven Tests he played in 2009-10.

•   Simon Katich (88 and his last Test century, 106) put Australia on the path to victory at Hamilton.

•   Mitchell Johnson took ten wickets in the Hamilton Test (4-59 and 6-73) to clinch the series for Australia.

Tour Summary

Return to Australia

Auckland   Q Sydney

On 1 April the team flew from Auckland and arrived home at Sydney International Airport.

Time away from Australia

  37 days  

(23 February to 1 April)

Finances

…..

Written accounts of the tour

……..

Postscript

Former Test cricketers criticised the tour management for granting Michael Clarke, Australia’s future Test captain-elect, compassionate leave to dash back home and sort out a troubled personal relationship because Test cricketers have always faced such problems in the past and have simply had to continue with the cricket tour.